Music of Guinea
| West African music | |
|---|---|
| Benin | Burkina Faso |
| Chad | Côte d'Ivoire |
| Gambia | Ghana |
| Guinea | Guinea-Bissau |
| Liberia | Mali |
| Mauritania | Niger |
| Nigeria | Senegal |
| Sierra Leone | Togo |
Guinea is a West African nation, composed of several ethnic groups. Of these, the music of the Mande has been particularly popular, and internationally well-known, even outside of West Africa and the Mande of Mali.
Guinea's Mande are mostly Maninka-speaking, as are many of the most popular Malian Mande performers. Guinean music, however, is typically swifter and has a more flowing, graceful quality. The guitar plays a very important role. Music is dominated by the jelis, travelling praise-singers who work for wealthy noble patrons.
Popular instruments the ngoni, a distant relative of the banjo, and the balafon. The Susu people are closely associated with the xylophone-like balafon. Famous balafon players include El Hadj Djeli Sory Kouyaté and, early in his career, superstar Mory Kanté. The kora, a cross between a harp and a lute, is also widespread.
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.
Independence for Guinea came in 1958, and the first major band in the Guinean popular music tradition formed soon after; this was Bembeya Jazz, a popular dance band. The first dance bands were state-supported orchestras, and included popular groups like Lanaya Jazz, Keletigui et ses Tambourins and Super Boiro. Many of these bands recorded on Syliphone records. Joseph Kabasele, a musician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, played in Guinea and left a lasting influence on the country's music scene. Bembeya Jazz further enriched Guinea's musical melting pot after visiting Cuba in 1965.
As in Mali, a roots revival occurred in the 1970s with state support from Sekou Touré. Musicians like Salif Keita became very popular, while Mory Kanté, Ousmane Kouyaté and Kanté Manfila; became important members of Mali's Les Ambassadeurs and Rail Band, along with Keita.
Later, in the 1980s, Mory Kanté began a solo career. Albums like 10 Cola Nuts saw major mainstream success in both Guinea and Mali, as well as some European success. "Yeke Yeke", however, a single from Mory Kanté à Paris;, became a European chart-topper in 1988.Popular music