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The studio photographs of Sanlé Sory and his participation in the vibrant music scene in Bobo-Dioulasso give us a picture of a cosmopolitan city shaping its independent identity in the 1960s through to the ´80s, the heyday of West African independence movements. Vintage photographs, seven-inch record sleeves and studio accessories are all reproduced in the most extensive portrayal to date of photography and music as key popular art forms with local, national and international resonance.

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Born in Burkina Faso in 1943, Sanlé Sory runs a portrait studio in Bobo-Dioulasso. He opened his business in 1960, the year that Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) declared independence from France. For many years, Sory also organized music parties around the city; he served as the official photographer for Volta Jazz, a key popular music orchestra in the 1960s and ´70s.

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