Via Soundway Records
The next 12” release on Soundway Records is this slab of 1980s West African disco crossover from the International Soleil Band from Guinee, West Africa. Composed by Gnamakoron Sidi Diabaté it was featured originally on an album released in 1983 by French Warners offshoot WAM (West African Music) – a short-lived label that recorded about 20 releases of West African music released in France. The track also features Mory Djely Kouyate and was a staple of the 22 band’s repertoire in the 1970s (in which many of the ISB played) – famous for their recordings on the legendary state-run Editions Syliphone label. This 12” features an extended Hide & Smile edit on the A side and the original album version on the flip. An extended intro of throbbing bass and keyboard interplay punctuated by classic Guinee guitar lines, metronomic drumming and 80s synth sweeps eventually drops into a more recognisable Guinean vocal outing. This track is sure to move any dance floor.
