Various Artists - Music For A Revolution Vol.2 - Guinea’S Syliphone Recording Label (1968-1980) 2LP (Vinyl LP) PRE-ORDER

Expected Release Date: 20-February-2026 - This Pre-order will be shipped on or just before this date. Release dates are subject to alteration.

This is the second of a two-volume release which presents a selection of the best songs from Guinea's Syliphone recording label. This volume focuses on recordings from the 1970s, when Guinea’s authenticité policy had transformed the nation's music through a network of over 30 orchestras, each representing their local region, and each presenting Guinean musical traditions alongside the influences of Cuban music, jazz and funk.

On October 2 1958, after over 60 years of colonial rule, Guineans voted overwhelmingly for their independence, and Guinea was declared a Republic with Sékou Touré as President. Guinea was the first of West Africa’s Francophone colonies to gain independence. To free Guinea from its colonial legacy, president Touré sought to restore dignity to his nation and give cause for Guineans to take pride in their culture, history and newfound freedom. To achieve this, he instructed his government to implement new cultural policies that were intended to revitalise and celebrate indigenous culture. The focus of these new policies was on music.
In 1961, President Touré launched authenticité, the name of his new cultural policy for Guinea. One of its first acts was to assemble the best Guinean musicians into a new state-sponsored orchestras that were tasked with presenting traditional Guinean music in a new and modern style. All musicians in Guinea’s orchestras were officially designated as members of the public service. During the years of Sékou Touré’s presidency (1958 – 1984), the government’s cultural policy of authenticité was applied strictly to the creative arts. Guinea’s sole political party, the Parti Démocratique de Guinée exercised complete authority over artistic production. The scale of the Guinean government’s commitment and efforts to invigorate its indigenous musical cultures was unmatched in Africa, and it presented a clear contrast to the minimal endeavours undertaken by Guinea’s former colonial rulers.
From 1967 to 1983, Guinea’s government presented selections of songs from the Voix de la Révolution catalogue on its own recording label, Syliphone. These recordings were described as ‘the fruit of the revolution’. Syliphone was revolutionary in many aspects: it was the first recording label to feature traditional African musical instruments such as the kora and balafon within an orchestre setting; it was the first to present the traditional songs of the griots within an orchestre setting; and it was the first government-sponsored recording label of post-colonial Africa. Syliphone represented authenticité in action, and over 750 songs were released by the recording label on 12-inch and 7-inch vinyl discs. All are highly sought after by collectors worldwide.

Tracklisting:
A1. Super Boiro Band - So I Si Sa
A2. Bembeya Jazz National - Armée Guinéenne
A3. Kaloum Star - Maliba
A4. Balla Et Ses Balladins - Nyo
B1. Quintette Guinéenne - Douga
B2. Le Simandou De Beyla - Festival
B3. Horoya Band - Zoumana
C1. Kaloum Star - Gbassikolo
C2. Sombory Jazz De Fria - Nana
C3. Syli Authentic - Fabara
D1. Balla Et Ses Balladins - Paulette
D2. 22 Band Kankan - Deny