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Jazz Salsa Afropop

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Male vocals Solo guitar Drums Bass Brass

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Biography

This band has attained almost legendary status in West African music history. In 1970 it was among the most popular in Senegal and continues to be remembered, not least because of the below-mentioned disks.
The band was formed one Friday in 1970 to play at the opening of Club Baobab in Dakar. A number of the members were from the then most central band in Senegal, Star Band. Star Band was formed in 1960 to celebrate Senegal's independence. Senegal's club music had been influenced by Cuban styles since the 1940s, but by the 1970s was in the process of changing. African traditional music began to seep into modern dance music via impulses from Guinea and Mali. The formation of Orchestra Baobab was a further step in the direction of Africanisation. Both the Wolof and Mandinka elements came into the group's music, in addition to a hint of Spanish influence, thanks to singer and composer Aadolphe Gomis from Guinea Bissau.
Toward the end of the 1970s Orchestra Baobab lost its leading position in Senegal when a new generation broke out of Star Band and began to play a harder, more rock influenced style, mbalax. In 1982, the same year as Youssou N'Dour formed his Super Etoile de Dakar, Orchestra Baobab went into the studio and made the album, "Pirate's Choice".
Not long after, the original crew began to fall away and Orchestra Baobab's golden epoch in Senegalese music was over.
In 2001/2002 the band, after hard efforts from among others recording company World Circuit, has started to play again.

Relevant artists:
Youssou Ndour
Bembeya Jazz National
Africando

BAMBA  
Sterns Africa/1993

Finally, it came to the North - the long awaited new release of two of West Africa's most legendary albums, on one CD! These two albums were originally put out in 1980 and 1981 in Senegal, and presented Orchestra Baobab at the top of its career. With the unforgettable voice of Thione Seck at the helm, they put across their message in the form of traditional Senegalese melodies in Wolof and Mandinka, employing the rich effects of Cuban rhythms totally dominant in West African popular music at the time. Also central were the jazzy brass arrangements and of course Barthelemy Attisso's lightening quick guitar play.
Together, these two albums offer 70 minutes of wonderful, laid back "West Coast Pop". As long as the CD industry continues to find room for new releases of this quality, not a bad word will come out of this PC.

Arne Berg

PIRATES CHOICE  
World Circuit/1989

This is the African variation of the music heard on the Cuban "Buena Vista Social Club". The music has much of the same sensual and playful atmosphere and is presented with the same ease. The whole thing is absolutely effortless, the music just flows out apparently from the gods. The group is made up of percussion, bass, three guitars and saxophone, not forgetting four vocalists who improvise more or less freely over the backing. All is sung in a strange mixture of Spanish, French and Wolof, the last a salute to The Gambia's President Diawara. The disk gives and important perspective on how West African club and dance music sounds when it is played for an African audience. The style is a kind of rumba, or something akin to it, with a good portion of West African music and jazz. This music takes to you another time; you are completely immersed in the club atmosphere of 1908s Dakar. The disk was recorded on two tracks without
overlays or remix.
This is smooth as velvet - this is pure magic.

PIRATES CHOICE- ORIGINAL VERSION  
World Circuit/2001

Here one can see what the digital revolution has really wrought! The recording of this double version of Orchestra Baobab's legend-wrapped disk was originally released on cassette in Senegal in 1982. Later on, six of the songs were put out on vinyl in France. The same six tracks are those that were hitherto available on World Circuit's CD version in 1989, under the title of "Pirates Choice". This new rendering contains the six extra registered recordings from the original jam. All twelve tracks are now presented with new and cleaned up sound, re-mastered from the original tapes.The sound improvements are noticeable, it's almost like putting on a new disk; a real experience for an old Baobab-freak! I have never heard the original recordings and was a little concerned that they would be the weakest tracks - those left over when the best had been plucked out for the 1982 recording. Luckily, my fears were shown to be groundless. The registered tracks stand right up there with the rest and have the same velvet-soft magic.
Several of the "new" tracks are sung in Mandinka and Wolof, possibly the reason why they were left out from the French vinyl offering in 1982. Only one of the fresh
songs, "Rebellion", is sung in Spanish/French. The "new" songs have the same beautiful collaboration between Barthelemy Attissos’s searching guitar play and Issa Cissoko's ditto tenor saxophone.
"Pirate's Choice" has previously reached almost cult status among fans of African music. With the new sound quality and doubling of a number of songs this treasure has now been utterly upgraded. I can only thank and congratulate the World Circuit company!

