Senegalese Music

West African music has made its way around the world, and Senegalese artists are among some of the most popular in the region.

One of the biggest names is Youssou N’Dour, and he is joined in the panoply of legends by Baaba Maal, Orchestra Baobab and Cheikh Lo. All have helped make Senegal a focal point for music in the region, and N’Dour played an important role in taking the music to a wider international audience in the 1980s, alongside Baaba Mal.

N’Dour is part of the Wolof community in the capital city Dakar, and Maal comes from the Fulani in the north of the country. The coexistence of multiple communities with their distinct musical traditions goes some way to explaining the variety of musical styles in Senegal; the country has also been influenced by international trends.

In the 1990s, hip hop was a huge trend. Most artists rap in Wolof, with some French and English, too. Ones to watch out for include Positive Black Soul, Daara j, Gokh-Bi System and Wageble. Famed Senegalese-French rapper MC Solaar made a big name for himself in the 1990s, and Akon was born in Senegal.

Fans of the blues and traditional West African music should check out The West African Blues Project, which involved English artist Ramon Goose and Senegalese musician Diabel Cissokho.