Takana Zion ADD
Concert Report: Takana Zion in Conakry, Guinea 2024 | 66th Independence Anniversary
10/05/2024 by Gardy Stein
Conakry again! Exactly two years after a memorable concert experience marking the 15th stage jubilee of artist Takana Zion, we are united once more on this musical mission. Guinea celebrates the 66th anniversary of its independence today [October 2, 2024], and after an impressive military parade as well as speeches and presentations of traditional music and dance on a stage erected at Route Donka in Dixinn (a quarter in Conakry), the night belongs to the Mangana, “the king”, as Takana is affectionately called by his people.
His backing band from Côte d’Ivoire (Pascal and Francky on keys, Joh Joh on guitar, Joseph on bass, Paco on drums and sound engineer Vetcho) plus Maka Lox on guitar and Naomi on backing vocals have already set up, ready to go, when the moderator announces who is about to appear to loud cheering. He heats up the crowd further by playing La Guinée Notre Paradis, a hit that was released last year and has made its rounds all over, and thousands of voices now join in the chorus, accompanied by the sound of firecrackers. Party is on indeed!
They proceed to sing Guinea’s national anthem next, and the moderators then clear the stage for the headliner. A gust of wind announces another heavy shower at midnight (it is rainy season here), and the stagehands rush in to secure the technical equipment. Takana Zion arrives in the middle of this liquid sunshine, and his fans, obviously not minding that they are drenched to the bone in the open space in front of the stage, shout their welcome.
The singer lances a powerful Intro with Allahamdoulila and keeps the energy high with a subsequent freestyle on the Punanny Riddim before slowing the pace down a bit with Nyabinghi vibes. Flags in red, gold and green, the country’s national colors, are frantically waved in the crowd, creating a reggae festival feeling to which the matching T-Shirts most people wear adds, and hands are lifted up in greeting whenever Takana addresses them. He speaks Soso, the dominant language of the region, and many of his lyrics are sung in it as well: W Oule Fou and Akhono, for instance, each in turn greeted with cheering enthusiasm from the audience.
Other tracks are delivered in English, among them Zion Prophet (from the album by the same name released in 2007), the mighty Rasta Government (2011), Good Life (2016) and Humble Lion from his 2021 oeuvre Human Supremacy. The messages that Takana Zion conveys, however, are brought across in ways that transcend language – they seem to vibrate in his voice, shine from his intent gaze and radiate from his infectious smile, they are felt in the reverence with which his fans and the Black Mafia Crew treats him. At least 20 of them are squeezed on the stage along with the musicians, and although this makes it hard to find a good spot to film or take photos, it adds to the overall festive atmosphere.
The concert ends with a short excursion into the recently released Black Congoh General and, finally, the joyful Kanamacina, to which again all present sing along (btw, Kanamacina Records is also the name of the label that Takana Zion founded in Guinea to release his music). The Mangana then waves his goodbyes and, as suddenly as he has appeared before, he is gone. While the musicians pack up their instruments, the crowd slowly dissolves to find other places to continue the Independence Party, which will last most of the night.
Happy Independence Day, Guinea! Every day spent in this beautiful country makes me appreciate the culture and history of these proud people a bit more. THANK YOU to everybody involved for making this event such a memorable one: to the authorities and organizers who prepared this spectacle for weeks, to the band and to their manager Angenor, to promoter Justiss, to the Black Mafia Family (Tidiany, Shaka, Malik, Cisco…) and of course to this amazing man, Mohamed Mouctar Soumah aka Takana Zion aka Congo Jesse aka Mangana. Wontanara - we are together!
