Pop Kondé: the Golden Age of Burkina Faso
Regular readers of this column will be aware, by this point, that the region of West Africa is an incredibly fertile land when it comes to artistic and musical expression. Over the years, the region has produced some truly groundbreaking artists, from the Afrobeat stylings of Fela Kuti in Nigeria to the voodoo-influenced funk and soul of Togolese outfit Vaudou Game. The landlocked nation of Burkina Faso, however, is often ignored when it comes to the vibrant cultural output of West Africa. As such, there is an untapped gold mine of incredible Burkinabé music waiting to be discovered.
Like many of the nations of West Africa, the music of Burkina Faso can be traced back to the folk music traditions of various tribes, regions and religious groups. The music of the Mossi people, generally located in the central part of the nation, accounts for most of this traditional folk music, but there are many more ethnic groups, including the Gurma, Dagaaba and Lobi people, that have their own cultural heritage too. During the 20th century, artists within the nation began to combine these traditional styles with the influx of modern music entering the region.
Then, operating as a French colony under the name the Republic of Upper Volta, the nation was gripped by a plethora of local artists combining old-school Mossi folk music with funk, soul, rock and Afro-Cuban groove to create a sound truly unique to the region. Artists like Cissé Abdoulaye, Nabollé John Oumar and Mangue Konde were particular highlights within this revolutionary new music scene during the 1970s, which soon became seen as a Golden Age for Burkina Faso in terms of artistic and cultural expression.
Typically, artists like Mangue Konde and the others who made up this golden period remain virtual unknowns outside of their home nation, only to be rediscovered and reissued decades later. For whatever reason, though, that has not really happened with any Burkinabé artists as of yet. So, while the William Onyeabors and Akin Nathans of the world enjoy a widespread level of fame and acclaim in the modern day, many prominent artists from the Golden Age of Burkina Faso remain painfully obscure.
Perhaps the political context of the nation at the time somewhat overshadowed Burkina Faso’s musical output. After all, the landlocked nation boasts one of the most complicated political histories of any West African nation—which is, by no means, an easy feat. After the French set up the Republic of Upper Volta as a self-governing colony in 1958, the nation witnessed a near-constant power struggle stoked by multiple violent military uprisings and the odd coup d’état.
Therefore, pop music was hardly a prevailing concern for most people living in the Upper Volta. Thankfully, the political situation cooled somewhat after a coup in 1983 saw Thomas Sankara rise to power. Sankara implemented a series of radical reforms for the nation, including its renaming to Burkina Faso. By this point, however, many of the original artists who had established the Golden Age of music in the nation had moved focus away from the creation of radically innovative tunes.
The music of Burkina Faso might have flown under the radar for music fans outside of the West African nation, but for those willing to listen, it remains as infectiously funky and inventive now as it must have done back in the 1970s. Thanks to the important work of music preservationists, the artists who soundtracked the politically tumultuous period of the Upper Volta are readily available to listen to in the modern day, and those artists are well worth your time.