A compilation of recordings made during the 1970s in Burkina Faso has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, which take place next year. Bobo Yéyé, Belle Époque in Upper Volta has been selected for the Best Historical Album and the Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition.

The set of three discs of 37 songs includes tracks by legendary bands such as Volta Jazz, Dafra Star, Echo Del Africa and Les Imbattables Leopard.

It also shines a light on Bobo-Dioulasso's music scene in the years leading up to the 1983 coup led by Thomas Sankara, an anti-imperialist revolutionary known as “Africa’s Che Guevara”.

Bobo-Dioulasso is the second largest city of Burkina Faso and is considered as the cultural capital of the country.

There’s another contender for Africa in the Best Historical Album category - Sweet As Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes From The Horn Of Africa.

BBC