admin“The Bess, You Is My Woman Now” hitmaker also spoke of how happy he was to perform in Zimbabwe when he headlined at the Harare International Festival of the Arts on Coca-Cola Day.
Great artistry
Throughout his performance, Baaba Maal displayed great artistry which generated a lot of heat on and off the stage together with his amazing percussionist.
“I am happy to be performing in Harare.
“I would like to thank the European Union for making it possible for us to come and the organisers. This is a wonderful festival where we play African music.
“There is no need for Africa to be at war and men should also respect the women — they are special,” he said to wild cheers from the crowd.
The show climaxed when he invited mbira player Chiwoniso Maraire on stage and they did a duet that delighted the audience.
Baaba Maal and Chiwoniso had the opportunity to perform together a few years back when the “Nhemamusasa” singer toured Senegal.
The crowd loved every minute of the show that proved Baaba Maal was in a class of his own. If you love djembe drums then Baaba is for you. There was no dull moment when he took to the stage and he was on point from start to finish. In fact, most music lovers wished the show would never end.
Fro those not in the know, Baaba Maal was expected to follow his father and become a fisherman.
However, under the influence of his lifelong friend and family griot, blind guitarist Mansour Seck, Baaba devoted himself to learning music from his mother and his school’s headmaster.
He went on to study music at the university in Dakar before leaving for postgraduate studies on a scholarship at Beaux-Arts in Paris.
On his return from Paris, Baaba studied traditional music with Mansour Seck and began performing with the band Daande Lenol.
Baaba’s fusions continued into the next decade with his “Firin’ in Fouta” (1994) album, which used ragga, salsa and Breton harp music to create a popular sound that launched the careers of Positive Black Soul, a group of rappers, and also led to the formation of the Afro-Celt Sound System.
His fusion tendencies continued on 1998’s “Nomad Soul”, which featured Brian Eno as one of seven producers.
In addition to his various solo releases, he was featured on two tracks, “Bushes” and “Dunya Salam”.
This year’s six-day cultural festival saw most local artistes taking part including the Opening Night, which usually sets the tone for the fete.
Other highlights included Ammara Brown’s debut on the Telecel Main Stage where she opened for the acclaimed group Mi Casa from South Africa. This year’s theme was “What’s Next . . .?
Online Reporter