| Mamadou Mountaga Koite of Orchestra Baobab at the Roundhouse, London. Photograph: John Williams - Source: The Guardian |
Orchestra Baobab - 2017 January 31 - London
Main Space - In The Round (+ Estée Blu as support act)2017 sees the return of In The Round, a series of intimate performances staged in a rarely seen fully seated concert set-up at the Roundhouse. One of Africa’s great iconic bands, Orchestra Baobab create some of the world’s most sublime and truly distinctive music.
Formed in 1970, taking their name from the Dakar nightclub where they were resident, they fused Afro-Cuban rhythm and Portuguese Creole melody with Congolese rumba, high life and a whole gamut of local styles, kick starting a musical renaissance in their native Senegal, which turned the capital, Dakar, into one of the world’s most vibrant musical cities.
The band released dozens of recordings before disbanding in the mid-80s but it was their neglected 1982 album, Ken Dou Werente - which included many of their most famous songs, ‘Coumba’, ‘Ledi Njemme Mbodj’ and ‘Utru Horas’ - that became a cult-classic, re-released to huge acclaim by World Circuit Records in 1989 under the title Pirate’s Choice.
The band reformed in 2001 with encouragement from Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour and the following year released Specialist in All Styles, their first album in nearly 20 years.
In 2007 they released Made in Dakar, and now, nine years on, Orchestra Baobab are back in the studio recording their fourth album for World Circuit, which is set for release in Spring 2017.
With support from Roundhouse Resident Artist Estée Blu, a singer-songwriter who embraces genres such as Jazz and Gospel and champions authenticity and imagination through Neo- Soul and R&B. Often likened to Solange, Lianne la Havas and Corinne Bailey Rae, Blu equally brings her own style to Contemporary R&B.
1.BBC World on 3 introduction
Introduction to Orchestra Baobab as broadcasted on BBC before concert itself.BAOBAB-20170131 - Roundhouse London BBC intro
tracklist: 1.Coumba (from Pirates Choice, rec.1982) / 2.On Verra Ca* (BBC World Routes rec.2001) / 3.Mouhamadou Bamba (from Bamba, rec.1980)
In between the music is interesting talk by the DJ and Lucy Duran (!) about Orchestra Baobab and background of the played songs.
*from World Routes (2001.Sep.01, BBC Radio 3)
Lucy Duran travels to Dakarto meet the Senegalese Orchestra Baobab, performing again for the first time since the 80s.
Earlier this year (2001) the legendary and seminal Senegalese salsa band Orchestra Baobab reformed, performing together for the first time since the 80s. The group, whose mellow sound rocked West Africa, is now recording a new album at the studios of African superstar Youssou N'Dour. Lucy Duran travels to Dakar to meet the band and witness this historic event.
From 2001 playlist: On Verra Ca (traditional Mandinka Version) by Balla Sidibe (BBC recording)
2.BBC World on 3 The Concert
BAOBAB-20170131 - Roundhouse London BBC live
setlist: 1.Dee Mo Woor / 2.Amikitabay / 3.Fayincounko / 4.Foulo Kano / 5.Woulignewa / 6.Kharit Kharito / talk about 'Utros Horas' / 7.Utros Horas / 8.Magno Couto / 9.Ndiaga Niaw / talk about 'On Verra Ca' and 'Bulma Mine' / 10.Bulma Mine / 11.On Verra Ca / 12.Werente Serigne
again sometimes with some (interesting!) talk in between some tracks
More about Orchestra Baobab 2017
- BBC Radio3 - 2017.Mar.03 - World on 3 (where you can't listen to all this anymore, but information stays available)
- Info from the venue, The Roundhouse: Orchestra Baobab - 2017 January 31
- Review of Orchestra Baobab's concert - The Guardian
- Listen to Foulo (from the new album, source: worldcircuit)
- Buy the new album 'Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng' - shop - bandcamp
PS1: audio is the highest quality BBC stream I could directly catch (m4a-320-48Hz), so no converting and just splitted-up in individual track, ENJOY!!!!
PS2: for the usual discography, check this previous post about Orchestra Baobab
PS3: more Senegalese music to expected soon........