When I was growing up my father would sometimes reach deep into his record cabinet and pull out some gem or another that he wanted me to hear. I remember lying there in the living room on many occasions, between the speakers, lights off, feeling the bass ripple over me as I soaked-up classics of jazz, prog rock, folk, classical, and more.

I owe him big-time for fostering a deep-rooted passion for music of all kinds. Our listening sessions taught me very early in life that you should keep your ear open to any good sound, and that there’s a context for almost any well-performed, creative or passion-driven form of music.

I’m returning the favour these days, keeping my dad up to date on the best sounds out of Africa and elsewhere. When I first listened to Xalam’s first release, Adé, it brought me straight back to my old Toronto living room. My dad would dig this sound. I can picture him dropping the needle on this album before cleaning dishes after a dinner party, or while chilling out with a glass of scotch.

Xalam are a Senegalese band who orginally formed in Dakar in 1969 before moving to Europe in the mid-70s. Their tight funk-rock-traditional fusion sound brought them great success abroad. They toured for 15 years all over Africa, Europe and North Africa, playing with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Crosby, Stills, And Nash, and The Rolling Stones along the way. The original group disbanded in ’89 when their founding member, Prosper Niang, passed away. Some members of group continue to record music and should have a new album out soon.

The group’s name comes from the word for a traditional stringed instrument played by griots of all many ethnicities across West Africa. It looks a bit like a cross between an acoustic Spanish guitar and a kora and has a raw, woody sound when strummed.

No xalams in today’s track, however. Today’s selections are off their first studio recording, 1979′s Adé. Big thanks to Benn loxo listener, Professor Babacar, for the contribution.

Xalam – Njare