Music of Guinea
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National music
French is the official language of Guinea and is the main language of communication in schools, government administration, the media, and the country's security forces. Independence for Guinea came in 1958. Guinea's President, Sekou Toure, disbanded all private dance orchestras and created a network of state-sponsored groups.[1] The government soon formed the Syli Orchestre National, a dance orchestra that featured some of the best musicians in the land.
"Liberté" (Liberty) has been the national anthem of Guinea since independence in 1958. It was arranged by Fodéba Keïta, based on the melody "Alfa yaya".
Traditional music
Guinea's 10 million people belong to at least twenty-four ethnic groups. The most prominent are the Fula (40%), the Mandinka (30%) and the Susu (20%). Fula is widely used in the central Fouta Djallon, Maninka in the east and Susu in the northwestern coastal region.[2] It is a predominantly Islamic country, with Muslims representing about 85 percent of the population.[3] Christians, mostly Roman Catholic, about 10 percent[4] of the population, are mainly found in the southern region of Guinée forestière.
Mandé music is dominated by the
As in
Popular music
After World War 2, the guitar was imported to Guinea and players like Kanté Facelli and his cousin Kanté Manfila developed their own style of playing. In modern times, the guitar plays a very important role.
Some of the early dance bands included popular groups like
See also
References
- ISBN 978-3639153057.
- ^ "Susu on GoWestAfrica.org". Archived from the original on 2013-09-16. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- ^ http://www.visualgeography.com/categories/guinea/religion.html [1]"Guinea-Conakry". Archived from the original on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
- ^ "Guinea Conakry Support | Guinee Conakry Trade and Support. (GCTS)". Archived from the original on 2015-01-05. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- Duran, Lucy. "West Africa's Musical Powerhouse". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 539–562. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 978-1-85828-636-5
Suggested listening
- BBC Radio 3 Audio clip (60 minutes): Koo Nimo and King Ayisoba. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clips - traditional music from Guinea. French National Library. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- (in French) Audio clips: Traditional music of Guinea. Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Authenticite - The Syliphone Years (2008) Sterns Music