Gumbe
| Gumbe | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Zouk, Guinea-Bissauan music |
| Cultural origins | Late 1980s, Guinea-Bissau |
Gumbe, also goombay or gumbay is a West African style of music found in countries such as Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.
Etymology
It is likely that the etymology of African-American musical genres goombay of the Bahamas[1] originates in Guinea-Bissau gumbe. Gombey music from the Bermuda and the Jamaican square maroon drum called goombay could also be related.
Origins
Gumbe is a specific genre, mostly influenced by the fast tempo zouk style called "zouk béton" (music of the French Caribbean popularized by Kassav in the 1980s); though the same term also refers to any music of the country. True gumbe is a fusion of several Bissauan folk traditions. Gumbe is the genre most closely associated with Guinea-Bissauan music worldwide. Not many people know about this type of music.
Gumbe is a primarily vocal and percussive music that has been associated with nationalist thought since colonial times.
References
- ↑ See the Bahamas Goombay 1951-1959 album (scroll down to read booklet in both French and English:)