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I am a PhD student in Cultural Studies in Australia and I have recently returned from fieldwork in West Africa. My area of research is the music traditions of the Mande, with particular focus on the role of the griots and of government in the creation of popular music styles in the post-independence era. In Guinea I met with several musicians and historians, and worked closely with the staff of the Niveaux Fondamentaux de Qualité et Equité (NFQE) project at the Insitut National de Recherche et d’Action Pédagogique (INRAP) in Conakry. Through them, I met with Almamy Oumar Laho Diallo, Professeur, Ancien Secrétaire Général Chargé des Collectivites Décentralisées, and one time musician in an Orchestre Federaux of the 1st Republic.
Over the past decade Mr Laho has written an extremely thorough and detailed treatise on Guinean music titled "Echos du Paradis. Histoire de la Musique Guinéenne d'Orchestre Moderne de Dances". His book is didivided into the following sections - 1. "L'Epoque précoloniale (pre-1924). 2. La Guinee Française (1924-1958). 3. L'Independance Nationale (1958-2000), and includes over 60 photographs. Mr Laho is a well-respected figure in Guinea and he wishes to make his work better known in the West. Ideally, his work would be published, and he has asked me (with the permission of INRAP) for his assistance in this matter.
Mr. Laho has supplied me with a short abstract which I would be happy to send to those interested.
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