BURKINA-FASO Les Trésors du Faso – Musique Traditionnelle Vol. 1 – Ministère de la Culture et des Arts / Seydoni Production

BURKINA-FASO
Les Trésors du Faso – Musique Traditionnelle Vol. 1 – Ministère de la Culture et des Arts / Seydoni Production (Cassette)

This superb compilation showcases the great diversity of traditional musics from Burkina Faso performed by 14 different cultural/ethnic groups, all with their distinctive languages and musical styles: the Mossi, Fulani-Peul, Bissa, Gourmantché, Yadéga, Tuareg, Leylé, Dioula, Turka, Lobi, Kassena, Bwaba and Sambo peoples.

Cette superbe compilation présente la grande diversité des musiques traditionnelles du Burkina Faso interprétées par 14 groupes ethniques / culturels différents, tous avec leurs langues et leurs styles musicaux propres: les Mossis, les Peuls, les Bissas, les Gourmantchés, les Yadégas, les Touaregs, les Leylés, les Dioulas, les Turkas, les Lobis, les Kassenas, les Bwabas et les Sambos.

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...We finally reached the village located in the Tapoa province in Eastern Burkina Faso at nightfall after a long, bumpy and dusty journey. We first went to pay our respects to the Gourmantché Chief (pictured here with his “Prime Minister” and sacred drum), who is the traditional guardian of relations with the ancestors. The chief was much loved by the villagers for his wisdom, dignity and deep sense of noblesse oblige.

We had come here to attend the funeral service for a friend’s mother that night in the village, who had passed away exactly one year ago. The Gourmantché believe that the spirit of a deceased person continues to roam the village during that time. A nighttime ceremony, in which the entire village participated, was held to send the departed from the world of the living into the realm of the ancestors.

The funeral ceremony was an all-night affair, with singing, storytelling, laughter, music and dance. At around 10:30 pm a troupe of musicians and dancers took center stage. Mr. P, the region’s most famous traditional dancer, instantly electrified the audience. He seemed to glide through space, with occasional rolling somersaults, unfurling huge "wings" with his long arms and hands. At one point, an ancient gentleman who could barely walk began a frantic dance to the sound of excited cheers and encouragement. On subsequent trips to the region, Mr. P told me that his dances imitated wild animals to embody their symbolic characteristics, but that nobody understood these things anymore. I saw him perform twice more in ceremonies in the early 2000s, and he retired shortly after, well into his 60s.

" L’homme a besoin de chanter et de danser pour se mettre en harmonie avec les vibrations premières de la création. "

“Human beings need to sing and dance to put themselves in harmony with the primal vibrations of creation.”

Amadou Hampâté Bâ (1901-1991)

in Les Archives sonores de la littérature noire n°4 et 5, CLEF/Radio France, 1973 (double LP)

Our other Burkina Faso music posts:

Compil du Salou Traditionnel Burkinabé
El Hadji Hamado Kanazoe