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Guinea is aWest African nation, composed of severalethnic groups. Among its most widely known musicians isMory Kanté –10 Cola Nuts saw major mainstream success in both Guinea and Mali while "Yé ké yé ké", a single fromAkwaba Beach, was a European success in 1988.
French is the official language of Guinea and is the main language of communication in schools, government administration, the media, and the country'ssecurity 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 thenational anthem ofGuinea since independence in 1958. It was arranged byFodéba Keïta, based on the melody "Alfa yaya".
Guinea's 10 million people belong to at least twenty-four ethnic groups. The most prominent are theFula (40%), theMandinka (30%) and theSusu (20%). Fula is widely used in the centralFouta 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 ofGuinée forestière.
Mandé music is dominated by thedjelis, travelling singer-historians who sing praises to noble patrons. Traditionally, popular instruments include thengoni, a distant relative of thebanjo, and thebalafon. Famous balafon players include El Hadj Djeli Sory Kouyaté and, early in his career, superstarMory Kanté. Thekora, a cross between aharp and alute, is also widespread. Other popular folk music utilizes the cylindricaldunun paired with the goblet shapeddjembe.
As inMali, aroots revival occurred in the 1960s and 1970s with state support fromSekou Touré. He introduced a radical cultural policy calledauthenticite, whereby musicians and artists were instructed to "look at the past" for inspiration and to incorporate traditional practices in their arts.Authenticite ended with the death of Sekou Toure in 1984.
AfterWorld 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, theguitar plays a very important role.
Some of the early dance bands included popular groups likeKeletigui Et Ses Tambourinis,Balla et ses Balladins, and Kebendo Jazz (also known as Orchestre de Danse de Guéckédou). Many of these bands recorded on Syliphone records.Bembeya Jazz National further enriched Guinea's musical melting pot after visitingCuba in 1965.