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Much has been written about the rich musical culture of West Africa. However, with a certain emphasis on countries like Mali and Ghana, we rarely hear about the land-locked country of Burkina Faso, which isn’t to say they haven’t made their own contributions to the sounds of the region. Lucky for us, the folks at Chicago label Numero Group have once again unearthed a treasure trove of previously forgotten music originating from the tiny country during a particularly inspired period in the 60’s and 70’s.
The bands represented in Bobo Yéyé: Belle Époque in Upper Volta somehow managed to absorb a globetrotting mélange of musical influences, no easy feat at a time when communication across the world was complicated, especially in war-torn Western Africa, making this collection a remarkable artifact. The area known as Upper Volta managed to squeeze some years of peace and cultural prosperity out of a time wracked by civil wars, colonial breakdowns, and political turmoil. Somehow, the Upper Volta shined with music, fashion, and entrepreneurship, impressive considering that, according to the extensive liner notes, “Since declaring independence on August 5, 1960, the country had survived four coups, a border war with Mali, and a six-year drought. It had an illiteracy rate of over 90% and held the world’s highest infant mortality rate, at 280 deaths for every 1,000 births.”
The acts featured in this 3-LP set and book tapped into a range of genres such as salsa, jazz, rock and roll, tribal African, Malian, and good old rock and roll, showing through it all that hard times would not be a deterrent from enjoying life. There are moments of transcendent greatness throughout. “De Nwolo” by Coulibaly Tidiane and Dafra Star may feel the most “traditional” of all the tracks with its distinct Malian style guitar playing and complex kora solos.
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Things soon take a turn in a decidedly different and enlightening direction as these Burkina Faso musicians travel across a range of musical styles. As one might expect of anywhere in the world at that time, much of what these musicians tap into is music originating from the Americas. Volta Jazz, one of the biggest attractions from this era, emerges as the most “international” band with a particular fondness for the sounds of Latin America. “Mama Soukous” is deeply funky and one of the heaviest grooves on the album with a frenzied, jagged guitar solo, while “Were Were Magni” is pure salsa. “Beni Djarabi” feels distinctly Cuban yet the singing is clearly of the Upper Volta, making it one of the most fascinating fusions on the album.
There are other bright spots; “Gentleman Doromina” by Echo Del Africa seems to be a predecessor or perhaps a like-minded distant cousin to the intense, brass-laden grooves Fela Kuti would establish as Afrobeat. “Sie Koumgolo” by Coulibaly Tidiane and Dafra Star is a riotous blast of percussive goodness as this band grooves loud and hard with total abandon. This same group nails “Si Tu Maime”, a loping, almost ominous tune that taps into otherworldly soul yearning as the singer cries out in French and while Django Reinhardt-esque guitar playing backs him up. “Milaoba” by the awesomely named Les Imbattables Leopards seems to be paying jazzy tribute to the musicians of Morocco and is, strangely enough, also deeply soulful.
Ouedraogo Youssef’s “He Ya Wannan” is brassy with a warbled voice and unexpectedly rocking guitar solos, bringing to mind Velvet Underground’s “There She Goes Again” and other rock and roll of the era that was popular in the States. It also features a totally funky organ solo that actually makes you wish you could teleport to whatever crazy party this tune was undoubtedly played at. The striking revelation that emerges as you listen to each of the three discs is the fact that this music does not at all feel of its time and place. Then again, perhaps it is the kind of thing that could have only happened in the Upper Volta with the circumstances at the time.
Once again, Numero has presented us with a seemingly forgotten time capsule of musical history. In this case, it’s one that showcases a strange little corner of the world that was paying more attention to what was happening around them than the attention being paid to them. What’s also interesting about Bobo Yéyé: Belle Époque in Upper Volta is that it marks one of Numero’s most notable forays into world music, leaving die-hard fans of the label wondering just what they’ll dig up next.
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