The Radio Télévision Guinée sound archive

In 2008, 2009 and 2012-2013 the Endangered Archive Programme provided me with funding via Major Research Project Awards to archive, digitise and preserve the Radio Télévision Guinée (RTG) sound archive in Conakry. The archive contained thousands of audio reels on 1/4" magnetic tape, u-Matic videos and 24mm film.

In partnership with the British Library - and in Guinea with the Ministère de la Culture des Arts et Loisirs, the Ministère de la Communication, Radio Télévision Guinée staff, and many musicians - I led the "The Syliphone archive" project. It successfully archived, preserved and digitised 9,410 songs (over 55,000 minutes of music) recorded between 1960 to 2000, with the bulk of the material recorded between 1967 and 1984 at the height of Guinea's Cultural Revolution.

I have assembled the archived recordings into a spreadsheet, which can be sorted by performer, date, song title etc. I have also published "A guide to the Syliphone archive", which provides background and suggested starting points to explore the collection.

The archived materials can be considered as two basic sections:
 - digitised copies of original Syliphone vinyl recordings. These are listed in the catalogue as commencing with the file name "Syliphone1" (for example, Syliphone1-003-01)
 - music recorded on 1/4" magnetic tape. The bulk of this material was recorded in the Voix de la Révolution studios and were potential Syliphone vinyl releases. These are listed in the catalogue as commencing with the file names "Syliphone2", "Syliphone3" or "Syliphone4" (for example, Syliphone3-143-02).

Hard copies of the Syliphone1 materials (that is, digital copie of all Syliphone vinyl recordings) are available on compact disc format at the Bibliothèque National de Guinée. The entire archival collection (that is, Syliphone1, Syliphone2, Syliphone3 and Syliphone4 materials) is also available there on digital format. The entire archival collection is also availabel on digital format at the RTG offices in Boulbinet, Conakry, upon request (via the Ministry of Communication).

The collection is also available in the British Library's Reading Room through its Sound and Moving Image Catalogue. From 2016, all songs were accessible on the internet through the British Library Sounds website. Please note, however, that in October 2023, the British Library experienced a significant cyber-attack and the collection is currently unavailable. The British Library have indicated to me that they hope to have the collection again available to the public in late 2025. I will update this web page accordingly.

I express my gratitude to the Endangered Archives Programme for providing the project funding, and to all agencies, their staff, musicians and friends for making the project possible.

The first decade of the Endangered Archives Programme's projects was celebrated in the publication From dust to digital: Ten years of the Endangered Archives Programme. The book contains my chapter on the RTG sound archive projects - "Music for a revolution: The sound archives of Radio Télévision Guinée", and it features embedded links to 22 songs from the archival collection which can be accessesd via YouTube or laptop, computer, smart phone, etc.

 

The Syliphone archive catalogue

Click on the link above to access an Excel spreadsheet of the catalogue of "The Syliphone archive". It includes personal notes on particular recordings, some of which are below.

I also ask for your own input, so if you have something to add to the catalogue which could contribute to the knowledge of a particular recording or artist, then please contact me.

Updates to the Excel spreadsheet of the catalogue of "The Syliphone archive":

Syliphone 2-068 - Orchestre Mamadi Kourouma
   As per the hand-written cover of the reel, I archived this recording as "Orchestre Honoré Coppet". Linké Condé, the chef d'orchestre Keletigui et ses Tambourinis,

   indicated that the orchestra was in fact the "Orchestre Mamadi Kourouma", named after the group's alto sax player. I can also add these personnel to the songs:
Syliphone 2-068-01 - Mamadi Kourouma (flute), Linké Condé (guitar), Jean Fanga (drums)
Syliphone 2-068-02 - Mamadi Kourouma (alto sax), Djigui Touré (trumpet)
Syliphone 2-068-03 - Honoré Coppet (1st solo - sax)

Syliphone 3-248 - the Syli Orchestre Nationale
   recorded in 1961 or 1962
Syliphone 3-248-01 - Angeline Daffy (vocals), Vieux Sayon Camara (clarinet solo)
Syliphone 3-248-02 - Ahmed N'Diaye (vocals)
Syliphone 3-248-03 - Kerfala "Grand Papa" Diabaté (guitar solo); Djigui Touré, Balla Onivogui and Jack Young (trumpets)
Syliphone 3-248-04 - Honoré Coppet (clarinet solo), Kerfala "Grand Papa" Diabaté (guitar solo)
Syliphone 3-248-05 - Kerfala "Grand Papa" Diabaté (guitar solo)
Syliphone 3-248-06 - Fatou Dokhodi (vocals)
Syliphone 3-248-07 - Fatou Dokhodi (vocals)
Syliphone 3-248-08 - Fatou Dokhodi (vocals)
Syliphone 3-248-09 - Kerfala "Grand Papa" Diabaté (guitar solo)
Syliphone 3-248-10 - Kerfala "Grand Papa" Diabaté (guitar solo)

The "EAP187 - Collection 1" recordings (catalogue numbers Syliphone1-001 to Syliphone1-159) refer to the 2008 project whereby the complete Syliphone catalogue was re-created from the vinyl originals.

The "EAP187 - Collection 2" recordings (catalogue numbers Syliphone2-001 to Syliphone2-129) refer to the 2008 project which commenced the digitisation of the audio reels held at the RTG sound archive.

The "EAP327" recordings (catalogue numbers Syliphone3-001 to Syliphone3-335) refer to the 2009 project which continued the digitisation of the audio reels held at the RTG sound archive.
 

The "EAP608" recordings (catalogue numbers Syliphone4-001 to Syliphone4-827) refer to the 2012-2013 project which completed the digitisation of the audio reels held at the RTG sound archive.