Welcome to Senegal. We have a full day today with many performances. On tap are Cheikh Lô, the Kora Jazz Trio, and Youssou N’Dour.
First up is vocalist, guitarist, and drummer Cheikh Lô. Lô absorbed many of the influences that were popular in West and Central Africa during the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s, eventually doing session work in Paris. Mixing all of this together, he developed his own sound, which led to his release of several albums. Ladies and gentlemen, Cheik Lô:
Doxandeme
Né la Thiass
Lu Tax
Live at the Afro-Pfingsten Festival (No title)
Next up is the Kora Jazz Trio. Their website provides the best introduction: “[M]ostly dialog between the kora and the piano, two instruments so close – both rhythmic and soloist – but separated by an ocean. Two cousins that were separated too early, each on a continent: the kora in the streets of West Africa, the piano in the dark clubs of Western cities. Today they meet again and have many things to tell us…”
The Kora Jazz Trio:
Senef
Chan Chan
Ewagne
All Blues – (Featuring guest Manu Dibango on marimba)
Our concert today ends with perhaps the most famous singer in Senegal, and one of the most famous singers throughout all of Africa, Youssou N’Dour. N’Dour wears many hats. In addition to being a world-renown and in-demand musician and one of the developers of the popular Senegalese style of music called mbalax, he is a businessman, composer, actor, songwriter, and politician. For a 17-month period between 2012 and 2013, N’Dour served as Senegal’s Minister of Tourism, later appointed as Special Adviser to the President where his job was to promote Senegal to the world.
Please welcome, Mr. Youssou N’Dour:
Miss
Without a Smile (Same)
Lees Waxul
Live – Return to Goree Concert – “Red Clay”
Live – Human Rights Now concert at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina – “N’Dobine/Deugue (The Truth)” (Deugue featuring Branford Marsalis)
Thank you for joining us here in Senegal. I hope you enjoyed the concert. We’ll meet at the Internet Airport for our flight across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Next stop on our Jazz Around the World 2 tour: Curaçao.
April is Jazz Appreciation Month. Support the artists. Buy their music. Go out and see some live Jazz today.
