Music of Burkina Faso
Encyclopedia
Burkina Faso
is home to some 60 different ethnic group
s, each with their own variety of folk music
. The country has produced very little popular music compared to its neighbors, which includes African musical giants like Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Burkinabé traditional music, however, has continued to thrive in spite of the influx of popular styles, and the country's cultural, and musical, output remains quite diverse.
The national anthem
of Burkina Faso is "Une Seule Nuit
", written by Thomas Sankara
. It has been the official anthem of the country since 1984, when Upper Volta
became known as Burkina Faso. It remains even after Sankara was murdered in a coup, the leader of which remains in power.
There is a National Museum of Music
in Ouagadougou
. Its collection is a few years old, beginning in 1998, but already has several hundred unique musical instrument
s. These include the balafon
and bara
.
, the United States
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
to invest, large-scale concerts, advanced recording studios, electric instruments and amplification and widespread distribution are difficult.
The Semaine Nationale de la Culture, held every two years since 1983, is a music festival
that has helped produce the country's few stars, including Jean-Claude Bamogo. Koudbi Koala's Saaba
, who perform traditional Mossi music, come from the region around Ouagadougou
, the nation's capital.
s elsewhere in West Africa. At each ruler's funeral, djeli recite the names and histories of all the past rulers, and also intervene in personal affairs of common people, as well as performing at social gatherings.
The Mande people of the southwest are known for balafon
(wooden xylophone
) music, while the large, centrally-located Mossi and their griot
s retain ancient royal courts and courtly music. The Fulbe
(Fula) of the north use complex vocal techniques with clapping
percussion
.
There are some modern popular traditional groups in Burkina Faso, including balafon
bands, such as Saramaya, Les Freres Coulibaly and Djeli-Kan, percussion ensembles (Adama Dramé and others, like le Troupe Saaba, Farafina
and Djiguiya. The Italy-based Gabin Dabiré
is a world music
ian who uses elements of traditional Burkinabé music in his work.
drums and balafon are often manufactured in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second-largest city. The djembe is a vital part of Burkinabé traditional music. It is said to be of Malinké origin. It is made from a single piece of wood, often from the caïlcedrat
tree or lenke tree. The shell is in the shape of a chalice, and it is headed with goat, antelope or calf skin. Modern djembes use a combination of steel rings and nylon rope to attach the head.
The balafon is a kind of wooden xylophone, the exact characteristics of which can vary depending on the maker. The Dagara
, Bwa
and Senufo
peoples all have their own varieties.
The bendré is a membranophone
made from a gourd
with the top cut off and covered with goat or sheep skin. The same instrument is called bara in Mali
and dumaa among the Hausa
in Ghana
& Benin
. The bendré is an ancient instrument, played at the royal courts of Moaga
; it was probably introduced during the reign of Naaba Oubri, and has been much the same since. Bendré music is sacred, and is played by a head drummer (benaaba), who strikes the center or edges to makes varying sounds.
The kora
is a stringed instrument played traditionally by the djeli in Burkina Faso. The same instrument is found throughout much of West Africa, and is especially known in Mali. It has features of both the lute
(both are played with the right hand) and the harp
(both have a resonator and perpendicular strings). The instrument has been popular since the Malian empire of the 1240s, but probably dates much farther back. It is made from half of a gourd covered in goat or calf skin, which is perforated by two handles. A stick runs through the gourd perpendicular to the handles and the bridge, and the strings are joined to the bridge. Though the instrument traditionally featured seven strings, the Gambian griot Madi Woulendi increased that number to twenty-one. The kora can be played in several scales including the hypolydian mode
(saouta), silaba, sim'bi and mandéka.
Another stringed instrument is called the n'goni
. Legend says it was invented by a Senufo
hunter. The n'goni is also played in Niger
, Senegal
and Mali.
Two current CDs of traditional Burkinabe music are available through Nonesuch Records:
1. Savannah Rhythms and
2. Music of the Grasslands
Documentary films of traditional Burkinabe musicians and celebrations have been published by African Family Films.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
is home to some 60 different ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s, each with their own variety of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. The country has produced very little popular music compared to its neighbors, which includes African musical giants like Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Burkinabé traditional music, however, has continued to thrive in spite of the influx of popular styles, and the country's cultural, and musical, output remains quite diverse.
