Music In Guinea: The Vanguard Of African Music

When Ahmed Sékou Touré was elected president of the newly independent Guinea in 1958, he spearheaded a cultural transformation in the country. During this time, Guinean music helped restore national pride and dignity, and the legacy of this pioneering revolution can still be seen in the cultural scene of Guinea today.

National Ballet of Guinea, 1962, Courtesy German Federal Archives / Wikimedia Commons

‘We prefer freedom in poverty, than riches in chains.’ Those were the words of Guinea’s first President, Ahmed Sékou Touré, in response to the former French President Charles de Gaulle, when he offered Guinea an opportunity to join the West African confederation lead by the colonial administration. Touré was elected when Guinea gained independence in 1958. A pioneer of the movement against the 60 years of French colonial rule in his country, Touré was also a major force behind the cultural transformations occurring all over Africa. When he became president, he established a new policy that was inspired by authenticity, where Guinean artists and composers were encouraged to combine their more traditional African melodies with a new modern style. Part of Touré’s policy was that each region had to have an official music group, which was funded by the government.

N’Faly Koyaté, Guinean Musician, Courtesy Blitz 163 / Wikimedia Commons

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