I’m pretty sure that Kouyaté Sory Kandia is actually a Malinké-speaking Mandingo, not Fulani, but I couldn’t resist the title to this post. Basically while listening to West African salsa yesterday I brushed past a couple tracks that struck me as being perfect for a Quentin Tarrantino soundtrack.

The first track is by Sory Kandia Kouyaté (Kouyaté is his family name, but you can write his name Kouyaté Sory Kandia), a well-known vocalist in his day from Guinea-Conakry. I got it off his album Grand Prix du Disc 1970 that was re-released a few years ago. The song makes makes me think of Uma Thurman walking in slow-motion into a country Western bar somewhere in the back alleys of Conakry while pulling on an extra-long cigarette. On top of that image, the song itself is fun and Kouyaté’s singing is over-the-top wonderful.

Second we got a slow jam classic by “we are world music” Orchestra Baobab. They may be wildly popular but they’re still amazing. If you ever get to see them live keep your eye on the sax player – his facial expressions and posturing on stage are priceless. He’s a classic Senegalese “grand homme”. Either way, their song Werente Serigne, available on the re-released Pirates Choice, could easily fit into some retro-heroin American movie à la Tarrantino.

Kouyaté Sory Kandia – NNa
Orchestre Baobab – Werente Serigne

Sekouba “Bambino” Diabate got his name because he started singing with the famous Guinean group, Bembeya Jazz National, at the tender age of 17. This was a group of old guys by the mid-1970s and he was the nouveau talent, ie the little brat that the old-school members would make fun of. 30 years have passed and he’s still known as the baby/Bambino.

His last album, Sinikan, got a lot of attention, both in Africa and abroad. Well produced thanks to the studio work of some of Salif Keita’s team and well advertised/distributed, Sinikan was seen as an album that could finally get Guinean music on the map in Western markets. I’m not actually sure how well it sold abroad but regardless Sekouba is now well-known and seems set to rise in popularity.

He has that new-sound West Africa meets traditional and yet he stays true to his Mandingo/Guinean musical roots. While he’s a little heavy on the synth drums and casio sounds at times, his voice, the great chanting backup vocals and wonderful percussion more than save the music.

Here’s my favourite track off Sinikan (and no, it’s not “Fatou”) plus another tune from an earlier album that caught my ear on the Guinea Vibrations compilation.

And hey, since we now have some bandwidth to spare I’ll throw up another track off that compilation: some catchy Guinean dance music by another good traditional mandingo + pop fusion musician, Baba Djan. It’s Hallowe’en and I get the day-off tomorrow so may as well have something to move to tonight.

Sekouba Bambino – Gnangnini
Sekouba Bambino – Acanadia
Baba Djan – Kankan

I watched the debate last night because I get to vote in this year’s US election thanks to a brief stint in Michigan from the age of 0-3. The debate left me feeling better about Kerry but quite sour about American politics in general.

So in honour of my home and greater land, Canada, I thought I’d post a track by a Canadian-Guinean today. The choice is especially appropriate this week since Canada recently decided to completely forgive debts owed by the world’s poorest nations, many of them in West Africa.

Alpha Yaya Diallo was born in Guinea-Conakry but now lives in the land of rain and Starbucks, Vancouver. While still in Guinea he played with the popular Bembeya Jazz National band. Before moving to Canada he spent some time in Amsterdam where he joined Fatala on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.

Diallo’s guitar playing is great and despite his deep-rooted Western influences he still manages to produce a music distinctly and authentically West African. And in a distinctly and authentically Canadian way this new resident was awarded the country’s highest musical honour, a Juno, for his album The Message in 1999.

Here’s a track from that album. I’ve also included a track today by Diallo’s old group, the Bembeya Jazz National, that I particularly like.

Alpha Yaya Diallo – Badenma
Bembeya Jazz National – Mami Wata