This first Fula Flute record ("Fula Flute" 2002 fulaflute.bandcamp.com/album/fula-flute ) was very well received, made a big impression and contributed to inspire a generation of Fula flute players around the world. It coined the now widely used term "Fula flute" for the instrument and consecrated Bailo Bah as one of its pre-eminent players. Many of its tracks were used in movies and TV shows, and dance companies choreographed to them. The cultural intelligentsia of Guinea, the country of origin of the Fula flute (a.k.a. tambin), wholeheartedly adopted the album and for many years, it was on heavy rotation on Guinean radio and TV and used in news program, dramas, children stories, movies, commercials, etc. The proudest moment came in 2007 when, in protest of the government, the population massively took to the street. The national radio (RTG– Radio Television Guinéenne) suspended its regular programming and, in order to calm spirits and inspire deeper thoughts, was broadcasting only traditional music. The Fula Flute album in its entirety, alongside the country's greatest kora and balafon music, was spun around the clock for days-on-end.

The second album (Fula Flute "Mansa America" 2008 fulaflute.bandcamp.com/album/mansa-america ) had a larger group sound with balafon, kora, guitar, percussion, vocals, upright bass and of course: two flutes, focusing on innovative compositions and arrangements. It generated a mini-hit during the 2008 US election with the griot-style tribute song dedicated to then presidential candidate Barack Obama. However, this was to be short-lived as, when he assumed power the public didn't want to hear the song any more and the entire album suffered along with it. Nevertheless, NPR recognized it's innovative spirit in this story: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100771426.

With the present release, Fula Flute returns to the source while continuing to innovate with Bailo's vocals and performance by Sylvain on the chromatic tambin, his patented invention that, as opposed to the traditional tambin which is limited to only one tonality, can play in all keys.

Many thanks to Robert Browning for inviting us to "A World in Trance;" to the staff at Roulette for sharing the recording with us; to William Farrington for the use of his beautiful photo; and to all our Fula Flute fans around the world.