mandebala.net abou sylla

Abou Sylla

Biographical Information

Born: Guinea, 1958

Resides: USA; New Hampshire

Languages Spoken: Susu, French, English

References

Charry, Eric. 2000. Mande Music: Traditional and Modern Music of the Maninka and Mandinka of Western Africa. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press.

p. 277

Plate 31 Les Ballets Africains rehearsal, Conakry, 1994. (Left to right): Diely Kanni Diawara (female dancer), Abou Sylla (bala), Naitu Camara (female dancer), Gbanworo Keita (first jembe soloist), Laurent Camara (second jembe soloist), Seny Toure (jembe), Mohammed Diaby (jembe), Lancine Keita (jembe), Mohamed Lamine Sylla (jembe), Younoussa Camara (sangba and kenkeni), Ali Diabate (dundunba).

Various Artists. 2002. Badenya: Manden Jaliyaa in New York City. Smithsonian Folkways, SFW CD 40494.

p. 14

Abou Sylla (bala) is from Kindia, a district capital in the southern coastal area of Guinea. Born into a local jali family, he learned the bala from the age of seven, and began performing with his father. In 1980, he was invited to join Les Ballets Africains, the national dance-company of Guinea. He worked with the company for two years, but illness forced him to return home. In 1990, after a long period of recovery, he rejoined Les Ballets Africains under the direction of Aleppa Bangoura and artistic director Mohamed Kemoko Sano. Sylla also performed with Sano's company, Les Merveilles d'Afrique. In 1992, he joined Les Ballets Africains to perform an extended choreography entitled Silo ("The Path") on a European tour. In 1993, the company brought the same program to the United States. Sylla returned to the U.S. with Les Merveilles d'Afrique in 1995 and settled in New York. Since then, he has been performing and teaching Manden music in workshops and residencies throughout the United States.

Show

Discography

Les Ballets Africains. 1993. Les Ballets Africains: Silo. Buda, 92579-2.

· jole^d; mane^d; sörsörnë^d

———. 1995. Les Ballets Africains: Heritage. Doundoumba/Buda 92634-2.

· boloba/kura^d; guinea fare^d; konkoba^d/s; mane^d/s; sörsörnë^d/s; yamama^d

Bangoura, M'Bemba. 1999. Fandji.

· fula fare^d; guinea fare^d; lamban/sandia^d; sofa^d; tiriba^d

Diaby, Mohamed. 1997. Karamba dinké. Mohamed Diaby Productions, Somadisc 003.

[No Pieces Indexed]

Kouyate, Lansana. 1996. Mandeng djeli. Lansana Kouyate Productions, LKP 002.

· duga^d; lamban/sandia^d; makuru^d; sökö^d

Les Merveilles d'Afrique. 1996. Diya. Konkoba Music.

· boloba/kura^d; dunumba^d; guinea fare^d; jole^d; sinyaro^s; sörsörnë^d; yankadi^d

Sylla, Abou. 2010. Just in Time. Self-produced.

· fasson^d; kala^d; soli^d

———. 2011. Give Thanks. Self-produced.

· sehuluse^d; sörsörnë^d/s

———. 2014. Learn to Play the Balafon with N'Camara Abou Sylla. Self-produced.

· kaira; makuru; sökö; sörsörnë; yabule^r; yankadi

Various Artists. 2002. Badenya: Manden Jaliyaa in New York City. Smithsonian Folkways, SFW CD 40494.

· fakoli^d; janjon^d; keme burema/sori^d; nanfulen^d/s

Show

Videography

Billon, Yves, and Robert Minangoy. 1987. Musiques de Guinée: musique de la côte et du Fouta-Djallon; musique de la forêt et de la Haute-Guinée. Office National du Cinéma Guinéen (ONACIG); SVT; Zaradoc: Les Films du Village.

· konkoba^v; sabar^v

Links

www.abousylla.com

Contact

Tel: 1 (603) 721-9800