Baaba Maal

Baaba Maal is a world-renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Senegal who sings in the Fulani language of his people. His ever-evolving music melds traditional African rhythms, melodies, and instrumentation with contemporary Western genres and production. 1989′s Djam Leelii received global critical attention; 1994′s Grammy-nominated Firin' in Fouta crossed modern Afropop with cumbia, hip-hop, ragga, funk, and EDM; 1998′s Nomad Soul included collaborations with Brian Eno; 2001′s Missing You (Mi Yeewnii) pared back the production to explore Fulani folk styles, and 2016′s wildly diverse The Traveller targeted everyone but African music purists. He co-wrote “Wakanda,” the theme song from Black Panther, and in 2023 returned with a typically genre-stretching album, Being.
Maal was born in 1953 in Podor, in northern Senegal beside the Senegal River. Now a small town, its character derives from its centuries as an international port with various cultures and religions. His father was a fisherman and a muzzein at the local mosque. He frequently joined his father in the daily call to prayer — an exercise that assisted in developing his resonant voice that requires little to no amplification. His mother also provided an early musical influence as she taught him the folk songs of the Tukulor people.
Maal wanted to become a singer very early on, but his father disapproved; he wanted his son to follow him as a fisherman. At the time, the only socially approved musicians were griots, keepers and singers of West African history and culture. Maal’s father understood you had to be born of one to become one. The younger man was undaunted. He had the next best thing in close friend, mentor, guitarist, and singer Mansour Seck, a descendant from a long line of griots. The same age, Maal spent many hours listening to Seck’s father’s fascinating stories and oral histories. Suffering from congenital blindness, the young Seck began touring Senegal with Maal as his guide during the mid-’70s. They would visit many villages, often staying with griot families where they would both learn more. Seck strongly encouraged Maal to sing.
After completing his secondary education, he was offered a scholarship to the École des Beaux Arts in Dakar. He was accompanied by Seck. He studied western classical and popular music and taught music in primary school. The pair joined Asly Fouta, a 70-piece orchestra that toured West Africa celebrating Tukulor culture. The pair left in 1977, and in 1982 Maal was offered a scholarship at the Paris Conservatory. Seck again followed. The duo recorded Djam Leelii, in Brussels. (Remixed by Ian A. Anderson, it was globally released in 1989). Maal’s mother died in 1984, and he returned to Podor. The following year he formed the nine-piece group Daande Lenol (“The Voice of the People”). Over the next few years, they released cassettes for the local market, and their popularity grew. Daande Lenol, like their founder, did not shy away from social justice issues and political topics in their music or performances. Authorities in Mauritania banned their recordings.
In 1985 Maal, Seck, and Daande Lenol, recorded the album Wango for France’s Syllart label. It got airplay in France, Germany, and Belgium. Several club DJs in London also picked up on its tracks. Djam Leelii was licensed for release in the U.S. and U.K. in 1989 through the Island Records imprint Mango. It won universally favorable reviews from critics internationally. Taara was released in France by Syllart in 1990 and got substantial airplay for its meld of funky basslines, Senegalese pop, and R&B-style horns.
1991′s Baayo on Mango logically extended the duet recording Maal made with Seck, but the album was clearly Maal’s show. While sticking closely to the open, droning whole-tone melodies in traditional Senegalese folk music, he added sparse keyboards and spare drum programming around his vocals, three acoustic guitars, and organic percussion. In 1992, Maal turned heads (and opened ears) with the polished, electric, studio-produced Lam Toro. Commercially, it was moderately successful, winning accolades from critics and global airplay. Both African and European tours were best-sellers. In the aftermath, a restless Maal felt confined by the studio and asked label executives if he could recruit native northern musicians for his next outing in order to make his music more traditional.
