Sorry Bamba

The '70s were a peak time for music later categorized under the generic heading of Afrobeat. In reality, many beats were rising from the continent. One important performer of the era, vocalist and band leader Sorry Bamba, came from the West African nation of Mali and came of age with his country's independence. Volume One covers recordings he made during the '70s with a pair of large bands bristling with gravity-free electric guitars and humming with complex percussive rhythms and call and response cadences. Bamba's music was a gritty, organic convergence of local traditions with modern influences.