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Salif Keita and Kante Manfila
The Lost Album (Syllart/Cantos)

A truly unexpected treasure.... Kante Manfila and Salif Keita, post Ambassaduers and before 'the big time' hit Salif with a ton of electronics, they went to Abijan and recorded this lo-fi, odd-ball recording of acoustic (almost) songs that defy the imagination now (and probably did then). Tradition meets budget effects (a wonderful, ringing, double-speed guitar tape-trick starts things off), and a CD of essential guitar work, Salif's voice in bare exposure, and an assortment of percussion, balafons, kora, female voices and horns, all taped in less-than-perfect recording situations, lend a truly 'punk' effect to this 1980 treasure chest. It all shifts with the final track, an explosion of classic modern (1980s) roots, full of raw horns, rubbery electric guitars and watery reverb. Absolutely essential and highly recommended.

Listen:
I djo Fama
Toura makan
Wara

The fi isn't that hi - though studio tricks weren't unknown in Abidjan in 1980 judging by the speeded up guitar effects - but compared to the bootleg cassette versions of some of these tracks which floated around West Africa later that decade it's positively bright and glossy. It comes from the period when Keita and Kante had taken themselves and Les Ambassadeurs off from Mali to the Ivory Coast, where they would soon record one of West Africa's greatest tracks, the awesome Mandjou. Sketchy notes give no personnel details, though it's not much of a stretch to guess that the trumpet player might be the Ambassadeurs' Traore Kabine, and for sure the pianist on 'Djigui' is unmistakeably Cheikh M Smith. The same sketchy notes give the impression it was specifically recorded as an acoustic album project, but if it was then there were three distinct sessions and studios involved: 'Finzamba' and the traditional 'Toura Makan' with balafon and female chorus are definitely not from the same time and place as 'I Djo Famâ,' 'Djigui' and 'Nakana,' whilst the closing 'Wara' sounds more like something from an Ambassadeurs session with brass section, organ and bass guitar. Whatever the truth of its provenance, this is lovely, atmospheric, 'Golden Afrique' music, from way before Salif hit the kitchen synths with Soro and everything changed. Makes me want to dig out Kante Manfila's Tradition for a few spins. - Ian Anderson, fRoots "...In 1980, Keita was living in Ivory Coast and working with guitarist Kante Manfile and Les Ambassadeurs. In an experiment in "moving to something more authentic", Keita and Manfila recorded this acoustic set with help from pianist Kemo Kouyate, a trumpet player from Les Ambassadeurs, and a selection of kora and balafon players and singers. Some songs were released on vinyl in West Africa; some were never available until now. The recording quality is rough but the performance is remarkable, with Keita's powerful, declamatory vocals matched against Manfila's intricate, relaxed guitar work - and one burst of big-band styles and electric guitar at the end. A lost classic indeed." - The Guardian, UK