The national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Burkina Faso is "Une Seule Nuit
Une Seule Nuit
Une Seule Nuit is the national anthem of Burkina Faso. It was written by the former president Thomas Sankara and adopted in 1984, when the country adopted its present name, and replaced the Hymne Nationale Voltaïque, or national anthem of Upper Volta.- Lyrics :-External links:*...
", written by Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara
Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was a Burkinabé military captain, Marxist revolutionary, Pan-Africanist theorist, and President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987...
. It has been the official anthem of the country since 1984, when Upper Volta
Republic of Upper Volta
The Republic of Upper Volta was established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Before attaining autonomy it had been French Upper Volta and part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960 it attained full independence from France.Thomas Sankara came to power...
became known as Burkina Faso. It remains even after Sankara was murdered in a coup, the leader of which remains in power.
There is a National Museum of Music
National Museum of Music
The National Museum of Music is located in Ouagadougou, in a two-story building on Oubritenga Avenue on the south side of the Phillipe Zinda Kabore School. It is currently closed for extensive renovations, which began in 2009 and have no designated date for completion...
in Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
. Its collection is a few years old, beginning in 1998, but already has several hundred unique musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s. These include the balafon
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
and bara
Bara (drum)
The bara is a spherical hand drum with a body made from a dried gourd or calabash, used in West Africa . Its single head is made of goatskin. To make the drum, a dried gourd is cut on one end and a single head made of goatskin is stretched across the opening...
.
Popular music
Unlike most African countries, Burkina Faso has not yet had a popular national style, and the most popular recordings are imported from EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
to invest, large-scale concerts, advanced recording studios, electric instruments and amplification and widespread distribution are difficult.
The Semaine Nationale de la Culture, held every two years since 1983, is a music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
that has helped produce the country's few stars, including Jean-Claude Bamogo. Koudbi Koala's Saaba
Saaba
Saaba is a town in the Boussouma Department of Boulgou Province in south-eastern Burkina Faso. As of 2005, the town has a population of 2511.-References:...
, who perform traditional Mossi music, come from the region around Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, the nation's capital.
Traditional music
Djeli are a caste of praise-singers in Burkina Faso, their function related to the griotGriot
A griot or jeli is a West African storyteller. The griot delivers history as a poet, praise singer, and wandering musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
s elsewhere in West Africa. At each ruler's funeral, djeli recite the names and histories of all the past rulers, and also intervene in personal affairs of common people, as well as performing at social gatherings.
The Mande people of the southwest are known for balafon
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
(wooden xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
) music, while the large, centrally-located Mossi and their griot
Griot
A griot or jeli is a West African storyteller. The griot delivers history as a poet, praise singer, and wandering musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
s retain ancient royal courts and courtly music. The Fulbe
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
(Fula) of the north use complex vocal techniques with clapping
Clapping
A clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express appreciation or approval , but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance...
percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
.
There are some modern popular traditional groups in Burkina Faso, including balafon
Balafon
The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone...
bands, such as Saramaya, Les Freres Coulibaly and Djeli-Kan, percussion ensembles (Adama Dramé and others, like le Troupe Saaba, Farafina
Farafina
Farafina is a music and dance group from Burkina Faso, established in 1978. The eight-member group is Burkina Faso's best known musical group, and one of Africa's most internationally prominent musical groups....
and Djiguiya. The Italy-based Gabin Dabiré
Gabin Dabiré
Gabin Dabiré is a singer, guitar player, and composer from Burkina Faso who is resident in Italy.Born in Bobo Dioulasso in the African state of Burkina Faso, Gabin Dabiré’s first experiences in music were taking lessons from and playing with the great masters of the traditional music of Burkina...
is a world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
ian who uses elements of traditional Burkinabé music in his work.
Instruments
DjembeDjembe
A djembe also known as jembe, jenbe, djbobimbe, jymbe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin-covered drum meant played with bare hands....
drums and balafon are often manufactured in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second-largest city. The djembe is a vital part of Burkinabé traditional music. It is said to be of Malinké origin. It is made from a single piece of wood, often from the caïlcedrat
Khaya senegalensis
Khaya senegalensis is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family...
tree or lenke tree. The shell is in the shape of a chalice, and it is headed with goat, antelope or calf skin. Modern djembes use a combination of steel rings and nylon rope to attach the head.
