Baaba Maal

Baaba Maal
Born	November 12, 1953 (1953-11-12) (age 57)
Origin	Podor, Senegal
Genres	Yela, Worldbeat
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, Music Composer
Years active	1989–present
Website	http://www.baabamaal.tv

Baaba Maal (born November 12, 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.

Biography

Born 12 November 1953. Since his father was a fisherman, Baaba Maal was expected to become a fisherman as well. However, under the influence of his life long friend Mansour Seck, Baaba Maal devoted himself to learning music from his mother and 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 and is also the most internationally famous musician from Senegal, with the possible exception of Youssou N'Dour.

Baaba sings primarily in Pulaar^[1] and is the foremost promoter of the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking peoples who live on either side of the Senegal River in the ancient Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro.

In 1998, Maal recorded "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" for the Red Hot Organization’s compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody a tribute to George Gershwin which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.In 2002, Maal again worked with the Red Hot Organization and appeared on a track titled "No Agreement" along side Res, Tony Allen, Ray Lema, Positive Black Soul and Archie Shepp for the tribute album to Fela Kuti, Red Hot + Riot.

On 7 July 2007 Maal performed at the South African leg of Live Earth.

Baaba Maal's album On The Road, a live acoustic album recorded straight from the mixing boards of his shows over the last ten years, was released on August 10, 2008. A new studio album, Television, was released on June 1, 2009.

Music

After returning from study in Paris, Baaba studied traditional music with his blind guitarist and family griot, Mansour Seck, and began performing with the band Daande Lenol. Maal's fusions continued into the next decade with his Firin' in Fouta (1994) album, which used ragga, salsa and Breton harp music to create a popular sound that launched the careers of Positive Black Soul, a group of rappers, and also led to the formation of the Afro-Celt Sound System. His fusion tendencies continued on 1998's Nomad Soul, which featured Brian Eno as one of seven producers. In addition to his various solo releases, he was featured on two tracks - "Bushes" and "Dunya Salam" - on the concept album 1 Giant Leap.

He also featured on two tracks "Hunger" and "Still" on the Black Hawk Down soundtrack and performed on the title track of the 2008 video game Far Cry 2^[2]. He will be playing at Bonnaroo and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 2010.

He has recently featured on a track on the new Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly album entitled All of This Yours.

Baaba Maal sang the track for Kerala Tourism's 2010 ad campaign 'Your moment is waiting' with music composed by One Giant Leap.^[3]

Discography

• 1989 – Djam Leelii (with Mansour Seck) – Mango Records
• 1991 – Baayo (with Mansour Seck) – Mango
• 1992 – Lam Toro – Mango
• 1994 – Wango – Syllart
• 1994 – Firin' in Fouta – Mango
• 1995 – Gorel – 4th & Broadway
• 1997 – Taara – Melodie
• 1998 – Nomad Soul – Import
• 1998 – Djam Leelii: The Adventurers – Yoff Productions
• 1999 – Live at the Royal Festival Hall – Palm Pictures – Palm (DVD)
• 2000 – Jombaajo – Sonodisc
• 2001 – Missing You (Mi Yeewnii) – Palm
• 2003 – 'The Best of the Early Years – Wrasse (compilation)
• 2005 – Palm World Voices: Baaba Maal – Palm (compilation)
• 2008 – On The Road – Palm (compilation)
• 2009 – Television – Palm

Import releases

• Jombaajo
• Ngalanka
• Ndilane

References

1. ^ Baaba Maal: African performer sings and acts on his social conscience
2. ^ Baaba Maal - The International Star Of Senegal Music
3. ^ New Kerala Tourism campaign: Copy cat or creativity unleashed?

• Official site
• rfimusique.com entry
• Allmusic biography
• African Music Encyclopedia entry
• Afropop.org entry
• Info page at WorldBeatPlanet
• Baaba Maal @ Palm Pictures
• Publishing rights for Baaba Maal's work is administered by Blue Mountain Music

External links

• 2009 Interview with Baaba Maal on musicOMH
• 2009 Podcast interview with Baaba Maal on Flyglobalmusic.com
• 2005 Feature with Baaba Maal on Flyglobalmusic.com
• 2001 Afropop Worldwide Interview with Baaba Maal
• Baaba Maal Interview at allaboutjazz

Persondata
Name	Maal, Baaba
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Short description
Date of birth	1953-11-12
Place of birth
Date of death
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