Moutarou "Daby" Balde is from the isolated region of Senegal called Fouladou, which borders Gambia and Guinea-Bissau and is home of diverse musical styles. From an early age, he pursued a love of music, both traditional and original. He sings in a variety of languages accompanied mostly by his own guitar.
Omar Pene (born 1956 in Dakar) is the emblematic lead singer of the Super Diamono. He was born in the working class neighborhood of Derkle. In the mid seventies (1975-1976), he joined the Super Diamono, one of the longest running Senegalese popular bands- just. Recruited by Bailo Diagne, the first base-player and a founding member of the group, Omar Pene stood out as the most natural fixture in the band.
Cheikh N'Digel Lô is a Senegalese musician. He was born in the town of Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Lô began playing drums and singing at an early age. He joined Orchestre Volta Jazz, an ensemble which played Cuban and Congolese pop songs as well as traditional Burkina Faso music. Lô moved to Senegal in 1978, performing in several mbalax outfits. By 1985 Lô was playing guitar with numerous Côte d'Ivoire and French musicians, which lead him to record material in Paris in 1987.
Youssou N'Dour (born 1 October 1959 in Dakar, Senegal) is a singer, percussionist and occasional actor. N'Dour is one of the most celebrated African musicians in history, his mix of traditional Senegalese mbalax with eclectic influences ranging from Cuban rumba to hip hop, jazz, and soul has won him an international fan base of millions. N'Dour was born in Medina in Dakar, Senegal, in 1959 and started his music career singing in small clubs in Dakar in the Wolof language, which is predominantly spoken in Senegal and Gambia.
Orchestre Baobab is a Senegalese band formed 1970 in Dakar, Senegal as a multi-ethnic, multi-national club band. Put together by saxophonist Baro N'Diaye, original members included singers Balla Sidibe, Rudy Gomis, and Laye Mboup; guitarists Barthelemy Attisso and Latfi Ben Geloune; bassist Charlie N’Diaye; drummer Mountaga Koite; and saxophonist Issa Cissokho. Ndiouga Dieng and Medoune Diallo sometimes sat in with the band, and personnel changed frequently. Later, singer Thione Seck and his younger brother Mapenda Seck joined the band.
Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. His father was a fieldhand and, as such, Baaba Maal was expected to become a fieldhand as well. However, Baaba Maal devoted himself to learning music from his mother and from his school's headmaster. He went on to study music at the university in Dakar before leaving for postgraduate studies on a scholarship at Beaux-Arts in Paris. He has become quite famous in Africa. He is the most internationally famous musician from Senegal, except perhaps Yossou N'Dour.
Blonde Louis are a four piece guitar pop band, hailing from the first garden city, Hertfordshire. We are amongst other things double jointed, terrible pool players, grade 8 musicians, cousins, 1 part vegetarian/ 3 parts carnivore. Josh is the man with the golden tongue and all the sass. Harvey likes ice cream, lot’s of icceee creaaamm. Cox likes to to jibber jabber jabber...... Cherry likes the wine....... “red, white, both, alright.”
Laye Sow is a Fula, from Podor in the Futa Toro region of Northern Senegal, on the Mauritanian border. He was brought up on the African tradition of storytelling through song. He is often described a Muslim mystic. Laye is deeply spiritual, which you can easily hear in all his songs. However he is first and foremost an African, and the rights and wrongs of African society, as well as the weaknesses that create division, consume him.
