Music in Guinea

Music in Guinea

The music scene reflects the ethnic variations that follow a quadruple based on the country’s topography: the forest region along the coast, the savannah in the east, the mountain area in Fouta Djalon and the savannah in the north.

The music traditions along the coast are relatively well explored. Drums, cleft drums and xylophone drums, wood horns (former ivory), sansa (thumb piano), musical bow and other stringed instruments are used, and multi-voice singing is common.

In the eastern savannah region, the music of the Malinkan people dominates, with roots going back to the mighty Mali kingdom in the 1300s. Their professional performers on the chorus (harpoon), xylophone and a type of lute preserve the history and culture of the people in their songs and songs. Instruments such as chorus and djembe (drum) are also known through concerts in Western countries.

The population of the Fouta Djalon mountain area is predominantly Muslim. Here the song is unanimous. The most widespread instrument is flute, but otherwise one-string fiddle, musical arc and one-string end occur.

Music in Guinea

Among the people in the Northern Savannah region, music plays a particularly important role during transitional rites. The song is unanimous and the rhythm is marked with drum, metal bells and ankle bells. Xylophone occurs, otherwise wind instruments dominate.

Dance in Guinea

Guinea’s national ballet, Les Ballets Africains, is considered one of Africa’s foremost ensembles, and has performed with great success in Europe, including in Norway 1995.

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