Encouraged by the warm reception to his album Ndam, Omar Pene has indulged in more acoustic creation with Ndayaan. The fifty-something Dakarois singer dug through his “attic” full of old tracks and unearthed the original spirit of Super Diamono, the band that is now an institution on the Senegalese music scene.
After crossing the USA from west to east with his show Tales from the Sahel, the Senegalese Baaba Maal is in France to perform a dozen concerts celebrating the 25th anniversary of his group Daande Lenol
An icon of the Boul Falé* generation along with Didier Awadi in the 1990s, Duggy Tee launched into an on-off solo career in 2005. After six years off the scene, he’s now back with a new album, Fit (“courage” in Wolof), marked with a more diverse style but just as committed.
After producing three albums as a trio, the Kora Jazz Band has doubled its numbers and taken on Manu Dibango, Andy Narell and Omar Marquez for its latest collection. An album overshadowed by bereavement following the death of kora player Soriba Kouyaté a few days after recording ended.
Recent Senegalese political social events have spawned the "Y’en a marre" (or "had enough") collective, comprising members of civil society, journalists and at, its heart, a whole bunch of rappers. The movement was launched in January 2011, and has upset the political balance in Senegal with some new messages. Where these apprentice politicians really shine out, though, is in their music. They include names like the group Keur Gui, Fou Malade and Simon.
What do Dakar, Havana and New York have in common? Musically, more than you might think. While Senegal was gearing up to celebrate its independence in 1960, the country’s musicians were seeking to liberate themselves from French influence through the jazz and salsa that was at that time filtering across the Atlantic.
There are times when you need a helping hand to reach a new milestone. To put together his fourth album, Nimissa, Guinean singer and musician Ba Cissoko was assisted by reputed producer Philippe Eidel, who has managed to draw out each song’s potential and assure some ship-shape production.
