Ligidi

Mossi music refers to the traditional and court-derived musical practices of the Mossi (Mooré-speaking) people of present-day Burkina Faso. It is characterized by energetic dance rhythms (notably the warba dance), call-and-response singing, and a strong emphasis on percussion led by the bendré (a large calabash/gourd drum) alongside balafon (wooden xylophone), rattles, handclaps, and end-blown flutes. Melodies are often pentatonic and delivered in the Mooré language by praise-singers who recount lineages, extol chiefs (Naaba), and transmit proverbs and social commentary. While rooted in royal and ceremonial contexts, Mossi music also lives in community celebrations and rites of passage, and it underpins many modern Burkinabé “tradimoderne” styles that blend traditional rhythms with guitars, keyboards, and contemporary production.