Oct 12/04
Never leave home without it
Apparently Baaba Maal always brings a Dakarois(e) to cook for him on tours so that he can eat ceeb bu jeen (Wolof for fish n rice, roughly pronounced “cheh-boo-jenn”) whenever he wants.
I’ve had my share of ceeb since moving to West Africa so I can personally assure you that it takes a true Senegalese to love eating it every single day of the year. The palm oil alone has shaved a few years off my life.
Baaba Maal is a Fulani Senegalese ex-fisherman gifted in guitar and singing. Having toured around the world and played with many a musician (like Brian Eno) he’s adopted some Western styles into his music, but not too much.
Personally I prefer his more traditional, slow-driving and repetitive guitar songs. I’ve included two here today; one from what I consider his best album, Baayo, and another from an album he released with his mentor, Mansour Seck, called Djam Leeli: The Adventurers.
Baaba Maal – Samba
Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck – Maacina Tooro
Just wanted to say, I really enjoy this blog — not only the samples, which are amazing, but your anecdotes from the region. Thanks for sharing!
Baaba Maal is awesome. Good chocies.
Hi, thanks for the website – exceptional combination of history, contemporary context and wonderful music. I saw Baaba at the Royal Festival Hall here in London last week, and was physically, emotionally and spiritually drained by the end of it – quite tremendous. He (and others) makes our Western pop music seem so shallow. Thanks again for this series. Please don’t stop!
[...] . Sorry I couldn’t get to all of them, but bandwidth is precious. Raw, uncut Keita Never leave home without it Apolitical Sudan Funky Lagos
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baaba ,jiimi ko andiin deema weltaree am e ma ,so taawi woonti googa ina halle ,wa laahi ka bamoum baabi raambe ,mi yeetima ,mi juurima ma,wo allah tuunu guurndam ma
hi