Rail Band // Rail Band LP
- Availability:
This is a reissue of a record released in 1970 by Rail Band, the official band of the Malian National Railways.
Below is a commentary by the label.
"One of the greatest, heaviest and most popular guitar records from 1970s West Africa is now available on vinyl for the first time in over a decade!
1973, Bamako, Mali: The official orchestra of the Malian National Railways, the Rail Band, releases a self-titled LP. A relentlessly soulful, hypnotic blend of American funk, jazz horn, and Afro-Cuban music, reflecting centuries of Mande tradition, the continent's greatest artists have performed on a grand scale. I played it at high volume.
Led by legendary trumpet and saxophonist Tidiani Kone, and supported by Jerimadi Tunkara's intricate web of rumbling, reverberated guitars, the Rail Band's expansive ensemble tells the story of West Africa. While embodying tradition, it celebrates the technology and modernity of Mali, which has just gained independence. Vocalists Salifu Keita and Molly Kante, heroes of African music who would go on to achieve global fame as solo artists, sing with endless emotion, oscillating between silky ballads and funk screams. The band's sound is filled with layers of percussion, rolling guitars, and melodic horns filtered through the Caribbean.
Starting in 1970, the Rail Band performed five days a week from 5pm until early morning at the Buffet Hotel de la Gare. Their audience was international: businessmen, young people, Bamako nightlife. The band was incredibly versatile, switching genres, rhythms, and styles to suit the audience. It was an unstable mix, and shortly after these recordings were made, Salifu Keita left to form rival group Les Ambassadeurs, leading to its demise. The Rail Band went on to perform in various forms, but the eight songs on this album demonstrate that they were one of the greatest bands of all time, at the height of their creativity.
In "Duga," a piece of music that dates back to the 13th century and has been passed down through the oral tradition of the Géri (Griots), the rail band replaces the balafon with a loudspeaker-filled interplay between Cheich Tidiane's bass and Alfred Coulibaly's delicious organ. Let them hear you play. With its iconic saxophone intro and Molly Kante as James Brown, "Marabayasa" is a deep cut favorite of DJs around the world. The Rail Band is part of a long and prestigious lineage of Malian guitar orchestras whose mission is to translate Malian traditional music into modern instrumentation, a tradition that is second to none. Transformed and reimagined with unforgiving style and energy. "
Labels and other worksplease use this form. ///Click here to see more Mississippi Records releases available at Tobira.
-------------------------
12" black vinyl in old school jacket faithfully reproducing the iconic “mermaid” design from the 1973 release.
tracklist:
- Jurukan
- Marabayasa 05:21
- Bajala Male
- The name
- Duga 07:54
- Tidiani Koné
- Nantan
- Moko Jolo
Text excerpt by Mississippi Records:
"... Bamako, Mali, 1973: Rail Band, the official orchestra of the Malian state railway, drops their self-titled LP. It's a relentlessly soulful and hypnotic blend of American funk, jazz horns, and Afro-Cuban music, reflected through centuries-old Mandé tradition and blasted at top volume by some of the continent's greatest artists.
Led by legendary trumpet and saxman Tidiani Koné and held aloft by the intricate web of Djelimady Tounkara's rumbling, reverb-soaked guitar, Rail Band's spreading compositions embody West African storytelling traditions while exulting in the technology and modernity of a newly independent Mali. Vocalists Salif Keita and Mory Kanté, two heroes of African music who would achieve global fame as soloists, are endlessly emotional, oscillating between silky ballads and funk screams. The band's sound is filled out by layers of percussion, rolling guitars, and melodic horns filtered through the Caribbean .
Starting in 1970, Rail Band played five nights a week, from 2 pm til the early hours, at the Buffet Hotel de la Gare. Their audience was an international array of businessmen, young partiers, and people of the Bamako night. The band was incredibly versatile, switching genres, rhythms, and styles to meet their crowd. It was a volatile mix, one that would fall apart soon after these recordings were made, with Salif Keita's departure to start the rival Les Ambassadeurs. Though Rail Band continued in many distinguished forms, the eight songs on this album reveal one of the greatest bands to ever exist, at the height of their creative powers.
On “Duga,” a composition dating back to the 13th century and passed on through oral tradition by the jelis (griots), the Rail Band replaces balafon with the interplay of Cheick Tidiane's speaker-rattling bass and Alfred Coulibaly's tasteful organ. “Marabayasa, ” with its iconic sax intro and Mory Kanté channeling James Brown, is a deep-cut favorite of DJs around the world. Part of a long and legal lineage of Malian guitar orchestras initially tasked with translating the region's traditional music to modern instrumentation, Rail Band morphed and reenvisioned those traditions with a style and energy that has never been matched."
