Countries · Conakry
Guinea
The source of great West African rivers, and the home of the oldest balafon in the Mande world.
Guinea's highlands feed the Niger, Senegal and Gambia rivers, and its cultural traditions travel the same routes. Mande music, Fula pastoral knowledge and forest-region masking traditions all meet here.
We are collecting with musician families, women's cooperatives and elders in the Fouta Djallon and Upper Guinea.
Main languages
Malinké · Fula · Susu · Kissi · Kpelle
Places in focus
Conakry · Kankan · Labé · Niagassola
General cultural context; verified records are added community by community.
The Sosso-Bala
The sacred balafon of Niagassola, inscribed by UNESCO, is said to date from the era of the Mali empire and is kept by a custodian family.
Fouta Djallon
Pastoral Fula knowledge of pasture, water and seasonal movement is transmitted through practice and verse.
Rivers that begin here
Communities at the sources of the Niger and Gambia hold their own accounts of the water other countries inherit.
Guinea on the map
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Discover Guinea
From the archive
Guinea
From the community
Contributed to Guinea
Submissions from contributors, published after cultural review.
No community submissions have been published for Guinea yet. Yours could be the first.
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Did You Know?
Short facts, objects and traditions from the archive. Tap a card to read the full entry and its source.