PEOPLE OF GUINEA
The Population of Guinea is mainly constituted with foreign refugees, Liberians and Ivoiriens. The ethnic group of people residing here are: Peuhl, Malinke, Soussou and others. The Religions that are thriving here are Muslim that constitutes about 85% of the population and the rest with Christian that belongs to 8% of the inhabitants residing here.
French is the official languages spoken here. Apart from this dialect the other local vernaculars that one may come across are:
The Fula languages seem to flourish here and are spoken by the Fula natives who reside from the area of Senegal to Cameroon till the expanses of Sudan. It is a part of the Niger-Congo language family placed near the Atlantic branch.
The Maninka language is yet another dialect thriving within the region and is interlinked within the southeastern Manding subgroup along the Mande branch. It remains as the mother tongue of the Malinké people
Susu popularly known as or Soussou or Sosokui, is the local vernacular of the Susu natives residing in Guinea, West Africa that belongs to the Mande group of family. This language was used for trade purpose with other tribal groups nestled within the region.
ARTS, CULTURE AND MUSIC OF GUINEA
Art: With the development of manufactured goods the Handicrafts gained a major setback during the colonial era. It was due to the downfall in the tourism and the marketing industry, just after the independence, the crafts fabrication within the area was severely affected. But still works like leatherwork, woodcarving, and jewelry can be sighted presently, that holds the market till date.
Culture: The family comprising within Guinea stay in groups within the same compound area that consists of a man having many several wives along with members like aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and many brothers and sisters. The staple food of the area is rice and meat and maize (corn). A conventional recipe is rice that is seasoned with native guinea hens, topped over with cayenne and paprika, along with a stew made of tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and bananas.
Music: The music of Mande have gained quite popularity in the local area and even in the international market, beyond the boundaries of West Africa and the Mande of Mali. This genre of music belongs to the Maninka vernacular folks that carry a swift, soft and graceful melancholy. The djelis are well known as the traveling praise-singers who carried out their music for affluent dignified clientele.
Guitar is the most common instrument that accompany with the native music of the region. Ngoni, a type of banjo along with balafon, are the accepted melodious instrument of the region. The Susu natives are seen playing with the balafon instrument that looks just similar to a xylophone. The kora, unified by the designs of a harp and a lute, is also seen quite recurrent within the location.
The popular music emerged with the formation of the dance band called as Bembeya Jazz. These bands were backed up by the government wherein several major groups had joined in like Keletigui et ses Tambourins Lanaya Jazz and Super Boiro.
