Supplements to "The Syliphone years" series of CDs released by Sterns

Copyright © Graeme Counsel
 

Since the release of "The Syliphone Years" of CDs new important information has been gathered which augments and corrects some errors in the booklet texts. The details are provide below.


Keletigui et ses Tambourinis. The Syliphone years

 

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• On page 2 of the booklet the orchestra are shown, the photo taken from the cover to their first LP on Syliphone. In those early days of Guinea's (and Africa's) recording industry the photographs of the groups on the record covers did not always depict the entire personnel. Talibé Traoré, for example, who was the Tambourini's principal trumpeter in the mid-1970s, missed out on being photographed for the cover of La Rétour, Syliphone SLP 55, as he was late for the shoot. Furthermore, on some LPs the orchestra's personnel were named but some members were omitted for no other reason, it seems, than lack of attention to detail. These factors make it difficult to name the personnel in the early orchestras. In 2008 I had been able to name all but one of the group who appear on the covers of Syliphone SLPs 1 and 3. I was mistakenly informed that the unnamed person was Djigui Touré, the group's first trumpeter (see below), so in the booklet this incorrect formation went to print. I can correct this now, and state that the picture is not of Djigui Touré but is in fact of Labilé Camara, the group's conga player. Labilé also went by the name of David Camara. So, the photo of SLP 1 on page 2 of the booklet should appear as -

from left to right -

Kélétigui Traoré - chef d'orchestre, tenor sax, organ, vocals  
M'Bemba Dioubaté - bass
Manfila "Dabadou" Kanté - vocals
Labilé Camara (aka David Camara) - congas
Linké Condé - guitar
Kaba Sylla - drums
Kerfala Camara - vocals
Bigné Doumbia - alto sax, tenor sax

(not pictured)
Djigui Touré - trumpet
 

• The above represents the personnel of the orchestra which performed on SLP 1 and SLP 3, with the songs recorded between 1964 - 1966. The LP was not released until late 1966 or early 1967. All efforts to date the release of the first Syliphone LPs (that is, SLPs 1 - 7, which were released together) have proved fruitless.

• Djigui Touré was the group's first trumpet player, not the percussionist as written in the text to the CD. His solos are evident on SLPs 1 and 3. Kerfala Camara did not play trumpet at that stage, and was taught it later by Djigui. Kerfala Camara took over as the trumpet player in the group when Djigui departed. No photograph of Djigui Touré is in evidence.

• Linké Condé was the only guitarist in the line-up which recorded SLP 1 and SLP 3.

• Sékou Condé on rhythm guitar did not join the Tambourinis until circa 1968.

• Momo "Wandel" Soumah did not perform on SLP 1 or SLP 3. He joined the group in circa 1968 after being recruited from Kakilambé Jazz, the Federal Orchestra of Conakry II.

• "Petit" Kélétigui Kourouma was one of the group's first bass players and vocalist (he was the original singer of "Chiquita", among others, but he never recorded with the group). Though Kerfala Camara was a bass player, he played the double-bass, and when the electric bass was adopted into the group it was played by "Petit" Kélétigui. He left the Tambourinis for Côte d'Ivoire in 1964, and M'Bemba Dioubaté took over on bass. Thus "Petit" Kélétigui Kourouma did not join the group in the late 1960s as indicated in the booklet, but was a founding member.

• Labilé Camara was also one of the founding members of the group, joining them much earlier than the "early 1970s" as written in the booklet text.

• Lansana Diabaté was not an original member but joined the group in the early 1970s. 

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Supplements to the Balla et ses Balladins, Bembeya Jazz National, and Authenticité CDs will be forthcoming.

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This page was created on September 1 2009 and was last updated on January 22 2010.
 

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