ORCHESTRA BAOBAB

One of Africa's greatest bands: Senegal's Orchestra Baobab.

Orchestra Baobab is an extraordinary group of singers and musicians who create a West African nightclub ambience with their blend of Afro-Latin styles, international pop, West African griot music and gently lilting rhythms. Their story begins in the heart of Dakar's medina in the late 1960s and stretches across the world into the 21st century.

The band owes its beginnings to Ibra Kassé, club owner and founder of the Star Band, who made Club Miami in Dakar a notorious hangout in the mid-1960s. The band absorbed new rhythms from around the world - music that flowed into cosmopolitan Dakar from America, Europe and Cuba, as well as from Senegal's West African neighbours Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. This eclectic mix of local and international rhythms and styles later became part of Baobab's DNA.

Then, in 1970, Club Baobab opened its doors. The operators recruited star band singers Balla Sidibe, Rudy Gomis and guitarist Barthelemy Attisso. Bassist Charlie Ndiaye and percussionist Mountaga Koite soon followed, along with rhythm guitarist Latfi Ben Jelloun, Nigerian clarinetist Peter Udo and veteran griot singer Laye Mboup.

From then on, Orchestra Baobab set the pace for a new era of modern Senegalese and African music. Blending pop, soul, funk and traditional music from across Senegal and beyond, Orchestra Baobab developed a distinctive style.
Over the decades, Baobab's line-up has changed, with sad departures and exciting new additions. Led by the great Balla Sidibé, their critically acclaimed 2017 LP 'Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng' re-surveyed old territories and blazed new ones.

In 2020, Orchestra Baobab celebrated its 50th anniversary. Due to the Corona pandemic, most of the anniversary concerts could not take place. Then in 2022 they were finally back. Now they are coming again. We are looking forward to it. 

presented by hhv.

Photo: EmergedAgency