"In the late 1950s, as most African nations were gaining their political independence, Papa Diabate (born in Faranah, Guinea, 1936) was developing a new single-note style of African guitar playing based on using a plectrum rather than the thumb and index finger technique used throughout Africa.
Having learned his scales and other European musical techniques at the conservatory of music in Dakar,
Papa set about merging those techniques with Guinean music to create an original guitar style that could cut through and help power the brass-based dance orchestras that were on the rise.
He may indeed have been the first of his generation in Guinea to play the electric guitar. Certainly he was the most prominent.
The list of electric guitarists who cite him as their inspiration and teacher includes the best that Guinea had to offer in the 1960s and 70s: Manfila Kante, who ended up in Mali co-leading Les Ambassadeurs with vocalist Salif Keita, Sekou “Bembeya” Diabate of Bembeya Jazz , and Papa’s younger brother Sekou “Docteur” Diabate, who was the soloist with Bala et ses Balladins.
Although Papa Diabate trained the initial generation of Guinean electric guitarists, he himself rarely recorded commercially in his early years."
Grand Papa Diabaté here, is accompanied by Moriken Kouyate ,Bakary Kanté,Kante Manfila,Djessou Mory Kanté, and the sublime Sona Diabaté on vocals.
guitar,extra dry
bonus track:
Papa & Sekou Diabaté - Les virtuoses Diabaté
