...And speaking of
Bembeya Jazz, here is a CD from 1982, a time when Guinean nationalism was in full swing and the restrictions of the hard-line gov't had been slightly relaxed. The music was not so much a product as an expression of cultural identity. Mixing the ever-present Cubanisms with a very strong traditional element makes the band at this period less smooth and more emotive, with an undisguised fervor for the re-emerging Africanism of the time. Balafon and guitar, horns and percussion - by now a familiar blend, but never less than fresh and new (including some nasty funk and a mind-blowing neo-Robert Fripp guitar solo!). ~ Carl Hoyt