Fodéba Keïta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fodéba Keïta
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| Minister of Defense | |
| In office 1961–? |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | January 19, 1921 Siguiri, Guinea |
| Died | May 27, 1969 (aged 48) Guinea |
| Occupation | Dancer, musician, writer, playwright, composer and politician |
Fodéba Keïta (born January 19, 1921, in Siguiri – died May 27, 1969, in Camp Boiro) was a very talented person from Guinea. He was a dancer, musician, writer, playwright (someone who writes plays), composer, and politician. He started the first professional African theater group, called Theatre Africain. He also helped create Liberté, which is the national anthem of Guinea.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fodéba Keïta's father was a male nurse. Fodéba went to the École normale supérieure William Ponty for his early schooling. This school was important for training future leaders in Africa.
A Creative Career
Music and Dance Beginnings
While studying law in Paris in 1948, Keïta started a music group called Sud Jazz. Later, in the late 1940s, he created Théâtre Africain. This group later became famous as Les Ballets Africains. It was a very successful ballet group that traveled around Africa for six years. Eventually, it became the official national dance company of Guinea. Even the president of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor, admired their work greatly.
Fodéba Keïta, along with Kanté Facély and Les Ballets Africains, played a big part in showing the world the amazing performance traditions of the Mandé peoples. Many people in other continents had never seen these traditions before.
Writing and Plays
After returning to Guinea, Keïta published a book of poems called Poèmes africains in 1950. He also wrote a novel titled Le Maître d'école (which means "The School Teacher") in 1952.
In 1957, Keïta wrote and put on a special theater-ballet called Aube africaine ("African Dawn"). This play was based on events that happened in Thiaroye, Senegal. In African Dawn, a young man named Naman joins the French Army to fight for the French colonial rulers. However, he is later killed in a disagreement between West-African soldiers and white officers. Keïta's works were seen as strong and against colonial rule, so they were banned in French Africa.
Political Involvement
Fodéba Keïta was also active in politics. He was part of the African Democratic Rally political party. He worked closely with Sékou Touré, who became Guinea's first president, starting in 1956. In 1957, Keïta was chosen to be part of the Territorial Assembly, which was a local government body.
In 1961, Keïta was given an important job: he became the minister for defense and security. Sadly, in 1969, he was put in prison at Camp Boiro. He passed away in prison on May 27, 1969.
Gallery
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An ensemble directed by Fodéba Keïta performing in Germany (1951)
See also
In Spanish: Fodéba Keïta for kids
