Socialist Guinea president Sékou Touré made this combo, which had begun as Bembeya Jazz in 1961, the official band of the state; thus the National that became part of the name. But it wouldn't be hard to hear this live album, recorded in 1971 and celebrating a decade together, as some kind of coronation even without the group's back-story. Sékou Diabate, the guitarist and bandleader, is clearly the one being crowned — at the least, his commanding solos are as kingly as Sunny Adé's, slicing through the equally hot horn section like putty and making plenty of space for Aboubcar Dembar Camara, the band's supple vocalist.