La Voix de la Révolution

Sory Kandia Kouyaté was a link between the ancient griot tradition of sung history and the modern popular music of Guinea. He started out at the court of King Mamou in 1947, playing the ngoni (lute) and singing epics that recounted the history of the Mande immortals. He moved to Conakry, the capital, where he soon impressed president Sekou Touré, who invited him to perform at rallies. The fact that he could project without a microphone seemed like a near-supernatural gift to those who heard him sing. Touré saw the value in infusing popular music with the griots’ historic tales. Still a teenager, Kouyaté was drafted into Les Ballets Africains, which toured the world. Though Kouyaté died at 44, he made many recordings that have been distilled into this fine compilation.

CD1 covers big-band material drawn from four albums, with traditional instruments such as a raucous balafon (wooden xylophone) alongside guitars and brass. Kouyate is backed by the National Ensemble Djoliba and Keletigui & his Tambourinis. It includes storming tracks such as ‘Fouba’, which showcase his vocal power (his voice even rising above Keletigui's sax), and the gentler ‘Mikossaya’, which sounds like a waltz. The second disc is mainly drawn from a 1973 three-LP set, L'Épopée Mandingue, featuring Sidikiba Diabaté, a Malian kora player, and a balafon alongside Kouyaté's ngoni. Though the instrumentation is stripped down, it is no less complex musically. These last recordings provide a final, vivid demonstration of Kouyaté's dramatic voice.