Various: Original Sound Of Mali 2 LP

Following the success of the first ‘The Original Sound Of Mali’ compilation, Mr Bongo return with another explorative delve into the wonders of Malian music compiled by French writer, journalist and Grammy-nominated compiler Florent Mazzoleni and Mr Bongo's very own David Buttle. Restoring, reissuing and contextualising iconic tracks from Ousmane Kouyaté & Ambassadeurs Internationaux, Rail Band, Les Messagers du Mali, Mystère Jazz de Tombouctou, and many more, the second compilation in this series dives ever further into the richness of post-independence music emanating out of Mali. Following Mali's independence, after ten years of maturation, the 1970s saw modern Malian culture revealed to the world through musical anthologies and overviews of national and regional productions. Mali has always had a diverse storytelling tradition through music, with each province and ethnic group having its own unique character and nuances. As influences and sounds from the West drifted over the Atlantic, Malian musicians began hearing artists like John Lee Hooker, Wilson Pickett, Johnny Pacheco, Celia Cruz, and James Brown. Elements and ideas from blues, soul, rock, and funk led to bands covering artists they'd heard from these genres.