Syliphone was a Guinean record label that ran from 1967 until 1984. The label was based in Conakry, Guinea. Created and funded by the Guinean government, Syliphone was the first African record label to attain funding from the state within the post-colonial era. The music on the label has been described as representing "some of the most sublime and influential that any West African nation has ever produced." The dissolution of Syliphone came with the death of the first president of Guinea, Ahmed Sékou Touré, in 1984.
With its new-found independence on 2 October 1958, the elected Guinean government headed by president Ahmed Sékou Touré moved to instil a sense of national identity by reigniting the arts and cultural practices of Guinea. Central to fulfilling these aims was the government's cultural policy of authenticité, which saw the creation of a network of arts troupes across the nation. These troupes, choirs, ensembles and orchestras—more than 250 in number—provided a comprehensive representation of Guinean musical styles and approaches. Guinean musicians were encouraged to create modern versions of the traditional songs of their respective regions and the authenticité policy produced many outstanding recordings. It influenced musical development and originality outside of Guinea, too, with Mali and Burkina Faso adopting similar programmes in the creation of their regional and national arts troupes and orchestras.
Formed in 1967, the Syliphone label became the central distributor of Guinean music, making it accessible to the general public across West Africa, and thus shaping the sound of African popular music from the 1960s to the 1980s and beyond.
In the early period of the label, modern orchestras were at the forefront of Syliphone and subsequently the authenticité cultural policy. Traditional songs were given a modern twist with the use of electric guitars and saxophones in replacement of the kora (instrument) and balafon. In the 1970s, the experimentation and creative approaches within the Syliphone sound developed and came of age. Musicians on the label began to tour Africa, Europe and USA, which gave Syliphone and the authenticité cultural policy international recognition and an international audience. Into the 1980s, Syliphone had released recordings of choirs, ensembles and solo artists on the label.
Graeme Counsel of The British Sound Archive describes what made Syliphone stand out from other post-colonial African record labels: "A lot of care had gone into their production: the cover art was high quality glossy colour; the lyrics of the songs were often provided; the musicians were named; and lengthy annotations providing a musicological analysis were featured on many of the back covers. Another remarkable feature was the excellent quality of the audio. The sound engineer’s positioning of the microphones, the subtle use of echo effects, and the fidelity of the production were of the most exceptional standard when compared with recordings of a similar type. Such high quality audio captured Guinea’s musicians at their best, and they clearly rivalled, if not surpassed, the great singers and groups from neighbouring Mali and Senegal."
All the great bands are here, with key songs from such legendaries as Bembeya Jazz National, Keletigui et ses Tambourinis, and Balla et ses Balladins. Also on the label are rare recordings from their contemporaries such as Syli Authentic, and Kebendo Jazz. And lest we forget, the mighty South African legend that was Miriam Makeba, Mama Africa, who after fleeing her home country and then the US winded up in exile in Guinea, courtesy of President Sékou Touré.