The Syliphone Years: Hits and Rare Recordings

CD Details

Bembeya Jazz National, formed in 1961 in the Guinean town of Beyla, became one of West Africa’s most innovative ensembles after relocating to Conakry in 1970. During their peak years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the band blended traditional Guinean music with modern influences, led by guitarist Sekou “Diamond Fingers” Diabate and vocalist Aboubacar Demba Camara. This 2007 compilation gathers 27 tracks recorded between 1967 and 1977 from the Syliphone label, Guinea’s national record company founded to preserve the country’s musical heritage while fostering contemporary creativity.

The Syliphone Years is a two-disc CD set spanning the band’s most prolific decade, featuring songs like “République Guinée,” “Sabor De Guajira,” and “Guantanamera-Seyni” that showcase their signature fusion of African and Latin sounds. Curated by music experts Paul Hayward and Graeme Counsel, this reissue captures a golden era of Guinean music on physical media you can own at a fraction of the original cost.