Pan-African Band Serve Up Cuban Songs Tossed With American And French Influences

Source: www.thestar.com - John Goddard, Staff Reporter

(June 29, 2008) What's remarkable about Orchestra Baobab is how deeply its players seem to have internalized all of West African pop music.

"Specialist in all styles," the band calls itself. The musicians seem to be making a joke – how can you specialize in everything?

But the claim rings true.

"It's a salad," singer Rudy Gomis, 61, said not long ago of the band's stylish, inclusive sound, "a mixture of Cuban songs and influences from Senegalese griots (hereditary praise singers), and from the Congo, Nigeria, France and America, played by a pan-African band with members from Senegal, Togo, Morocco and Guinea."

Orchestra Baobab formed in 1970, disbanded in 1985 and reunited in 2002.

The revival might have remained short-lived except the band scraped off its rust and audiences responded to its mix of easy-going attitude and tight, expert musicianship.

Western stars counted among the fans. Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band and Trey Anastasio of Phish joined them on David Letterman's The Late Show in 2004 and later travelled to play with the group in the Senegalese capital of Dakar.

Last month, the 11-piece orchestra released a new album, Made in Dakar, reaffirming their seriousness of purpose.

It is a lively and surprisingly contemporary disc, incorporating new elements into an essentially Afro-Cuban sound.

"Beyond refreshing," wrote Banning Eyre, of the U.S. Afropop Worldwide online magazine and radio show.

To appreciate the Baobab sound, it helps to know that throughout the 1930s and 1940s Dakar musicians played Cuban music introduced by sailors. Without knowing the language, singers also sang in Spanish.

By 1960, the year of independence, Dakar bands were picking up traditional instruments again and singing in local languages. In 1970, the Baobab Club opened. Several young players from the city's top group, the Star Band, left to form the club's house band.

Each member brought his own style. Quickly, the orchestra rose to No. 1, and although members came and went the band more or less reigned, with hit after hit, for 15 years.

Its end came with the rise of Youssou N'Dour, Senegal's first true pop star and still its top singer.

Fittingly, N'Dour co-produced Made in Dakar with Nick Gold of World Circuit records, the man most responsible for bringing the group out of retirement. N'Dour also sings on one track.

Orchestra Baobab play Harbourfront Centre on Thursday at 9 p.m.