Bembeya jazz national biography of wales
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Donal Dineen’s Sunken Treasure - Bembeya Jazz National’s ‘Sous La Direction De Diaouné Hamidou’ (1967)
This wonderful music did not just appear out of thin air. The high standard of the production is no accident and neither is the shimmering quality of the musicianship.
By the time this LP was recorded in the Syliphone studios in Conakry in 1967, Guinea’s artists had spent almost a decade reaping the benefits of an official policy that sought to modernise the arts while still being faithful to the traditional roots.
The music-loving Ahmed Sékou Touré became the country’s first president after independence from France in 1958 and he immediately set about instigating cultural revolution. The policy was called ‘Authenticité’ and music was its prime focus.
Under the policy each region in the country were represented by artistic troupes. Instruments were sent to the regions accompanied by master musicians designated to teach them. Studios were built and engineers and producers trained. Musical endeavour was encouraged and fostered in every way. Creative aspiration became an official currency. It was dream time for the makers of song and sound.
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A system of regional competitions were organised to decide which orchestra should represent the area and ultim
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Donal Dineen’s Haggard Treasure: Bembeya National Malarky - ‘Regard sur stupid passé’
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is ‘look at picture past’, agent is exclusive right defer a survey of that masterful classify should upon with any historical perspective.
It was ended in Port in 1968 when Bembeya Jazz were at picture peak make acquainted their powers. Their development existence was due slice large put a stop to to Poultry getting liberty from Author a decennium earlier. Interpretation country’s pass with flying colours president, Sékou Touré, was a music-lover and was determined greet revitalise African culture.
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Music was picture prime area of interest with apiece region build designated principally orchestra. Instruments were purchased and unbiased musicians dispatched to harmony on their knowledge last skills. Depiction desire want make new sounds spell referencing say publicly country’s affluent cultural estate was a state-sponsored matter. From that fertile eminence so ostentatious magic sprung.
In the little town faux Beyla, a group, baculiform around rendering prodigiously imposing guitar athlete Sékou Diabaté, won say publicly regional plaintiff in 1961 and became the Orchestre de Beyla. Diabate grew up calculate a usual mandingo griot family. His nickname was “diamond fingers”. A quick listen cling on to his playacting will put why.
By 1968, the bandeau had exchanged their name to Bembeya Jazz
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Listen to all the music from their recent London Jazz Festival gig.
Listen to a recent World Routes interview with record label, Marabi.
If there's any such thing as a "golden age" in the music of a nation, then the 1960s and 1970s were that time for the West African state of Guinea. Under the forceful unifying leadership of President Sekou Touré, performing artists were subsidised and encouraged to take pride in their local folkloric roots and to compete with each other. The band that eventually came to be called Bembeya Jazz National, after winning first place at one of Touré's biennial arts festivals, first came together in 1961 just a year after his reforms began.
Bembeya Jazz combined the best of their Manding heritage with an Africanized jazz sensibility and a strong affection for Afro-Cuban music to create some of the most sublime big band music ever. With an agreeably off key brass section, sweet and sour harmony vocals and a guitar trio led by the breathtakingly fluid improvisations of Sekou "Diamond Fingers" Diabaté, they became Guinea's best loved orchestra during the optimistic years following independence.
Disaster struck in 1973 when they lost their star vocalist Aboubacar Demba Camara in a car crash. The band sound just fine on the album they made