This is the birthplace of the banjo, the kora, xylophones and the djembe. And in the post-colonial 60s and 70s, the descendants of Mandé and Foulah troubadours listened to Afro-Cuban rhythms, Congolese rumba, and Ghanaian highlife, and formed into large state-supported orchestras. They wielded fuzzed-out electric guitars, and employed elephant-sized brass sections, drums, and traditional percussion.