Mande popular music and cultural policies in West Africa

During the independence era in West Africa(1958-1984) many nations embarked on ambitiousprograms aimed at rejuvenating their traditionalarts. These programs were realised through newcultural policies such as authenticité with musicbeing a prime focus. In the 1960s West Africangovernments created dozens of orchestras throughoutthe region. They paid the musicians a salary boughtthem musical instruments and instructed them tolook at the past for inspiration. Herein lies thefoundation for such famous orchestras as Bembeya Jazzand the Super Rail Band groups who were at thecentre of a cultural renaissance which inspired thewhole continent. This book examines the majororchestras and musicians of the independence era andexplains the role of the government and griots in thecreation of the new musical styles. The text issupported through biographies of musiciansdescriptions of traditional musical instruments andextensive discographies of African recordings.