Bambara Mystic Soul: The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974-1979

Burkina Faso has been somewhat passed over as a musical centre when compared to its West African neigh¬bours; this latest collection from Analog Africa intends to set the record straight. Whilst Amadou Ballaké is possibly the only name you’d recognise from the tracklist, an entire compilation dedicated to its little-known output seems a lot less obtuse than it might at first glance.

It may be at the heart of the arid Sahel region, but its proximity to Mali, Senegal, Benin and Ghana clearly gave the nation a rich musical brew to draw from. Whether its the psyched-out ‘Kodjougou’ by Abdoulaye Cisse or the Benin cavacha stylings of ‘Sie Koumgolo’ by Coulibaly Tidiani, the compilation reflects the myriad of influences running through the country and its surrounds.

However, the real standout cuts, and those that seem to really contain the mystic soul of the title, are those reinterpreting the Mande influences of Mali and Guinea. ‘Zambo Zambo’ by Mamo Lagbema could pass for Bembeya Jazz at their best, whilst the spiralling, hypnotic refrains of ‘Renouveau’ and ‘Baden Djougou’ by Amadou Ballaké are simply exquisite. Gently repeating riffs, with subtle Latin percussion, sit woozily under Ballaké’s delicate vocal. Funk workouts such as ‘Tink Tank’ by Afro Soul System feel a tad pale in comparison, but this is a solid introduction to an otherwise unknown musical canon.