Producer Simon Emmerson traveled to Podor with Maal and began assembling players. After sessions in Podor, they moved the project to London for a time before returning to let the African musicians hear the unmixed tracks and add to them. 1995′s Firin' in Fouta brought Maal international acclaim. Its infectiously hooky, kaleidoscopic sound wedded Senegalese music to ragga, salsa, and Cape Breton harp music, with orchestral strings and winds, and guest jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard. The recording also launched the careers of rappers/contributors Positive Black Soul, which led to Emmerson co-founding Afro Celt Sound System. Maal toured the globe with Daande Lenol and Seck — he played an acoustic segment with Maal at each concert. The artist received a Grammy nomination for the effort.
1998′s Nomad Soul continued the fusion tendencies to a greater degree. Emmerson, Mykaells Riley, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, and Howie B were listed among the album’s seven producers. The star-studded effort included backing vocals from Donegal, Ireland’s sister ensemble the Screaming Orphans, with Luciano duetting on “Africans Unite (Yolela),” and Robbie Shakespeare playing bass on “Fanta.” Maal also recorded “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” for the Red Hot Organization’s compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody: The Gershwin Groove, a benefit tribute to George Gershwin that raised money for various charities devoted to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.
The following year, the DVD Live at the Royal Festival Hall appeared from Palm Pictures as did a live album with the same title, offering a half-hour portion of the concert. In 2001, Maal issued Missing You (Mi Yeewnii) for Palm Pictures. The artist loved the polished global grooves on the previous two outings, but it was time to return to Senegal. Produced and mixed by John Leckie, its 11 tender songs offered originals and traditional folk music in the style of his early recordings.
He contributed lead vocals and lyrics to “Hunger,” the opening track of the original soundtrack to Black Hawk Down. In 2002, Maal again worked with the Red Hot Organization, on Red Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti. He recorded “No Agreement” with Res (Shareese Renée Ballard), drummer Tony Allen, Ray Lema, Positive Black Soul, and Archie Shepp. He also appeared on “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am” alongside Taj Mahal, Kaouding Cissoko, and Antibalas.
In 2006, Maal founded Blues du Fleuve, an annual music festival in his hometown of Podor, which he continues to run. In 2008, On the Road, a live acoustic compilation album, assembled songs sourced directly from the soundboard over ten years of performances. He also recorded the title track for the 2008 video game Far Cry 2 in addition to co-composing the game’s entire soundtrack. Maal didn’t record under his own name again until 2009′s Television. He cut it in New York with the Brazilian Girls and producer Barry Reynolds (Grace Jones). The breezy set was laced with pop hooks and shiny technology, but nonetheless showcased Maal’s considerable abilities as a melodist, lyricist, singer, and especially as a guitarist. It drew exceptionally positive reviews from European and African countries as well as Canada.
Maal released The Traveller in 2016. Its meld of Senegalese, western, and electronic sources (including Auto-Tune) were co-produced by John Leckie (who also mixed it) and Johan Hugo, and included guest spots from Winston Marshall (Mumford & Sons), and poet Lemn Sissay. Despite the production’s studio polish, he brought authenticity to the set by using mostly African musicians. He performed the entire album with an international band at the annual Glastonbury Festival. He also joined the Mumfords on the mini-album Johannesburg, and made a guest appearance on 2017′s Live from South Africa: Dust and Thunder. In 2018, Maal co-wrote and recorded “Wakanda,” with composer Ludwig Göransson, the opening theme song for the film Black Panther. In 2019 he served as a guest vocalist on Néné, the second album from Senegalese singer/songwriter Ilam (Abdoul Karim Tall). Maal also participated in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He appeared in the opening scene singing the traditional “Nyana Wam” with talking drummer Massamba Diop at the front of the cast’s tribute procession for deceased actor Chadwick Boseman. In late 2021, Maal gathered his band and began composing, arranging, and rehearsing. They entered the studio, experimenting with sound, tempo, textures, and production. They balanced organic instrumentation with a truckload of digital technology. Produced by Hugo, the tracks contained sweet desert melodies driven by complex rhythms and syncopated, chanted choruses. Among Maal’s invited guests on the set were the Very Best, Paco Lenol, and Rougi. Released in 2023, Being drew international acclaim for its ambitious rhythmic palette, poignant song lyrics, and hooky charts. ~ Thom Jurek