Music of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea's culture has been less-documented than most African countries, and commercial recording remains scarce. This is partially due to the country's small size and a population of only about 400,000. Equatorial Guinea was carved out of three former Spanish colonies: Rio Muni, a strip of land between Cameroon and Gabon, Bioko, an island near Cameroon, and Annobón, an island in the Atlantic Ocean far from the mainland.

The largest ethnic group are the Fang, though there are also numerous Bubi and smaller populations of Bisio, Bujeba, Ndowe, Combe and Annobónese people. The Fang are known for their mvet, a cross between a zither and a harp. Music for the mvet is written in a form of musical notation that can only be learned by initiates of the bebom-mvet society. Music is typically call-and-response with a chorus and drums alternating. The most popular musician is Eyi Moan Ndong.

There is little popular music coming out of Equatorial Guinea. Pan-African styles like soukous and makossa are popular, as are reggae and rock and roll. Acoustic guitar bands based on a Spanish model are the country's best-known indigenous popular tradition, especially national stars Desmali y su Grupo Dambo de la Costa.

Other musicians from Equatorial Guinea include Luna Loca, Chiquitin, Dambo de la Costa, Ngal Madunga, Lily Afro and Madrid-based exiles like Super Momo, Las Hijas and Baron Ya Buk-Lu.

References

• Dominguez, Manuel. "Malabo Blues". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 477-479. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0