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1
Conakry
09:00 - 11:00

A special hour on Editions Syliphone Conakry, the Guinean state-funded record label that ran from 1967 to 1986, across the tenure of President Sékou Touré. The purpose of the label was to support and promote Guinean traditional and national music, at home and abroad. Since its independence from France in 1958, Guinea's artists had been radicalised by an official cultural policy that sought to modernise the arts while still being faithful to the traditional roots. It was a policy called authenticité, and music was its prime focus. Under the policy each region in Guinea, some 34 in total, were represented by artistic troupes. These consisted of an orchestra, a traditional music ensemble, a choir, and a theatrical group. The government purchased new musical instruments for the orchestras, at a huge cost, and encouraged the groups to write songs about topics such as African nationalism, anti-colonialism, and anti-imperialism. The Syliphone label thus captured a moment in African history when a new nation asserted its voice and placed music at the forefront of its cultural identity. Their’s is a story that is intertwined with the political struggle for independence in Africa.

2
London
09:00 - 11:00

Clandestine record label, The Trilogy Tapes, tear up the NTS studios once a month, ripping through the grittiest and muddiest tracks. No words on this one, just tunes.

The Higsons

The Higsons

The Higsons has been played on NTS shows including Corticeps w/ Minus Kendal, with I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys first played on 17 November 2015.

The Higsons were an English funk-punk band popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s.

Founded in the 1980s at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, The Higsons' first recordings to be released were on the Norwich - A Fine City compilation album, where they came to the attention of John Peel. The Higsons' first single, I Don't Want to Live with Monkeys, was released in 1981 and went straight to the top of the independent chart. Next came two singles on their own label - Waap! (which also released the first single by The Farmer's Boys. Then there were two singles for the 2 Tone Records label (also home to bands such as The Specials, The Beat and Madness). Finally, after signing to Upright, they relased an album The Curse of The Higsons in 1984, and had their closest brush with the charts - a cover of Music to Watch Girls By.

They released one more single, for the short lived R4 label and folded in 1986.

Since the band's breakup, Charlie Higson found fame as a comedy writer and actor in The Fast Show, and latterly as author of James Bond prequels. Terry Edwards fronts his own band, the Scapegoats and works as a session musician. Simon Charterton became a member of the Camden-based band The Aftershave and currently plays with Terry as Nitwood. Stuart McGeachin and Colin Williams got full-time jobs. Dave Cummings spent many years in Del Amitri and is now writing for TV and film. In late 2006 The Higsons played a one off reunion gig, supported by Norwich friends and contemporaries Serious Drinking, at London's The Spitz, in celebtation of Colin's 50th birthday.

Singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock paid tribute to the band with the song "Listening to the Higsons".

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The Higsons

The Higsons has been played on NTS shows including Corticeps w/ Minus Kendal, with I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys first played on 17 November 2015.

The Higsons were an English funk-punk band popular in the United Kingdom in the 1980s.

Founded in the 1980s at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, The Higsons' first recordings to be released were on the Norwich - A Fine City compilation album, where they came to the attention of John Peel. The Higsons' first single, I Don't Want to Live with Monkeys, was released in 1981 and went straight to the top of the independent chart. Next came two singles on their own label - Waap! (which also released the first single by The Farmer's Boys. Then there were two singles for the 2 Tone Records label (also home to bands such as The Specials, The Beat and Madness). Finally, after signing to Upright, they relased an album The Curse of The Higsons in 1984, and had their closest brush with the charts - a cover of Music to Watch Girls By.

They released one more single, for the short lived R4 label and folded in 1986.

Since the band's breakup, Charlie Higson found fame as a comedy writer and actor in The Fast Show, and latterly as author of James Bond prequels. Terry Edwards fronts his own band, the Scapegoats and works as a session musician. Simon Charterton became a member of the Camden-based band The Aftershave and currently plays with Terry as Nitwood. Stuart McGeachin and Colin Williams got full-time jobs. Dave Cummings spent many years in Del Amitri and is now writing for TV and film. In late 2006 The Higsons played a one off reunion gig, supported by Norwich friends and contemporaries Serious Drinking, at London's The Spitz, in celebtation of Colin's 50th birthday.

Singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock paid tribute to the band with the song "Listening to the Higsons".

Original source: Last.fm

Tracks featured on

Most played tracks

Touchdown
The Higsons
Fontana1982
I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys
The Higsons
Upright Records1984