Leon Keita - Leon Keita (Black Vinyl)

When Leon was ready to visit the recording studio he invited his friends from Les
Ambassadeurs Internationaux to serve as his backing band; the collaboration
yielded two records, both released in 1978 on the Papa Disco label. A year later
Leon released "Rythmes et Melodies du Mali", co-written with his brother Germain
and backed by the magnifcent Orchestre Black Santiago; featuring infectious
trumpet from band-leader Ignace de Souza, the LP was recorded in Benin at the
Satel Studio in Cotonou. Although Leon didn't make many solo recordings, his
songs continue to inspire the reverence of anyone fortunate enough to have
heard them. In recent years the song "Dalaka" was rediscovered by Barranquilla's
sound system operator Carlos Estrada and became an unexpected hit on the
caribbean coast of Colombia. Twelve years after the release of the criticallyacclaimed Bambara Mystic Soul compilation, this new compilation takes another
deep-dive into Mandingue culture with fve rare sides recorded during Leon Keita's
fabled late 70s sessions.
The LP, pressed on 180g virgin vinyl and housed in a beautiful jacket screenprinted in Greece, is limited to 2000 copies worldwide.