Orchestre Rail Band - Marabayasa (Mali, 1973, RCAM)

Hi everyone ! Today, I decided to make you (re)discover one of the great African Orchestra, from the Mystical country of Mali : L'Orchestre Rail Band du Buffet Hotel de la Gare de Bamako, also nicknamed Le Rail Band. State-sponsored by the national railroad Malian Company (it explains the name of the band), Le Rail Band was the most powerful Malian orchestra, that released more than ten LP's and many 7' from the 70's to the late 80's. The Rail Band's leader was the great Tidiani Koné, an outstanding musician who was also a griot (a kind of religious leader/ influent personality), who decided to give his chance at this time to a young albino singer, Salif Keita, that would become world famous in the future. Here is the track "Marabayasa" ("Mariba Yasa" or "Marba Yassah"), an outsanding track taken from the first album of the band, driven by Mamadou Bagayoko's devastating drums, Alfred Coulibaly's savage saxophone and Salif Keita's holy voice - Enjoy ! For more African, West Indian, Oriental and World Grooves tracks feel free to go on my website : www.africangrooves.fr Armand de Preseau