Orchestre Régional de Mopti -Musicaphon

Mopti, the “Venice of Mali”, is situated on the Niger river, near the town of Djenné with its famous mosque and archaeological sites. As a regional capital, Mopti maintained its own state-funded orchestra, and at Mali’s national arts festivals the Orchestre Régional de Mopti performed against other regional orchestras in competition. Mali’s arts festivals were held in Bamako from 1962 until 1988, when internal unrest and budgetary constraints forced their closure. In 2001 they were resurrected and are now held every two years. The Orchestre Régional de Mopti produced two recordings – a 10″ disc of four tracks released through the national radio station and one album through the Bärenreiter-Musicaphon label in circa 1970. Some of the orchestra’s members, however, also performed in Kanaga de Mopti, a non-governemt sponsored group, who released a LP on the Mali Kunkan label (see links to Malian vinyl discography and Mali Kunkan discography below). An orchestra of 14 musicians, the Orchestre Régional de Mopti personified the cultural policies of the era by adapting traditional melodies and songs (such as the epic “Taara”) into a modern performance context (electric instrumentation, brass section, etc). The Bärenreiter-Musicaphon recordings of Mali’s music in the early 1970s totalled over 15 albums, most of which have been unavailable for many years and are now highly sought after. Definite candidates for re-release.

ORCHESTRE REGIONAL DE MOPTI
les meilleurs souvenirs de la 1ere biennale artistique et culturelle de la jeunesse
recorded in 1970 as part of the first biennale of arts and culture for the young in mali. the regional orchestra of mopti was a state funded orchestra that participated in country wide music festivals and competitions. a hypnotic band featuring electric guitars and a large horn section. this is the first in a series of six mali music lps mississippi will be reissuing this summer from sterns. a serene and droning record that is both sorrowful and celebratory. on mississippi records

1 Boro
2 Récital
3 Manden po
4 An jigi ye mali ye
5 Ferro
6 Sènè
7 Taara

Orchestre Régional de Mopti – Boro, Musicaphon 1970