With La Guinéenne, Mory Kanté pays a tribute to Women, a full-throated praise song to the women of the world, whose sacrifice, dedication, and centrality to human progress is too often met with oppression and neglect. La Guinéenne is also a musical tour de force from a pioneer whose work has helped define the musical language of post-independence Africa, and who remains one of the most forceful bandleaders and compelling vocalists in African music today.
La Guinéenne marks Kanté’s return to his trademark, big band sound. It also marks his return to Guinea. Kanté recorded the original tracks for La Guinéenne in Conakry, at a moment of reinvention in Guinea, following a period of deep political turmoil. Kanté then took the tracks to Paris, where he worked closely with producer Philippe Avril and a 5-piece brass section from the north of Norway to complete the album. The result is a genuinely bi-cultural creation, rooted in authentic West African folklore, and gleaming with the polish and precision of top-flight contemporary production.
