Orchestra Baobab - Senegal

Orchestra Baobab was the multi-ethnic house-band of the Baobab Club in Dakar right from when the elite room opened in 1970 until the joint went dark in 1979 – by which time they were established as Senegal’s most popular band.

Sounds and styles from the Caribbean had already been embraced throughout west Africa since the ‘50s, and the special accent of Orchestra Baobab came from their adoption of Cuban instrumentation and rhythmic styles parsed through the individual roots and origins of a polyglot membership.

Balla Sidibe and Rudy Gomis, for example, are from the southern forest region of Casamance and harmonise in Portuguese creole, while the northern Wolof griot vocal style of Ndiouga Dieng replicates that of his predecessor Laye M’Boup, killed in a 1975 car crash,  and Medoune Diallo’s is the voice we hear singing in Spanish.  Sax-player Issa Cissoka and drummer Mountage Koite are both from Mande griot families - Cissoko from Mali, and Koite from eastern Senegal – and bassist Charlie N’Diaye is from Casamance in the south.  On lead guitar, Barthelemy Attisso is from Togo, and rhythm guitarist Latfi Ben Geloume is from a Moroccan family exiled to Senegal’s Saint Louis.   Baro N'Diaye, the original saxophonist-leader of the group, seems to have been plain ordinary French-Senegalese – as was singer/percussionist Mapenda Seck.

“Baobab à Paris” is indication of the reach of their appeal into France, where there is a large expatriate community - and yet, shortly after the Baobab Club’s closure and then on through the ‘80s, audience tastes back home in Dakar began turning to the grittier sounds of bands like the Etoile de Dakar (featuring a young Youssou N'Dour) and the popularity of Orchestra Baobab began to wane.

In 1987, the band split up.

“Pirates Choice” was recorded in 1982 and released on cassette.  A vinyl version was later released in France and quickly became a sought-after cult rarity which came to the attention of the World Circuit label, who re-released it in 1989 as a double CD packaged with extra tracks.

The solid success of the re-release right across the label’s niche network meant there was an audience for live performance strong enough to sustain international touring if only the band were still in existence.  African performing artists all desire to achieve success on a world stage, though – so perhaps it was not really very hard at all, especially with the intercession and support of Youssou N’Dour, for World Circuit in 2001 to persuade the band to reform for tours of Europe and the United States and a new CD.

“Specialist In All Styles” was released in 2002 – twenty years after “Pirates Choice”.

The band are still the same guys.  Pretty much.  Thierno Koite, perhaps a relative of the drummer Mountaga Koite, replaced Baro N'Diaye, the original sax-player.  And Assane M’Boup, who may similarly be kin to original singer Laye M’Boup, replaced Mapemda Seck.   Only two personnel changes between them.  Plus, on the new one, we have guest performances from producer Youssou N’Dour, from Ibrahim Ferrer, and from Thio M'Baye on sabar drums.

The singing is beautiful and all of the music is absolutely made for dancing.

Baobab à Paris Vol 1 On Verra Ca (1978) - 320kbps 52.4 MB
https://mega.co.nz/#!7RIGzb5B!1SLPrClFptq_dDd-mC9-qInaDUgE2DzI89QVyrb7Ioo

Baobab à Paris Vol 2 Africa '78 (1978) - 320kbps 52.4 MB
https://mega.co.nz/#!PFZG2BYJ!cgvL31u96DqQddDQB-QP-B3iHKWn-smoadQXiJ3cZdQ

Pirate's Choice- The Legendary 1982 Session Disc 1 (1982) - 320kbps 94.7 MB
https://mega.co.nz/#!XMoU3A7Y!oK4QbcDB_LdgjQuYzrHArogOOYZsVuOeeT0BLs1huM0

Pirate's Choice- The Legendary 1982 Session Disc 2 (1982) - 320kbps  94.0 MB
https://mega.co.nz/#!fEBzxJRA!urO-vZH3lbge5xNcCCdRXTN1EVNQzrGGzujA7grB-1g

Specialist In All Styles (2002) - 192kbps  68.5 MB
https://mega.co.nz/#!acJxXQjS!wi1byg77U_CaMLpqUCUuauZtJ9qV2wtw8j8WQnSTeGg