There was a terrific article in yesterday's Travel section of the New York Times on the music scene in Senegal. Describing the capital city, Dakar, as "one of the most musically vibrant cities in Africa", and
Set against the glittering Atlantic, the grid of wide, French-built boulevards and crumbling narrow streets assaults the sensory apparatus at every entry point: the feel of dust and mosquitoes on the skin; the taste of exhaust fumes in the mouth; the smells of sweat and sewage and grilling meats in the nostrils; the chainsaw buzz of cheap scooters and the booming Muslim call to prayer echoing in the ears.
And the music is varied and vibrant:
Indeed, the musicians and singers of Dakar serve up a remarkably diverse sonic smorgasbord with a rhythm for any mood or occasion. Seeking something mellow? Try Pape et Cheikh, whose Senegalese-folk has won fans like Tracy Chapman, or the group Touré Kunda, whose song “Guerilla Africa” was reworked by Carlos Santana into “Africa Bamba” on his multimillion-selling “Supernatural” album. In an Afrofunk mood? Xalam will show why the Rolling Stones hired them to play on their “Undercover” album.
Distinctive takes on hip-hop, salsa, reggae and jazz are also key parts of Dakar’s extensive repertory — to say nothing of the almighty mbalax, whose popularity carries on through young stars like Titi and Pape Diouf.
Here's a live performance video of Orchestra Baobab, profiled in the Times article:
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