Paper short abstract:

The close relationship between <pop> and <folk> in the process of the creation of Mande pop music is important in understanding the nature of African sound cultures, a domain so rich and multidimensional that the classical division between <pop> and <folk> becomes hard to define.

Paper long abstract:

Today, all over the world, the globalization of pop music is an evidence. However, it is necessary to analyze the relationship between pop music and folk music, especially in Africa where the latter always inspires the former.

World Music appeared on the international music market in the mid-eighties. It was for the most part sophisticated music originated in the Third World and modified by modern technology. African pop music developed in Paris and London became the mainstream of the World Music phenomenon.

The case presented here is Mande pop music, a style which has greatly contributed to the development of World Music. This music mainly created by the <griot>, traditional singer-musician-narrator, offers us a perfect example of the way World Music is created. In Griot tradition, the musical skill is inherited from father to son, who in turn takes his chance in modern socio-economical circumstances. The Griot does not hesitate to transform an old folk song into a worldwide hit song with the most sophisticated technology, as is manifest in Mory Kante's mega-hit, <Ye Ke Ye Ke>, originally a folk song from Guinea.

This close relationship between <pop> and <folk> in the process of creation of Mande pop music allows us to understand the nature of African sound culture, a domain so rich and multidimensional that the classical division between <pop> and <folk> becomes hard to define.