The Gabonese people have forged since the independence of the country, in 1960, their own culture which is neither the traditional culture of the different ethnic groups which compose it, nor modern Western culture. It is a culture in movement, a mixture of diversity and common traits, bringing together the most diverse beliefs and practices.

Music

Gabonese music is little-known in comparison with regional giants like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon. The country boasts an array of folk styles, as well as pop stars like Patience Dabany and

Annie-Flore Batchiellilys Annie-Flore Batchiellilys (born 10 April 1967), is a Gabonese singer, musician, and composer, combining traditional Gabonese forms of singing with jazz and blues. Early life Annie-Flore Batchiellilys was born on 10 April 1967 in Tchibanga, in sou ...

, a Gabonese singer and renowned live performer. Dabany's albums, though recorded in Los Angeles, have a distinctively Gabonese element and are popular throughout Francophone Africa. Other major musicians include Pierre-Claver Akendengue (considered a master-poet), "the veteran" Mack Joss, Vickos Ekondo, known as "the king of Tandima". Annie Flore has participated in musical events, both improvised and planned, with a wide variety of musicians from around the world, including: Youssou N'dour (Senegal), Ray Lema (DRC),

Lokua Kanza Lokua Kanza (born April 1958) is a singer-songwriter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound. Biography Lokua Kanza was born Pascal Lokua Kanza in Bukavu in the province of Sud-Kivu, in the eastern p ...

(DRC), La Baronne (France), Carlo Rizzo (Italy), Cynthia Scott (USA), Mario Chenart (Canada), Solange Campagne (Canada), Philip Peris (Australia) and Qiu-Xia-He (China). Also known are guitarists like Georges Oyendze, La Rose Mbadou and Sylvain Avara, and the singer

Oliver N'Goma Oliver N'Goma (23 March 1959 – 7 June 2010) was a Gabonese afro-zouk and soukous singer and guitarist. He was born in Mayumba in south-west Gabon in 1959. He is best known for his 1989 song ''Bane''. Early life N'Goma's was first exposed to m ...

. Imported rock and hip hop from the US and UK are popular in Gabon, as are rumba, makossa and soukous. Gabonese folk instruments include the

obala Obala is a town in Cameroon's Centre Province, ca 45 km north of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Overview The town is the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese and hosts a military academy. Tourists in Obala may visit the somewhat derelict L ...

, the

ngombi The ngombi is a traditional musical instrument from Central Africa. History It is a arched harp. Countries * Central African Republic * Equatorial Guinea * Republic of Congo * Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabones ...

, balafon and traditional drums.

Literature and oral tradition

A country with a primarily oral tradition up until the spread of literacy in the 21st century, Gabon is rich in folklore and mythology. "Raconteurs" are currently working to keep traditions alive such as the mvett among the Fangs and the ingwala among the Nzebis.

Masks

Gabon also features internationally celebrated masks, such as the n'goltang (Fang) and the relicary figures of the Kota. Each group has its own set of masks used for various reasons. They are mostly used in traditional ceremonies such as marriage, birth and funerals. Traditionalists mainly work with rare local woods and other precious materials. File:Fang mask Louvre MH65-104-1.jpg,

Fang A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fang ...

mask used for the ''ngil'' ceremony. Wood, 19th century File:Arte dei bdembo, gabon, maschera rituale.JPG, Bdembo ritual mask File:Masque blanc Punu-Gabon.jpg, Punu white mask

Music

Literature and oral tradition

Masks

See also