CULTURE
Until 1984 artistic and literary
expressions were limited largely to African themes by the single
political party and its leader. As a result Guinean intellectuals
exhibit a strong sense of nationalism and a decolonialized state
of mind. As greater openness of expression returns, a distinctly
Guinean literature is gradually emerging. A truly autonomous free
press has yet to emerge as a major force in Guinean life. One
French-language newspaper, Horoya, formerly controlled by the
PDG, is published. A number of informal newsletters are also published
in indigenous languages. A television service was begun in 1977,
and transmissions continue on an irregular basis for short periods
each day.
The telephone network is limited
and obsolescent; the few telephones in service are almost all
in Conakry and other major urban centres. A program to upgrade
the telecommunications system was implemented in the late 1980s.
The professional National Guinean Ballet, which emerged after
independence, has retained some of the dance and music of the
distinct ethnic and regional groups. Creative accomplishments
in modern dance and popular music have given Guinean musicians
and singers an international reputation.
Handicrafts in Guinea, as
elsewhere in Africa, declined sharply during the colonial era
with competition from manufactured consumer goods. The lack of
tourism and creative marketing since independence has limited
the amount of change and innovation in local crafts, so that the
leatherwork, wood carving, and jewelry produced in Guinea tend
to be more genuinely ethnic than elsewhere in western Africa.
