Whether on Analogue Africa, Les Disques Bongo Joe, Wagram, Soundway, Soul Jazz or – as here – Mr. Bongo: the stream of excellent reissues of African music seems unstoppable. Whether from Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Niger or Mali, a wide variety of styles are reaching new audiences through a wide variety of channels. The second part of the series »The Original Sound Of Mali« is no exception. In addition to well-known acts such as Rail Band or Les Ambassadeurs Du Motel De Bamako, whose band leader drives his fellow musicians in the best James Brown style in the meaningful “Get Up James “, there is much more to discover here.
Ousmane Kouyaté & Ambassadeurs Internationaux begin with an energetic funk jam with a rich horn section. This is immediately followed by “Mamaniya ” by Bouba et Sokona Sacko, a hypnotic wassoulou piece with impressive call-and-response vocals. Rumba rhythms, jazz elements, blues vibes: the bands of 1970s Mali had much more than just their native sounds in their luggage. In addition to the richness and quality of the music, the fidelity of the sound is particularly striking. It is nothing short of a miracle that the original tapes have survived in such good condition for over half a century. It’s easy to forgive the occasional wobble and slightly muffled sound.
