Kouyate Kandia -Des Ballets Africains De Keita Fodéba. Vogue EPL 7257

my previous post on Sissoko Bakary & Daouda Diabaté -Des Ballets Africains De Keita Fodéba featured an EP that was part of a series of French recordings.

Today’s post is about another record in the same series with catalog nr. EPL 7257, released in the late 50’s.

Kouyate Kandia is a singer and guitarist, from the mountainous region of Fouta-Djallon in Guinea, the former French Guinee, sometimes called Guinee-Conakry. He was discovered by Keita Fodéba who added him to the cast of Les Ballets Africains,  an all African-star performance that premiered at  Theatre Etoile de Paris on November of 1952 in Paris. It was an instant success. Keita Fodéba moved the production to Africa in 1955 and toured the continent for six years to become the national dance company of Guinea. His life is as spectacular as it is tragic. After he became Minister of Defense in Guinea in 1961 his life ended in jail, where he was murdered.

Musician sensitive and delicate,  guitarist Kandia Kouyate is equally blessed with an exceptional voice, a mezzo-soprano. He sings about love and the virtues of tradional African society in traditional songs from Soudan and Guinee.

Kouyate Kandia -Des Ballets Africains De Keita Fodéba

Vogue EPL 7257 France

side 1

1. Nina (Haute Guinee)

2. Toubaka (Guinee)

side 2

3. Malissadio (Soudan)

4. Chant De Rejouissance w/ choir of men and women

*

guitar; Koyah Marof, Kante Facelli

tam tam; Raphael Wigbert

maracas; Maninka

choir of men and women

Sissoko Bakary & Daouda Diabaté -Des Ballets Africains De Keita Fodéba. Vogue EPL 7256

Bakary Sissoko and Daouda Diabaté, two griots  fed to the purest traditions of Africa. The first is from Senegal, the second came from Sudan.

Bakary and Daouda  met under the aegis of Keita Fodéba, the Guinean poet  who became the first to explore  black folklore in his famous Ballets Africains, formed in Paris in 1952

The music of the Mandinke people of the southern part of Senegal is being presented on this 4-track EP.

Sissoko Bakary et Daouda Diabaté  -des ballets Africains de Keita Fodéba.  Seven-inch 45 rpm EP disc. Vogue EPL 7256

A1 Boundessa with choir of men and women

A2 Sidiyela with choir of men and women

B1 -Alalake with choir of men and women

B2 Diaka

*

Composed By – Keita Fodéba

Cora – Daouda Diabaté

Maracas – Ambroise

Tom Tom [Tam-tam] – Raphaël Wigbert

Vocals, Cora – Bakary Sissoko