Facing popular dissent in the late `70s, Tour� tried to open up Guinea's economy, but by then the damage was profound. When he died in 1984, leaving the nation to a military junta under Lassana Cont�, Guinea was the worst off of the former French colonies, despite its superior natural resources. Cont� held nominal elections in 1993 and '98, but they were neither free nor fair. Compounding Guinea's grave challenges, a flood of refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia have added further strain to a near-ruined economy.

Guinea's political and economic woes have undermined one of the richest and most exciting music scenes of the early post-colonial period. So perhaps it's not surprising that Guinean music identifies more strongly with pre-colonial ethnic groupings rather than the nationalism of the modern era. Guinea's great instrumentalists, singers, and traditional pop bands are best thought of as part of a cultural continuum that includes what is now Mali, Gambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast and other countries in the region. Guinea's position as part of the larger Manding diaspora is especially important. In Gambia, the kora rules Manding music; in Mali, it's the ngoni (or koni); in Guinea, the wooden-slatted balafon is the most important instrument for accompanying griot singers. As such, balafon parts find their way into a great deal of Guinean pop.

Echoes of Cuba are strong in Guinea's modern music. While this is true to some extent about Manding traditional pop, and much other pop, throughout West Africa, the degree to which Manding melodies and harmonies and Cuban rhythms merged in Guinea is striking. Old and new Guinean pop songs are instantly recognizable because of this characteristic.

The dance bands that started under Tour�'s nationalistic regime in the 1960s--Bembeya Jazz, Keletigui et ses Tambourins, Balla et ses Balladins, Les Amazones de Guinea. Lanaya Jazz, Horoya Band, Super Boiro--were perhaps the greatest in West Africa at that time. Historic recordings on the Syliphone label, many of them newly available on CD, testify to a time of extraordinary talent and creativity. Guitars spin out grand griot melodies softened with the lilt of Latin pop, and some of the most powerful traditional singers in Africa front dance bands bursting with energy and excitement.

Though Conakry's music scene has been in decline for twenty years, exceptional talents continue to emerge. Following in the footsteps of international singing stars Mory Kant� and Sekouba Bambino Diabat�, singer Ibro Diabat� and kora player/singer Camara Aboubacar have produced some excellent recordings. Ibro Diabat� has particularly touched people with his songs about modern life. Popular singers Kerfala Kante and the younger Oumou Dioubate also continue to update the griot pop scene. Manfila Kant�, the acclaimed guitarist of Salif Keita's 1970's band Les Ambassadeurs, remains active as well. And Kora player Djeli Moussa Diawara has amassed an impressive catalogue of releases, including recent experimental projects pairing his virtuosity with flamenco artists, and now with American blues guitar player Bob Brozman.

On the pure traditional front, Guinea's Ballets Africains continues to tour, as do smaller performance ensembles Fatala and Wofa. Both of the latter have released recordings as well. One outlier worthy of mention is Momo Wandel Soumah, a trumpet player who has released two fascinating albums blending indigenous Guinean music with jazz.">

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Guinea

West Africa

Guinea's 1960s dance bands blended a sense of history with local and international music styles with brilliant results. History has not been kind to Guinea, but the spirit of its powerful music cultures endures. Read more on Guinea...

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