SPECIALISTS IN ALL STYLES  
World Circuit/2002

What to say? Have a look at the reviews of the former records and imagine a new recording of the group - today? Is it really possible to create anew the old magic?
The answer is definately YES! "Specialists in all styles" has really become the record that at least this reviwer has been dreaming of. Some old, some new material, recordet anew. To be honest I wasn't really worried. The band performed i July 02 on the WOMAD festival in England and made a formidable impression. It was just hard to believe that these guys hardly had been playing together for 15 years. But old love doesn't rust, as we know. There are of course some changes in the personel after such a long time, but all the central members are there again, not least guitarist Barthèlèmy Attisso, who was pulled out of his barrister office in Togo to join this golden reunion. I give in completely to this group! They have gone into the studio (in London) with a repertoir consisting of old and new, play "live" in studio, and in ten days they've done it! "Specialists-" starts with the swift and catchy "Bul ma min", and we are immediately back in the Club Baobab atmosfair where it all started in 1970. This music has a sweet and romantic touch of 1970 optimism and liberation. The musical roots are at the same time Pan African with influence from Cuba and also from France/Spain. The two instrumentalists who most clearly stand out, are Attisso on guitar and Issa Cissiko on tenor sax. But there is more: Five excellent vocalists; the good old boys Balla Sidibe, Rudy Gomis, Ndiouga Dieng, plus the newcomers Assane Mboup and Medoune Diop. And not to forget the new full blood saxophone player Thierno Koite. When the band starts off with their new version of their classic "Utro horas", with the new name "Hommage a Tonton Ferrer", with THE Ibrahim Ferrer himself on vocals, followed by Youssou N'Dour, my feelings can only be described with one word:
Happiness. Is this the greatest come back ever in African music?

MADE IN DAKAR  
World Circuit/2007

World Circuit is a great record company. With their latest recordings they also send out beautiful promo films together with the other promo material. In the case of Orchestra Baobab you get a 25 minute documentary from Dakar about the background of the group and the preparations for this recording.You get the feeling of being there with the group as the members describe their work, doing their daily business in the kitchen or getting their hair cut. Magnificent! These films (i.e. the latest Ali Farka Touré promo film) should be made availble for the general CD buyer as well, I suppose they will? The reason why this video material works so well is of course that its professionally done and also that the band members really have something to talk about.
"Made in Dakar" is the band's first record in more than 15 years with new material!
The sound is suprisingly similar to their 2002 issue "Specialist in alle styles", which in fact is a kind of greatest hits collection. "Made in Dakar" is, like "Specialist-" a live in the studio act, done in Youssou N'dour's Xippi Studios, which gives the music a very authentic sound. The music, as before, revolves around the very special Baobab sound; some Senegalese, perhaps mbalax like, some rumba like, some reggea, some jazz. It's not quite all this, it's Orchestra Baobab! And it's cool, laidback and swinging. The band stands out as a 11 piece strong collective, perfectly in balance. There are two "exceptions", guitarist Barthelemy Attisso, who make me shiver more than once with his original guitar solos and brilliant use of his wah wah pedal. It's difficult to pick a particular song, Attisso's guitar is always there, but perhaps he reaches his best at the very danceable reggea/rumba inspired "Collette". And also on "Nijaay"; my first thought is: Joy.
The second "exception" is Issa Cissoko with his saxophone, who contributes with a lot of extravagancy in his moving solos. Listen to "Nijaay" again, which is an old hit from 1972, one of the album's strongest tracks. It doesn't harm the band's reputation that Mr Cissoko also is a fascinating stage personality!
If one should say something critical about this record, it could be argued that the selection of songs is not as strong as on their previous "Specialist-", there are not as many hits here, even if there are a couple of songs that will become classics. Anyway the totality is very solid.
Orchestra Baobab is now touring the world. No wonder, the Baobab sound is close to the very core of what rhytmic music is about.

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