Les Ballets Africains

Keita Fodeba directed the creation of this traditional ensemble in Paris in 1952. Its purpose was to introduce authentic African traditions to Western viewers. Worldwide performances followed until, in 1958, Guinean President Sekou Toure called Fodeba back to Guinea to strengthen domestic cultural life. State financing sustained the troupe through intensive global circuits in the 1960s and 1970s, some extending two years without interruption. Fodeba rose to Minister of the Interior, yet a dispute with Toure led to his murder. After Toure’s government fell in 1984, the company retained official support while sharply reducing its touring schedule. In 1990 Italo Zambo assumed leadership and organized a new international tour. The ballet now functions as an established cultural institution, widely admired for the caliber of its performances and artistic achievement.