Discothèque 76

Syliphone was a government-run record label in Guinea into the 1980s, and its Discotheque series were a sort of greatest hits compilation series. Five out of six songs on Discotheque 76 are by Bembeya Jazz National, Guinea’s national orchestra known for their modern approach to Manding music. The band featured a Latin-flavored horn section, but the Cuban influences on this record are subtle. Instead, it is Sekou “Diamond Fingers” Diabate’s virtuoso guitar playing that takes the lead on these extended psychedelic pieces, like on the meandering “Petit Sekou,” an instrumental workout punctuated only by maniacal laughter.