Balla et ses Balladins
| Company type | Orchestra |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1962 in Conakry, Guinea |
| Headquarters | Conakry , Guinea |
| Products | Dance music, recordings |
Balla et ses Balladins, also referred to as Orchestre du Jardin de Guinée, was a dance orchestra formed in Conakry, Guinea in 1962 following the dissolution of the Syli Orchestre National, which was Guinea's inaugural state-supported musical ensemble. The name derives from the "bar dancing" venue Jardin de Guinée. The group recorded under the government-owned Syliphone label and became among the first modern Guinean dance bands to blend indigenous instruments with modern musical styles.
Background
After gaining independence, Guinea initiated various music ensembles, contests, and festivals aimed at promoting native Guinean musical traditions rather than colonial European genres. To document and support this cultural transformation, the government established the Syliphone recording label. From these efforts, Balla et ses Balladins rose to prominence as one of the leading groups.
Career
The orchestra was headed by trumpeter Balla Onivogui, born in 1938 in Macenta and educated at a conservatory in Senegal. The band originated from Syli Orchestre National, which was responsible for training regional traditional music groups. To broaden this mission, authorities divided Syli into smaller units; one of these units, under Balla’s direction, became Balla et ses Balladins, based at Conakry’s Jardin de Guinée. Another significant offshoot was Keletigui Et Ses Tambourinis.
Extensive recordings for Syliphone, founded in 1968, and international tours representing Guinea were hallmarks of the band’s career. The members also provided instrumental support to Miriam Makeba during her stay in Guinea throughout the 1970s. In 1970, following a leadership conflict with officials, trombonist Pivi Moriba temporarily replaced Balla but was reinstated after intervention by president Sékou Touré.
Economic difficulties in the 1970s resulted in national orchestras being privatized by 1983. Following President Touré’s death in 1984, Syliphone ceased its operations. Nevertheless, Balla et ses Balladins persisted through the Lansana Conté administration. After Balla Onivogui stepped down in the late 1990s, new musicians joined the ensemble, which continues to perform in Conakry.
Balla Onivogui passed away from a heart attack on 15 March 2011 in Conakry at age 75.
Studio albums
- Objectif Perfection (1980)
Appearances on Syliphone compilations
- The Syliphone Years (2008) Stern's Music
Various artist compilations
- Authenticite - The Syliphone Years (2008) Stern's Music
- The Rough Guide To Psychedelic Africa (2012) World Music Network