The balafon is a kind of wooden xylophone, the exact characteristics of which can vary depending on the maker. The Dagara
Dagara people
The Dagaaba people ) are an ethnic group in the West African nations of Ghana and Burkina Faso. They speak the Dagaare language, made up of the related Northern Dagaare language, Southern Dagaare language, a number of sub dialects. They are related to the Birifor people and the Dagaare Diola...
, Bwa
Bwa
The Bwa or Bwaba , or Bobo-Wule , are an ethnic group indigenous to central Burkina Faso and Mali. Their population is approximately 300,000. They are known for their use of masks, made from leaves or wood, used in performative rituals.-History:In the 18th century, Bwa lands were occupied by the...
and Senufo
Senufo
The Senufo are an ethnolinguistic group composed of diverse subgroups of Gur-speaking people living in an area spanning from southern Mali and the extreme western corner of Burkina Faso to Katiola in Côte d'Ivoire. One group, the Nafana, is found in north-western Ghana...
peoples all have their own varieties.
The bendré is a membranophone
Membranophone
A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
made from a gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
with the top cut off and covered with goat or sheep skin. The same instrument is called bara in Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
and dumaa among the Hausa
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
& Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
. The bendré is an ancient instrument, played at the royal courts of Moaga
Moaga
Moaga is a village in the Tenkodogo Department of Boulgou Province in south-eastern Burkina Faso. As of 2005, the village has a population of 397.-References:...
; it was probably introduced during the reign of Naaba Oubri, and has been much the same since. Bendré music is sacred, and is played by a head drummer (benaaba), who strikes the center or edges to makes varying sounds.
The kora
Kora (instrument)
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa.-Description:A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be...
is a stringed instrument played traditionally by the djeli in Burkina Faso. The same instrument is found throughout much of West Africa, and is especially known in Mali. It has features of both the lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
(both are played with the right hand) and the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
(both have a resonator and perpendicular strings). The instrument has been popular since the Malian empire of the 1240s, but probably dates much farther back. It is made from half of a gourd covered in goat or calf skin, which is perforated by two handles. A stick runs through the gourd perpendicular to the handles and the bridge, and the strings are joined to the bridge. Though the instrument traditionally featured seven strings, the Gambian griot Madi Woulendi increased that number to twenty-one. The kora can be played in several scales including the hypolydian mode
Hypolydian mode
The Hypolydian mode, literally meaning "below Lydian", is the common name for the sixth of the eight medieval church modes . The name is taken from Ptolemy of Alexandria's term for one of his seven tonoi, or transposition keys...
(saouta), silaba, sim'bi and mandéka.
Another stringed instrument is called the n'goni
Ngoni (instrument)
The ngoni or "n'goni" is a string instrument originating in West Africa. Its body is made of wood or calabash with dried animal skin stretched over it like a drum. In the hands of a skilled ngoni instrumentalist, the ngoni can produce fast rapid melodies...
. Legend says it was invented by a Senufo
Senufo
The Senufo are an ethnolinguistic group composed of diverse subgroups of Gur-speaking people living in an area spanning from southern Mali and the extreme western corner of Burkina Faso to Katiola in Côte d'Ivoire. One group, the Nafana, is found in north-western Ghana...
hunter. The n'goni is also played in Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and Mali.
Two current CDs of traditional Burkinabe music are available through Nonesuch Records:
1. Savannah Rhythms and
2. Music of the Grasslands
Documentary films of traditional Burkinabe musicians and celebrations have been published by African Family Films.
External links
Audio clips: Traditional music of Burkina Faso. Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.- Audio clip: Balafon. Burkina Faso Cultural Heritage Branch. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Djembe. Burkina Faso Cultural Heritage Branch. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Bendré. Burkina Faso Cultural Heritage Branch. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Kora. Burkina Faso Cultural Heritage Branch. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: N'goni. Burkina Faso Cultural Heritage Branch. Accessed November 25, 2010.