AFRICAN RECORDS
LA BELLE ĂPOQUE DES INDĂPENDANCES
et de matĂ©riel dâenregistrement digne de ce nom. Les rares maisons de disque locales comme Compagnie VoltaĂŻque du Disque, Volta Discobel, Disques Paysans Noirs, Disques de la Sya utilisent les usines et les studios du Ghana, du BĂ©nin, du Mali, ou de la CĂŽte dâIvoire. Une grande partie de la production moderne voltaĂŻque sâarticule ainsi autour dâun axe Ouagadougou/BoboDioulasso, qui dĂ©termine lâĂąge dâor de cette musique.
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La ligne de chemin de fer Abidjan/ Bobo-Dioulasso est ouverte en 1934. Cette grande ville carrefour du sud du pays est ainsi dĂ©senclavĂ©e, permettant une activitĂ© Ă©conomique accrue. Bobo connaĂźt alors un afflux de populations venues de lâensemble de lâAfrique Occidentale Française, Ă une Ă©poque oĂč la colonie de Haute-Volta est en train dâĂȘtre dĂ©membrĂ©e, rĂ©partie entre la CĂŽte dâIvoire, le Niger et le Soudan Français (Mali), avant de redevenir une entitĂ© Ă part entiĂšre sous le nom de Haute-Volta en 1947. Ă la fin des annĂ©es 1930, un orchestre colonial se produit de maniĂšre rĂ©guliĂšre Ă Bobo, suscitant de nombreuses vocations locales. Des formations comme le Sahara, le Dynamic Jazz ou le Rossignol participent ainsi Ă la vie nocturne, avec lâautorisation
especially Mossi and Dioula onesâwith Afro-Cuban rhythms, American funk ellipses with the candour of the French yĂ©yĂ©, while electric guitars interlaced with strong brass sections. In the early 1970s, the excellence of ensembles and artists such as the Volta Jazz, the Harmonie VoltaĂŻque, Amadou BalakĂ©, the Imbattables LĂ©opards, Abdoulaye CissĂ©, Youssouf Diarra & Echo del Africa Nacional, Tidiane Coulibaly & the Dafra Star, the Super Volta de la Capitale or Pierre Sandwidi showed remarkable musical effervescence, in spite of often very limited means. With the notable exception of Amadou BallakĂ© and Georges Ouedraogo, very few Voltaic artists have in fact received recognition, if only a Pan-African one, beyond the countryâs borders. Despite clear contingencies and the fact that the country did not have any pressing plants or recording studios, Voltaic record production remained quite consistent. Burkina was one of the last African countries to develop a national radio and acquire recording equipment worthy of the name. The few local record companies in existence at the time such as the Compagnie VoltaĂŻque du Disque, Volta
Discobel, Disques Paysans Noirs, Disques de la Sya used plants and studios in Ghana, Benin, Mali, and CĂŽte dâIvoire. Much of the Voltaic modern production was therefore based on a Ouagadougouâ/â Bobo-Dioulasso axis, which defined the golden age of this music. The railway line from Abidjan to Bobo-Dioulasso started operating in 1934. This great cityâthe crossroads of the southâwas thus brought out of isolation, bringing increased economic activity.
AFRICAN RECORDS
THE HEYDAY OF INDEPENDENCE
[fig. 28]
GEORGES OUĂDRAOGO Batteur et leader de Bozambo/ Drummer and leader of Bozambo, c.â1978 ©TDR/ARR [fig. 29 - p. ââ66]
ECHO DEL AFRICA SUR SCĂNE/ON STAGE c.â1977 © Sory SanlĂ©