Biography
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Years Active
1962 – present (62 years)
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Founded In
Conakry, Guinea
Originally known as the ‘Orchestre du Jardin de Guinée’, their regular venue and one of Guinea's best for “bar dancing”. Gradually during their 20 year residency this changed to ‘Balla’ - after their leader Balla Onivogui. Balla himself was born in 1938 in Macenta, a small town in Guinea's south-east region near the border with Liberia. Balla Onivogui was one of the founding members of the "Syli Orchestre National" created by the Guinean government in 1959. Under President Sékou Touré, Guinea was a socialist state and its musicians, like its police, postal workers, and teachers, were public servants. By 1968, the country's Syliphone recording label was launched to document the country's cultural treasures. Over the years Balla had to battle governement imposed creative meddling & Lineup changes. Balla himself was kicked out of the group at times, but eventually returned. In 1980 Balla et ses Balladins recorded "Objectif perfection”, their last LP for Syliphone. When the dictator died in 1984, the band essentially broke up, and the Sylliphone label dissolved, ending not only a long period of despotic political rule, but also what some consider a golden age of music.
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