Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
People of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso, which occupies an area about half the size of France, is extremely diverse,
with its 17 million people scattered among some 60 ethnic groups. The largest of these is
the Mossi, who are primarily concentrated in the central plateau area. Important groups in
the south include the Bobo, Senoufo, Lobi and Gourounsi. In the Sahel areas of the north
are the Hausa, Fulani, Bella and Tuareg. Around 75% of Burkinabés live in rural areas.
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Religion
An old joke goes that 50% of Burkinabés are Muslim, 50% Christian and 100% animist.
The figures for Islam and Christianity are about 60% and 23%, respectively, in reality, but
most people do retain traditional beliefs.
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The Arts
Burkina Faso has a vibrant contemporary arts and crafts scene (painting, sculpture, wood-
carvings, bronze and brass work, and textiles). Artists' works are exhibited in
Ouagadougou's galleries, cultural centres and collective workshops. And there's no short-
age of artisans' stalls and craft shops, selling masks and leatherwork, in Ouagadougou and
Bobo-Dioulasso.
The Burkinabés live and breathe music. It is the mainstay of traditional celebrations
with
djembe
(drum),
balafon
(a kind of xylophone) and flutes the main instruments.
Modern musicians draw on traditional influences from home and the rest of the continent,
especially Mali, Congo and Côte d'Ivoire, as well as Jamaican reggae, jazz, rock and rap.
You'll find numerous bars in Ouga and Bobo offering live music several nights a week.
Burkina Faso also has a thriving film industry that receives considerable stimulation
from the biennial Fespaco film festival. Two Burkinabé film-makers who have won prizes
and developed international reputations are Idrissa Ouédraogo, who won the 1990 Grand
Prix at Cannes for
Tilä,
and Gaston Kaboré, whose film
Buud Yam
was the 1997 winner
of the Étalon d'Or.
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