ABSTRACT
Among the Mandekan-speaking groups of western Africa, including the Mandinka of the Senegambia region, Bamana and Xasonka of Mali, and Maninnka of Guinea, certain locales have earned a widespread reputation for the creativity, ingenuity, and expertise of their musical artists. The regional and colonial-era metropolis Kankan has since the 1930s enjoyed a reputation for being the birthplace of a musical movement that has touched all corners of the Mande diaspora. Known as Mamaya, this movement represents the innovations of Maninnka youth working within the confines of their centuries-old cultural traditions.vocal composition, the core of Mamaya is a long section of lyrics sung to a melody with few repetitions and many twists and turns. The primary composers of Mamaya are thought to come from an extra-ordinarily gifted family of xylophone players headed by Sidi Djeli Dioubate. Three of his sons constituted a trio that was the premiere exponent of Mamaya: Sidi Mamadi, Sidi Karammo, and Sidi Moussa.
