Frederick Lamp the world leading authority on the Baga, arrived to guinea in 1985 and conducted the main balk of his field research during 1985-7. Dr Lamp arrived to Conakry immediately after the passing away of Seku Toure in 1984 and the coup of 1985 which installed Lansale Conte in power for the next 25 years. Conte at the beginning of his rule pledged a smooth transience to Democracy denounced Toure's human rights abuses, released hundreds of Political prisoners and encouraged the return of the Guinean Diaspora.
The mid eighties were challenging and optimistic times in Guinea. Politically and economically alike. the hermetically closed Muslim Marxist country opened it's borders to International trade, the Guinean Bauxite Company was formed the west eager at that time to claim this soviet enclave releases funds intended to regenerate the country's infrastructure, till to today one can see huge projects conceived in the eighties which have never been operated since then. The currency was devaluated and government spending were cut. the country seemed to enjoy some of the fruits of the abundance in it's natural resources. Conakry doubled it's size and rapid Industrialization mainly of Kamsar changed the coastal country side forever.
The Baga which were for more then three generations heavily persecuted and any manifestation of their local culture and history was strictly punished, started to enjoy a political Renaissance –the Guinean first Lady was a Baga – and the community collaboration in the sweeping changes of the eighties was seeked by Conte’s initial regime. Dr Lamp arrival representing a new democratic world power alien to French and Russian past colonialism, enjoying the patronage of the American embassy as well as Conte's regime was seen by the Baga as an official message authorizing the revival of traditional customs.
Some of the old dances has managed to survive mainly due to interpretations made in the sixties in honor of Malinke delegates of the ruling PDG leaders. New masks were invented – dance of al-b’rak, dance of sibondel incorporating an elephant the PDG symbol and other Muslim imagery. These dances were preformed principally at marriages and public celebrations, mainly by women using women's ritual regalia – drums and headdresses. Since the islamization the sexes have been driven to polar positions. The man reduced their traditional workload and the women assumed more and more responsibilities, nearly most of the upkeep of family economically and ritually was trust upon them. Being severely oppressed on a mundane level they enjoyed political power. the women organizations were less harassed in Toure’s time and in 1977 directly challenged the Marxist regime in Conakry to allow them to continue and engage in their customary petty trading .
The revival of the nineties was of a nationalistic fervor, the Baga were coming to terms with their past and were recreating their cultural heritage and identity as a group.
This cultural renaissance should not be interpreted as reawakening of the old spirits. Sacred spaces in which initiations and elders meetings were held were permanently obliterated by intentional construction of Mosques, children schools and public soviet inspired halls "Permanence" in which weekly meetings were held discussing Marxist agenda of the time. Pre islamization a Baga village was a place saturated in Magic, sacred grooves secrets and taboos which have gone for ever. The names can be still named but the deep metaphoric meaning is lost. Some elder clan chiefs responsible for the most sacred objects which escaped detection of Muslim reformers still continue in their role of ritual leaders but with no followers, in total alienation from the society they once held in absolute control.