🇧🇫Burkina FasoWest Africa
Thierry Stéphane Momo's "L'Algorithme Lobi" explores the scientific structure of Lobi music
via Lefaso.net4 min read
Thierry Stéphane Momo, a professional musician, guitar and bass professor, and independent researcher, has authored "L'Algorithme Lobi," a book that presents a structural and algorithmic study of Lobi music, specifically the "Binkontin" genre from southwestern Burkina Faso. Momo's research aims to uncover the hidden mechanisms governing traditional African music, not to validate it externally, but to reveal the complexity of its inherent knowledge using contemporary tools. He states that Lobi music itself "convened mathematics," rather than him imposing mathematics on it. The book details seven major discoveries derived from analyzing a publicly accessible reference piece, simplifying rich and complex results for better understanding. The work employs scientific tools from physics, acoustics, and applied mathematics to demonstrate that traditional music possesses organized structures that can be observed, measured, and described. One key concept is "mathematical maturity," where music's properties evolve and become more complex as it progresses. His analyses show that the studied music tends towards the golden ratio, or phi, a mathematical constant found in nature and art, suggesting a point of equilibrium. Momo interprets this evolution as a movement towards a critical state, balancing order and chaos, where music achieves high complexity without losing structural coherence. He emphasizes that these findings are based on rigorously developed and refined research protocols, a
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Following the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has released its updated global rankings. Spain, the World Cup champion, now holds the first position. Morocco has solidified its status as the leading African team, securing the 6th spot globally. Burkina Faso remains at 62nd worldwide. The updated FIFA rankings, dated July 20, 2026, show Argentina, the World Cup finalist, in second place behind Spain. Morocco's consistent performance, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, places them as the top African nation. Senegal, eliminated in the round of 16, dropped three places to 18th globally. Burkina Faso, which did not participate in the 2026 World Cup, maintains its 62nd global ranking and is the 12th African nation. The top 12 African teams in the FIFA rankings are: Morocco 6th globally, Senegal 18th globally, Egypt 24th globally, Nigeria 26th globally, Algeria 29th globally, Côte d’Ivoire 31st globally, DR Congo 41st globally, Cameroon 43rd globally, Mali 53rd globally, South Africa 54th globally, Tunisia 57th globally, and Burkina Faso 62nd globally.
The Central Bank of West African States BCEAO organized a two-day seminar in Dakar for media professionals from the eight member countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union UMOA. The initiative aims to equip journalists with a better understanding of monetary, financial, and digital challenges shaping the future of the UMOA region, thereby enhancing public understanding of economic issues. Habib Thiam, Secretary General of the BCEAO, welcomed participants on behalf of Governor Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, highlighting that this is the second such event, following one in 2013, demonstrating the Central Bank's commitment to sustained dialogue with economic media. Thiam emphasized that the BCEAO operates in a rapidly changing environment marked by geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, security concerns, and technological advancements, necessitating continuous adaptation of its policies. The BCEAO seeks to foster a communication approach based on proximity, education, and anticipation to make its decisions more transparent and promote public understanding of monetary policies. Journalists are seen as crucial intermediaries, simplifying complex subjects and strengthening the public's economic and financial literacy. The seminar's agenda covers the BCEAO's missions, monetary policy mechanisms, financial stability, the UMOA banking system, economic financing, digitalization, financial inclusion, and financial education. Special attention is given to payment systems and in
Must ReadThe 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, concluded on July 19 with Spain defeating Argentina in the final. While Spain, known as La Roja, celebrated a collective victory, several individual awards were also presented. French player Kylian Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot for being the tournament's top scorer, netting ten goals. This achievement further solidified his reputation as a global football star. The race for the Golden Boot was highly competitive, with Mbappé and Lionel Messi each having eight goals before the final stages. English players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were close behind with six goals. Mbappé scored a brace in the third-place playoff match between France and England, bringing his total to ten goals. Messi remained scoreless in the final, confirming Mbappé's win. Mbappé's ten goals in 2026 surpassed his eight goals in the 2022 World Cup. He also became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals across three tournaments. However, the record for most goals in a single World Cup final phase still belongs to Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in 1958. In addition to Spain's team triumph, individual accolades were also dominated by the Spanish squad: captain Rodri was named the best player of the tournament, goalkeeper Unai Simón received the Golden Glove, and defender Pau Cubarsí was recognized as the best young player.