Ever heard music from Guinea? Guinea-Conakry not Guinea-Bissau of course?! Well that's one of the cool things about Sound Travels, you get to hear the sounds of many countries you may not even have been aware existed. Rest assured, Guinee is a real place and I've got the compilation that's probly the best representation of the new sounds emanating from this small West African nation; Stronghold Sound Presents: Sembeh Me Fa Fe - Roots Volume. Nevermind the idiosyncrasies of the title, Stronghold Sound holds it down!
Actually, this is the second compilation from Stronghold Sound, the first having been a Middle Eastern affair focusing on underground music out of Lebanon. This one however, appears to do the same for Guinean musicians, representing the underground sound of a country that is far removed from Stronghold Sounds' San Francisco-based studio, but thankfully not from their sensibilities. I played this cut today at 11am by featured artists Mybaby (Kadiatou Sylla), performing her own blend of salsa infused Guinean folk.. Grade: Incomplete