More music from the Sénégal Flash series today, this time off the Kaolack compilation.

Kaolack is a city of about 300,000 people in Senegal’s Siné-Saloum region. It’s a major transport hub for Tamabcounda, Dakar, The Gambia and Senegal’s south, so most people living in Senegal have spent at least some time there, myself included.

Unfortunately, aside from transport activities there isn’t much going on there. The city is quite poor these days and pollution is a big problem, hence the efforts of groups like Teranga Kaolack to help get the city back on its feet. The city does, however, have a great mosque – check-out the picture on today’s post.

Back to the music. I know nothing about Sahel, the first group you’ll hear, except that their track Bamba is an amazing-sounding, early mbalax earful. Ouza’s balad, Bouba, is great, too, because it makes me think of so many Senegalese concerts I’ve been to: long, long proclamations in the middle of every second song, with money stuffed into the performers’ shirts by adoring fans; random guys hopping up on stage to dance, or sometimes just to chill-out; awkward slow dances and shy smiles between normally separated men and women.

Sahel – Bamba
Ouza – Bouba