Apr 15/05
The Sound of Senegal
I promised the other day that I’d post some more Senegalese mbalax music.
Mbalax star, Ndongo Lô, has a hard, classic mbalax sound filled with swift and complex percussion and enough synth to make any Casio hater cringe. His music is currently really popular at Dakar nightclubs and on the local radio.
Lô grew up in one of Senegal’s most dynamic – and poorest – neighbourhoods, Pikine. In 2000, when he was 25 years old, he released his first album, Ndoortel. It became an instant hit and Lô went on to release three full-length albums during the next four years. Lô appeals to the Senegalese masses because of his strong Mouride beliefs and his humble background. He sings only in Wolof about things your average guy from Pikine can relate to.
Unfortunately, Lô died this past January at the young age of 30 of some unspecified illness. Apparently after getting word of his death, thousands of his fans from Pikine and elsewhere tried to storm the hospital where he was being kept. The police had to dispatch a large group of armed gendarmes to protect the hospital from Lô’s grieving fans.
Lô was buried in Touba following a big ceremony attended by many prominent Senegalese, including lutteur exceptionel, “Tyson”, and big marabout, Serigne Mbacké.
Ndongo Lô & Papa Ndiaye Guewel – Deg Deg
Tags: mbalax, senegal
wow. thanks a lot for putting this one up. Ndongo Lo is certainly a beloved musician in Senegal, and my husband was both one of the thousands grieving at the hospital the night he died, as well as one who had the honor of playing drums on his last album, recorded only a few months before his death.
thanks again mattgy–i love your site.
uall suck
Hi my name is Fatou Kine Gueye.
i am Ndongo Lo cousin. He was a very nice person.
I loved him very much, and i hope that he’s resting
in peace.
Hello! my name is Abdoulaye Diack, i live in Berlin, Germany. I believe that Ndongo Lo was a good man, i listened to his music, and know that he is a big singer!
I’m sorry for his death, but his music is with us and will live forever. Jah bless him.
mi dispiace
i lived in senegal last february and march and listened to ndongo lo. i’m from america, so where can i buy his music?
Hey Thomas,
You can buy Ndongo Lo at Stern’s Music. If you don’t live in New York, London or Sao Paulo you can mail order here:
http://sternsmusic.com/disk_info.php?id=05103-2
Cheers,
Matt
NDONGO LO WAS ONE OF THE CHARISMATIC SINGERS NOT ONLY IN SENEGAL BUT THE WHOLE OF AFRICA; MAY HIS SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE. WE LOST A MAN.
i live in London but i love ndongo lo he is da best singer in da hole world dat every one could wishe for but may god da almighty bless him and may he rest in peace amin. no body was not praying dis to happend to ndongo lo cauz he is a very nice person .
may his soul rest in peace
hi ma names zainab jagne lo’s a gr8 singa and artist ervry misses im alot i hope his soul rests in peace.
i m leaving in the United States since 1997 when i first heard Ndongo Lo i promised myself, when i come back to Senegal i would love to see him. Since i heard Ndongo, he was right away my favorite singer. Everytime i m listening Ndongo i am leraning stuff. Still when i come to senegal i want to go see his family and pass them my condolence. his songs really means something to me. Rest in Peace Ndongo Lo, may Allah the great forgive you and put in paradis, Ameen. Thanks for every thing Ndongo, i don’t know what to say, but “que la terre lui soit legere.
He Will always be remembered may god bless his soul
I like ndongo lo because he liked her mother he song very good I am very sorry
my name is na’dia and i live in usa. i only learned of ndongo lo last year 2005 and i love his music. i only recently learned of his death this past week of march 2006 and i’m so hurt and i still don’t want to believe it.im just greatful that my friend who is from senegal shared his music with me because if he hadn’t i wouldn’t have known the great music and beautiful spirit of ndongo lo. may his soul rest in peace and his spirit live on in his beautiful voice he left us with.my respects to his family and his mom who gave him to all of us.
I MUST SAY THAT NDONGO LO HAS INSPIRED ME A LOT WITH HIS WORDS THAT I SHOULD PERSUE MY DREAMS AND THIS I SHALL NEVER FORGET HIM AND I SHALL LISTEN TO HIS SONGS EVERY Day as a tribute to hhm may his soul rest in perfect peace until we meet on the gardens of God.
hola mi nombre es mimouna y vivo en argentina. me parece q ndongo lo fue un rtista enpesionante me gusta mucho si musica y le mando a todo un saludo a todos los fan de el como o y vamos senegal
Камрад прострели себя коленку
slt le monde je sui lamie et fans n1 de ndongo lo il eter bien genereux mouride sadikh et referansse edukateur kar la ou je sui loin du senegal kan ya probleme je laicoute et je prend conte de ses parole ki persse mon keur k la terre de touba lui soi leger et k le tout puissant laccaille au paradit je peu beaucoup parler sur lui de sa jantilliyesse et sa jaıneroziter car son jumau gnambe
peu me confirmer car je le connaisser de son vivan la ou je entrain de taimoigner jaicoute sa musik de la par de aziz plaignant stl a gnambe
je consseille au fans de ndongo de ne pa ecouter seulemen ses musıck mais de rendre conte de ses parolle
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