Fodéba Keïta
Encyclopedia
Fodéba Keïta was a Guinea
n dancer, musician, writer, playwright, composer and politician. Founder of the first professional African theatrical troupe, Theatre Africain, he also arranged Liberté
, the national anthem
of Guinea.
.
), a successful ballet group which toured Africa for six years and later became the national dance company of Guinea; then President Léopold Sédar Senghor
held it in high esteem. With Facelli Kante and Les Ballets Africains, he became instrumental in showcasing previously unknown Mandé performance traditions to other continents as well.
After returning to Guinea, he published the poetry collection Poèmes africains (1950), the novel Le Maître d'école (1952), and in 1957, Keïta wrote and staged the narrative poem Aube africaine ("African Dawn") as a theatre-ballet based on the shooting by French troops of protesting Africans who had served in the French army during World War II. However, his works were banned in French Africa
as he was considered radical and anticolonial.
Politically active in the African Democratic Rally
, Keïta worked closely with Sékou Touré from 1956, and in 1957, was elected to the Territorial Assembly. In 1961, Keïta was appointed minister for defense and security. He uncovered alleged plots against Sékou Touré, but was imprisoned in the infamous Camp Boiro, a prison he himself helped construct, for alleged complicity in the February 1969 Labé Plot, and was subjected to torture ("diet noire" – complete food and fluid withdrawal).
On May 27, 1969, he was shot dead without trial.
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
n dancer, musician, writer, playwright, composer and politician. Founder of the first professional African theatrical troupe, Theatre Africain, he also arranged Liberté
Liberté
"'" has been the national anthem of Guinea since independence in 1958. It was arranged by Fodéba Keïta and was based on the melody of "Alfa yaya". The author of the lyrics is unknown.- Lyrics :...
, the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Guinea.
Early years
Keïta was the son of a male nurse. He received his early education at the École normale supérieure William PontyÉcole normale supérieure William Ponty
École William Ponty was a government teachers' college in what is now Senegal. The school is now in Kolda, Senegal, where it is currently known as École de formation d’instituteurs William Ponty. It is associated with the French university IUFM at Livry-Gargan.-Notable alumni:Many of the school's...
.
Career
During his law studies in Paris in 1948, he founded the band Sud Jazz. Beginning in the late 1940s, he founded Theatre Africain (later Les Ballets AfricainsLes Ballets Africains
Les Ballets Africains is a the national dance company of Guineaand is based in Conakry, Guinea, Africa.Although the name might suggest the idea of European "ballet" to English speakers, the focus of the company is actually to promote traditional African dance and culture.-History:Founded in Paris...
), a successful ballet group which toured Africa for six years and later became the national dance company of Guinea; then President Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor was a Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who for two decades served as the first president of Senegal . Senghor was the first African elected as a member of the Académie française. Before independence, he founded the political party called the Senegalese...
held it in high esteem. With Facelli Kante and Les Ballets Africains, he became instrumental in showcasing previously unknown Mandé performance traditions to other continents as well.
After returning to Guinea, he published the poetry collection Poèmes africains (1950), the novel Le Maître d'école (1952), and in 1957, Keïta wrote and staged the narrative poem Aube africaine ("African Dawn") as a theatre-ballet based on the shooting by French troops of protesting Africans who had served in the French army during World War II. However, his works were banned in French Africa
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
as he was considered radical and anticolonial.
Politically active in the African Democratic Rally
African Democratic Rally
The African Democratic Rally was a political party in French West Africa, led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Founded in Bamako in 1946, the RDA quickly became one of the most important forces for independence in the region. Initially a Pan-Africanist movement, the RDA ceased to function as a...
, Keïta worked closely with Sékou Touré from 1956, and in 1957, was elected to the Territorial Assembly. In 1961, Keïta was appointed minister for defense and security. He uncovered alleged plots against Sékou Touré, but was imprisoned in the infamous Camp Boiro, a prison he himself helped construct, for alleged complicity in the February 1969 Labé Plot, and was subjected to torture ("diet noire" – complete food and fluid withdrawal).
On May 27, 1969, he was shot dead without trial.