Traditional Music of Senegal

Culturally the populace of Senegal is 43.3% and it is divided into six regions; which is 23.8% for Wolof, 14.7% for Fula, 14.7% for Sere, 14.7% for Jola, 3% for Mandinka and 1.1% for Soninka, with 1% for European and Lesbanese and 9.4% classed as other. Senegalese music has been affected by that of the Malian territory however it inclines to be fast and lively whereas the beats of Malian griots are cool and classical.

source of picture: www.senegal.co.uk

Mbalax, which refers to rhythm in Wolof and it origins is accompanied with beats by using sabar music of the Serer tribes of the Kingdom of Sine and extend to the Kingdom of Saloum whence Wolof immigrates introduced it to the Wolof of kingdoms. The Nder which is the lead drum, Sabar, which is the beat drum and the Tama which is the talking drum and drumming section bits some its method to the ritual music of Njuup. The Serer tribes pervade their everyday dialect with difficult overlapping tempos and their ritual with intense collective layering of voice and rhythm. The Njuup was also forerunner of Tassu, used when chanting olden religious verses. The griots of Senegambia still use it during marriages, naming events or when singing the praises of supporters. Most of the Senegalese and Gambian musicians use it in their songs. Each of the motifs has a purpose and it is used for diverse events. The private motifs show the history and genealogy of a particular family and it is used during the marriage, funerals and naming events.

The Senegalese renowned music is dated back to be during the 60s, when nightclubs held dance ensemble (groups) that played the western music. The Ibra Kasse’s Star Ensemble was the very popular orchestra. After the beginning of playing American, French and Cuban songs, Star Band speedily added more local rudiments, which include the talking tama drum and Wolof- or Mandinka-language lyrics. Star Ensemble disintegrated into many orchestras, with Pape Seck’s Number One du Senegal being the well-known of the next wave of ensembles, followed by the Orchestra Baobab.

The southern part of Senegal is known as Casamance, which has a strong Mandinka minority and started releasing masters of the kora in the late 50s. The ensemble known as Toure Kunda was the very renowned orchestras to emerge from this scene, and they soon began to play in vast shows throughout the world.

In the year 1977, the whole rhythm unit and numerous other musicians in the Star Band left to create Etoile de Dakar, who speedily hid their compatriots and launched the professions of El Hadji Faye and Youssou N’Dour. Faye and N’Dour were the Senegal’s first pop musicians, but the stress of popularity soon drove the ensemble apart. Faye and guitarist Badou N’diaye created Etoile in the year 200, producing a hit with Boubou N’Gary, but soon vanishing from the pop scene.

N’Dour, though, went on again to create Super Etoile de Darkar, and his profession continued. He was later became the most renowned musician in the country, and possibly in all the West African. He brought more folk rudiments to his Senegalized Cuban music, comprising the folk rapping (tassou), njuup, bakou music (a type of trilling that accompanies serer wrestling) and instruments like the sabar.

While N’Dour Africanized Cuban music, which is another powerful ensemble known as Xalam, they were doing the same thing with American funk and jazz. It was initiated in the year 1970, which was led by drummer Prosper Niang, but their provocative words and unfamiliar jazz beat which led to lack of fame, and the group relocated to Paris in the year 1973. There Jean Philippe Rykiel joins them as a keyboard player. Xalam travelled with groups such as Crosby, Rolling Stones, Stills, Nash & Young, and final attaining achievement in Senegal with 1988s Xarit.

In the later period of the 1970s, the ensemble Super Diamono initiated, combing mbalax beats and militant populism with jazz and reggae influences. Their 1982 Jigenu Ndakaru was particularly renowned. At the middle of the 1980s, Super Diamono became one of the top ensembles in Senegal, in close and fierce contest with Super Etoile de Dakar. The ensemble’s fame weakened, though, slowed somewhat by Omar Pene’s improvement in the year 1991.