Mali, 1978, Mande music / afro-funk
Idrissa Soumaoro et l’Eclipse de L’I.J.A. – Ampsa: Le tioko-tioko: The organs alone are worth the psychedelic trip through this album, but man oh man, that’s just the start. The tinny, joyous, backing female vocals… the infectious beats… it’s all there in this resurrected lost gem from long ago. Basically, Soumaoro, when working as a music teacher, made this album with two of his blind students, but instead of having this album marketed to the public, it was just given away to students at the school. Damn what a story, and now, after some zealous music lovers tracked down not only the master tapes but the musicians involved in the project, we get to hear this hope-filled document. Fun fact: Boubacar Traoré worked as a sound engineer in the studio where this album was recorded.
Museum Musica 