Formed in 1964 by Idrissa Koné, the Volta Jazz band started out playing a Cuban style, later adding elements of their native Bobo styles. This album captures the vibrant, cosmopolitan West African pop, soul and jazz scene during the 1970s.
"We were all part of the same Voltaic identity: we wanted to create and develop our own culture. I was in the same boat as Idrissa Koné. By the mid-1960s, he had also started Volta Jazz, and he asked me to photograph the record covers. He had paid for colour negatives, so we went to Bobo's municipal garden and across town. I was influenced by the Bantous de la Capitale's Stenco singles covers from the early 1960s. Volta Jazz created the soundtrack for Bobo’s joyful parties and daily happiness."
- Sanlé Sory
