Search - Orchestra Baobab :: Made in Dakar

Vibes from the Motherland

Victoria Thomas | LOS ANGELES | 07/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is such a rich taste of the densely textured, sophisticated structure of African music -- in this case Afro Cuban. The key elements really stand out -- the polyrhythmic (many shifting percussive patterns at once)

and falsetto passages. These elements are so present in the motown and pop music of the 60s. i keep thinking of the original Frankie Lymon recording of Why Do Fools Fall in Love, where he breaks into that angelic falsetto over the booming, chanting anchor of the bassline, which is SO classically African.



These are rico suave , smooth , jazzy nightclub sounds from the ends of the earth -- the last bit of land of west Africa, ie Senegal, Cabo Verde and out into the vast Atlantic. Chilling in a historical context."

Good music

Marcos | California, USA | 11/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Orchestra Baobab started out in the 1970s. During that time many Senegalese bands were playing mambo, salsa, etc. and a few bands like this one changed the sound by adding electric guitars and incorporating local rhythms.



On this CD, which has great liner notes, they have broadened their sound by adding to the Cuban percussion some West African drums. For me, a latin music fan, the result of a very exotic sound with echoes of Cuban music styles such as Guajira and Son. There are plenty of guitar solos here with a lot of changes in the rhythm, so the album never feels repetitive. They look for inspiration equally in Senegal's musical heritage as well as calypso music, salsa, and even Carlos Santana."

One of the best of 2008?

GB | Sebastopol, CA | 07/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes it is early to be making such a list so soon but I would not be surprised if this was on my top ten for the year. I already had two of their previous and thought that I did not need another. But, every time I went to my local cd store the clerks were playing this cd and it has just slowly but surely won me over. This is music that is not easy to find so order it now and enjoy it. It is part King Sunny Ade and part Cuban Allstars and is just plain well done-the Orchestra Baobab way."