Keita Fodeba

Founder and leader of a pioneering African dance company which introduced traditional African dance and music to the rest of the world. Keita Fodéba was born on January 19, 1921 in Siguiri (now in the Republic of Guinea). After completing his primary education in Conakry (Guinea), he attended the William Ponti Institute in Dakar (Senegal). In 1944, he graduated with a teaching degree. After teaching high school students for several years in Senegal, Fodéba moved to Paris, France. There, he became an avid researcher of theater and dance, and in 1949, founded “Les Ballets Africains de Keita Fodéba". The first performance by Les Ballets Africains was staged at the Théâtre de l'Étoile in Paris in November 1952. It was an instant success. After touring France for several years, Fodéba brought his company to Africa in 1955 and conducted an extensive tour in the then French colonies of West Africa. During that trip, he was selected to be Minister of Interior of the Republic of Guinea by its first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré. Fodéba later held a number of other positions in the Guinean government, including as head of Defense and Security. He was arrested for political reasons on March 21, 1965 and died in prison in 1969.