Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Kélétigui et ses Tambourinis (Guinée)

Musiques d'Afrique Musiques de Guinée

Kélétigui et ses Tambourinis might be nearly forgotten, but has been one of the most influential bands in Guinea during the 1960s and 1970s. Soon after Guinea's independence, the 25-piece National Orchestra had so many talented members that it was decided to make two orchestras of it, l'Orchestre de la Paillote under the direction of Kélétigui Traoré, playing in the club La Paillote, and l'Orchestre Jardin de Guinée under the direction of Balla Onivogui, playing in Le Jardin de Guinée. After a while, the bands were renamed in Kélétigui et ses Tambourinis and Balla et ses Balladins. The music of Kélétigui et ses Tambourinis is what can be expected of the Guinean orchestras of their era: big band sound, with passionate singing and, especially in the case of the Tambourinis, great guitars. Various band members have now passed away, and band leader Kélétigui Traoré died on 11 November 2008 at the age of 74.

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