African Virtuoses – The Classic Guinean Guitar Group

Every once in a while, when you have been very good or have been very lucky, a piece of art, a musical composition or a poem that is mind blowing comes your way. When this happens, all you can do is sit and wonder and nod your head to say: without art, we are nothing, without music, we are nothing, without love, we are nothing. (My personal mantra and my reason for being).

Released by Sterns Africa in 2007, African Virtouses – The Classic Guinean Guitar Group, consists of music recorded in the 70s and 80s by Guinean guitar maestros – the Diabate Brothers – Papa, Sekou, Sire and Abdoulaye, yet I can’t get over how incredibly fresh and contemporary the music sounds.

Traditionally, Guinean musical instruments are the the kora, balafon (xylophone), and koni (lute). The aptly named, African Virtuoses in their own inimitable style, include the guitar as their means of creative expression. Here and there, one can hear flashes of Cuban, flamenco and Django Reinhardt musical influences. The overarching elegance is typically and distinctively Guinean however.

African Virtouses, I bow down to your greatness.

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