Available on 180g pink wax, limited to 2000

At the end of July 2020, while the world was still in the grip of the Covid's first "wave", I embarked on my inaugural expedition for Analog Africa. My destination was Paris, where I had arranged a rendez-vous with legendary Guinean guitarist Ousmane Kouyaté.

I was full of excitement: Ousmane was an innovator of the Mandingue sound, whose career – as a member of Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux, and as guitarist for Salif Keita – had taken him throughout West Africa and onto the stages of the world. But as I approached Sevran, the Parisian suburb where Ousmane had settled, I was also little nervous. As soon as I arrived, his warm welcome quickly broke the ice, and over tea he told me about his illustrious life in music. When I mentioned our plans to reissue his songs "Kefimba" and "N’Ny", Ousmane disappeared momentarily only to return wearing a beautiful traditional dress; there was a grin on his face and in his hands were the two original master reels. After finalising our collaboration, we retreated to the kitchen for a hearty stew prepared by his family.

Born in 1952 in Dabola, Guinea, Ousmane was heir to the tradition of the Griots, the storytellers, poets and musicians who had served for centuries as the guardians of West African cultural heritage. He picked up the guitar and balafon in his early years and formed a youth band in his teens, but it was while studying agriculture at Kankan University that he decided to devote his life to music.
 
He moved to Bamako where he soon fell in with Mory Kanté and Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako, who were busy forging a modern Mandingue sound. He performed occasionally with the band and, when they finally broke up in 1977, he was asked to join guitarist Kanté Manfila and singer Salif Keita in a new venture. The newly-formed Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux relocated to Abidjan, where they came to the attention of legendary Beninese producer Badmos. Their electrifying first album, released in 1978, made them stars throughout West Africa.
 
After a few years of touring, Ousmane decided to focus on his own compositions and went to the esteemed JBZ Recording Studio in Abidjan. Accompanied by his fellow musicians from Les Ambassadeurs, Ousmane recorded “Kefimba” – named after the all-black bull from his childhood with whom he had shared his Manioc meals – and “N’Ny”; both were released initially on cassette before making their way to vinyl in 1982 and 1983.
 
Ousmane left Les Ambassadeurs shortly before their split in the mid-1980s, but he continued to work with Salif Keita, serving as his guitarist for more than three decades. After bringing their music to audiences throughout the world, the two friends eventually settled in France – for Ousmane it was the fulfilment of a lifelong aspiration.


Just a few months after the Leon Keita release, Analog Africa now presents Ousmane Kouyaté’s two funk-infused Mandingue gems from the early 1980s, meticulously restored, pressed on 180g pink colored virgin vinyl, and housed in a beautiful Silk-screen-printed jacket. Limited to 2000 copies worldwide, this LP promises to set dancefloors ablaze with its infectious rhythms.