Musique Sans Paroles – 1976

🇬🇳 🎷 🎻 🎶 🏛️ On Editions Syliphone Conakry, Guinea’s official music label, the album Musique Sans Paroles showcases the richness and diversity of instrumental music from 1976. The era’s finest ensembles were invited, such as Sombory Jazz de Fria, composed of bauxite quarry workers who played music in their spare time. Like the Quintette Guinéenne, they performed an afro-jazz fusion infused with joyful Mandinka harmonies. With the Ballets Africains, the focus returns to tradition and the shepherd’s flute, before handing over to Papa Kouyaté’s trio—grandson of guitarist Kanté Manfila—blending saxophone and kora. Side B opens with an adventurous sax/percussion duo led by Momo Wandel Soumah, a pioneer of West African afro-jazz fusion. All these artists were officially mandated by the government to travel across Guinea, teaching and training local musicians. The goal was to encourage the formation of regional orchestras capable of promoting authentic Guinean music, in line with Sékou Touré’s decolonisation efforts. Syliphone’s label brought prestige to these musical productions, and Musique Sans Paroles remains one of its treasures, concluding with the Quintette Guinéenne’s rendition of the classic Massane Cissé.