Roi Du Ziglibithy

This reissue collects four tracks by Ernesto Djédjé, the guitarist from Ivory Coast who made his first singles in Paris, 1968, which were arranged by Manu Dibango. Returning home in 1974, Djédjé resolved to make an international form of Ivorian music, terming it ziglibithy. Djédjé died suddenly, and mysteriously, at 35, but had already recorded five albums by this time, in 1983.

The four tracks here measure five (two of these), seven and almost nine minutes, with the longest being the finest, a centrepiece called ‘Ziglibithiens’, first released in 1977. Enthused joy is maintained, driven by a slithering hi-hat hiss, with harmonised vocals, tinny organ, horn optimism, a compulsively repeating guitar figure, and a bass line right at its heart. The other three tracks are recorded between 1979 and 1981. All vocals are sung in the Bété language. Synths meet lightly strummed guitar on ‘Nini’, either acoustic or electric turned down very low. A pacing bass has rationed funk phrases, with the horns quite subtle in the mix. Djédjé keeps his band sprightly and sparse, with a light-footed precision. ‘Bliwana’ has dollops of vocal echo, a slower pace, with a central guitar strum, while ‘Golozo’ has a stinging-repeat intricacy to its guitar work, with a particularly strong recurring figure.