Bebey, Francis: Trésor Magnétique (Vinyl 2xLP)

Francis Bebey is the kind of artist whose legacy feels infinite.

Trésor Magnétique, this compilation of unreleased tracks, archival recordings, and neglected gems from Bebey's vault, feels like a grand reveal in an ongoing narrative - a story that spans continents and generations. The compilation's name (translated as "Magnetic Treasure") sets the stage perfectly. Not only does it reference the fragile tapes discovered in the home of Bebey's son, Patrick, but it also hints at the almost gravitational pull of Bebey's art.

Meticulously digitized at Abbey Road Studios, these tracks radiate clarity and urgency that defy the decades separating them from contemporary ears. One listen to Trésor Magnétique, and it's as if you're opening a letter from another era, only to find that its contents speak to you more vividly than today's headlines.

In an era when African artists were sometimes stuffed into marketing categories like "world music" or "folk," Bebey adamantly mixed and matched instrumentation that had seemingly no business coexisting. A pygmy flute might flutter against the metronomic pulse of a drum machine, or a classic guitar riff might coil around a looped synthetic soundscape. In hearing these recordings, you get the sense of a mind in constant motion, rarely content to finalize a piece and move on.

Tresor Magnetique feels less like a dusty retrospective and more like a living, breathing dialogue with the present. For newcomers, it offers a doorway into a vast discography that moves fluidly between danceable afro-funk, folkloric chanting, politically charged commentary, and shimmering electronic explorations. For longtime fans, it unearths new corners of a beloved catalog, revealing how Bebey's restless spirit never quite let a song rest in one configuration for too long.

Francis Bebey wasn't merely "ahead of his time"- he operated on his own timeline entirely. In a century that often demanded conformity or neat categorisation, he insisted on an expansiveness that belongs just as much to the future as it did to the mid-1900s. And that is why, as we immerse ourselves in Trésor Magnétique, it feels like we're not just discovering lost artifacts-we're confronting ideas that remain radical and relevant right now.

Francis Bebey was not just ahead of his time-he made his own time. And now, we finally have the chance to catch up.

1. Forest Nativity (Extended Version) - Unreleased 1982
   
2. Le Grand Soleil De Dieu - 1986
3. La Condition Masculine (English Extended Version) - Unreleased 1975
   
4. Quand Le Soleil Est La (Alternate Drum Machine Version) -Unreleased 1984
   
5. Ganvié - 1982
   
6. Kikadi Gromo - 1986
   
7. Immigration Amoureuse - 1986
8. Where Are You? I Love You - 1985
   
9. Dash, Baksheesh & Matabish - 1977
   
10. Je Vous Aime Zaime Zaime (Drum Machine Version) - Unreleased 1976
    
11. Agatha (Alternate version) - Unreleased - 1975
    
12. L' Amour Malade Petit Francais - 1982
    
13. Ndolo -1982
    
14. Chant D'Amour Pygmee - 1982
    
15. Funky Maringa - 1982
    
16. Crocodile - Crocodile - Crocodile - 1982
    
17. L'Ile De Djerba - 1976
    
18. Kitibanga - 1982
    
19. Asma (Alternative Instrumental Version) - Unreleased 1988
    
20. Savannah Georgia (Alternative Version) - Unreleased 1974