Artist: Rail Band
Label: Mississippi Records
CAT No.: MRI206lp
This is a reissue of a record released in 1970 by Rail Band, the official band of the Malian National Railways.
Below is a commentary by the label.
"One of the greatest, heaviest and most popular guitar records from 1970s West Africa is now available on vinyl for the first time in over a decade!
1973, Bamako, Mali: The official orchestra of the Malian National Railways, the Rail Band, releases a self-titled LP. A relentlessly soulful, hypnotic blend of American funk, jazz horn, and Afro-Cuban music, reflecting centuries of Mande tradition, the continent's greatest artists have performed on a grand scale. I played it at high volume.
Led by legendary trumpet and saxophonist Tidiani Kone, and supported by Jerimadi Tunkara's intricate web of rumbling, reverberated guitars, the Rail Band's expansive ensemble tells the story of West Africa. While embodying tradition, it celebrates the technology and modernity of Mali, which has just gained independence. Vocalists Salifu Keita and Molly Kante, heroes of African music who would go on to achieve global fame as solo artists, sing with endless emotion, oscillating between silky ballads and funk screams. The band's sound is filled with layers of percussion, rolling guitars, and melodic horns filtered through the Caribbean.
Starting in 1970, the Rail Band performed five days a week from 5pm until early morning at the Buffet Hotel de la Gare. Their audience was international: businessmen, young people, Bamako nightlife. The band was incredibly versatile, switching genres, rhythms, and styles to suit the audience. It was an unstable mix, and shortly after these recordings were made, Salifu Keita left to form rival group Les Ambassadeurs, leading to its demise. The Rail Band went on to perform in various forms, but the eight songs on this album demonstrate that they were one of the greatest bands of all time, at the height of their creativity.
In "Duga," a piece of music that dates back to the 13th century and has been passed down through the oral tradition of the Géri (Griots), the rail band replaces the balafon with a loudspeaker-filled interplay between Cheich Tidiane's bass and Alfred Coulibaly's delicious organ. Let them hear you play. With its iconic saxophone intro and Molly Kante as James Brown, "Marabayasa" is a deep cut favorite of DJs around the world. The Rail Band is part of a long and prestigious lineage of Malian guitar orchestras whose mission is to translate Malian traditional music into modern instrumentation, a tradition that is second to none. Transformed and reimagined with unforgiving style and energy. "
Labels and other worksplease use this form. ///Click here to see more Mississippi Records releases available at Tobira.
-------------------------
12" black vinyl in old school jacket faithfully reproducing the iconic “mermaid” design from the 1973 release.
tracklist:
- Jurukan
- Marabayasa 05:21
- Bajala Male
- The name
- Duga 07:54
- Tidiani Koné
- Nantan
- Moko Jolo
Text excerpt by Mississippi Records:
"... Bamako, Mali, 1973: Rail Band, the official orchestra of the Malian state railway, drops their self-titled LP. It's a relentlessly soulful and hypnotic blend of American funk, jazz horns, and Afro-Cuban music, reflected through centuries-old Mandé tradition and blasted at top volume by some of the continent's greatest artists.
Led by legendary trumpet and saxman Tidiani Koné and held aloft by the intricate web of Djelimady Tounkara's rumbling, reverb-soaked guitar, Rail Band's spreading compositions embody West African storytelling traditions while exulting in the technology and modernity of a newly independent Mali. Vocalists Salif Keita and Mory Kanté, two heroes of African music who would achieve global fame as soloists, are endlessly emotional, oscillating between silky ballads and funk screams. The band's sound is filled out by layers of percussion, rolling guitars, and melodic horns filtered through the Caribbean .
Starting in 1970, Rail Band played five nights a week, from 2 pm til the early hours, at the Buffet Hotel de la Gare. Their audience was an international array of businessmen, young partiers, and people of the Bamako night. The band was incredibly versatile, switching genres, rhythms, and styles to meet their crowd. It was a volatile mix, one that would fall apart soon after these recordings were made, with Salif Keita's departure to start the rival Les Ambassadeurs. Though Rail Band continued in many distinguished forms, the eight songs on this album reveal one of the greatest bands to ever exist, at the height of their creative powers.
On “Duga,” a composition dating back to the 13th century and passed on through oral tradition by the jelis (griots), the Rail Band replaces balafon with the interplay of Cheick Tidiane's speaker-rattling bass and Alfred Coulibaly's tasteful organ. “Marabayasa, ” with its iconic sax intro and Mory Kanté channeling James Brown, is a deep-cut favorite of DJs around the world. Part of a long and legal lineage of Malian guitar orchestras initially tasked with translating the region's traditional music to modern instrumentation, Rail Band morphed and reenvisioned those traditions with a style and energy that has never been matched."
Artist: Rail Band
Label: Mississippi Records
CAT No.: MRI206lp
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