Baaba Maal

Iconic spiritual singer and guitarist Baaba Maal, also dubbed The Nightingale for his clear high-pitched vocals, was born in the riverside town of Podor in the Northern region of Senegal. He sings predominantly in Pulaar, the language of the nomadic Fula ethnic group.

Trained at the music conservatory in Dakar, and later on scholarship at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Maal’s music is rooted in the traditional sounds of his home region, as well as being influenced by American R&B, soul, jazz, and blues.

Maal's nine-piece group Daande Lenol ("The Voice of the People") has been massively popular in Senegal since the mid 1980s. The singer came to prominence internationally with several impressive early collaborations, including tracks with Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno, and with his 1994 breakthrough album "Firin in Fouta", which was nominated for a Grammy award for best world music album.

Since then Maal has gained iconic status as a leader in African music, and also as a social activist and international campaigner for African aid. His last Island Records show at the O2 in London this May featured a stage invasion by Bono and U2, who hailed the singer as "the spark of Africa" for his work in helping to combat the spread of HIV and poverty on the continent.

Baaba Maal’s first solo album for over a decade "Television" came out in June, to an overwhelming critical reception.

"Sexy, funky and yet immensely warm and inviting, this release is highly recommended." - Daily Express ****

"Maal meets western producers in his terms, not theirs" – Financial Times *****

Web: http://www.myspace.com/baabamaal

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