Les Percussions de Guinée
Les Percussions de Guinée is Guinea’s government-supported national group of percussionists, musicians, and dancers. It was founded in 1987 when seven Guinean master drummers joined French artist François Kokelaere. The 15-member company includes seven master drummers plus players of flute, balafon, and kora, along with traditional dancers. They perform Guinean music on a modern stage and draw mainly from the highland and coastal regions where the djembe is common, while also taking inspiration from other parts of the country. Like the griots, their shows tell the history of Guinea’s many peoples through drum and dance.
Mamoudou Conde later led the group, guiding its growth and international tours from 1987 to 1995. In 1994 they received an award from Rochester’s Chamber of Commerce for their arts contribution, which helped inspire World Music Production Inc. In 1998 Conde became managing director and producer for Les Percussions de Guinée, representing the Guinean Ministry. He also began managing the Djoliba National Ballet in 2000 and signed a contract in 2001 to oversee Les Ballets Africains. In 2002 the group appeared in the IMAX film Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey, and that year the first all-female Guinean percussion group Amazones—Women Master Drummers of Guinea—was created. Conde believes it’s important to teach Guinean culture to people around the world so that Guinea’s wisdom and values are shared with future generations.
The mission of Les Percussions de Guinée is to educate the world about Guinean traditional values through music, drums, dance, and the storytelling of Africa’s rich cultural legacy.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:51 (CET).