Traditional music
One of the country's most symbolic instruments, the tam-tam, once used for communication, is now an integral part of ceremonies. Its rhythm, based on the repetition of sounds, lulls the listener into a trance. Senegal's most famous tam-tam is the sabar, a long, slender instrument played by hand and with a stick. A Wolof term, sabar refers to the instrument, a style of music, a form of dance and a traditional festival. A complete troupe comprises no fewer than seven musicians playing different sabars, all tuned to the nder, the chief sabar. Among the great percussionists, Doudou Ndiaye Rose, classified as a "Living Human Treasure" by Unesco in 2006 (no less) and creator of the gorong yéguel, a sabar played seated, is a must. Still on the percussion front, let's not forget the tama, of Serer origin, also known as the "talking drum" (or doum doum) because it is played with a stick that can modulate sounds like a voice, and plays an important role in bass rhythms.
The tama can be found, for example, in the njuup, a sacred music that has its origins in the Serer religion, and more particularly in the sounds and chants that accompany the ndut rite of passage. It is from njuup that the famous mbalax, the national genre, is descended.
"Pinch all your koras, hit the balafons". The fact that this phrase introduces the Lion Rouge, Senegal's national anthem (written by Léopold Sédar Senghor), sums up the importance of these emblematic instruments in the hearts of the Senegalese people. The kora is a 21-string Manding harp-lute, first recorded at the end of the 15th century in Sahelian Africa (Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone...). It is related to other very popular harp-lutes such as the bolon (three-string) or the n'goni (4 to 7 strings). The instrument's construction consists of a calabash, a resonance box on which is fixed a cylindrical central neck of sandalwood or mahogany. The nylon strings are arranged in two parallel rows on a bridge perpendicular to the cowhide soundboard. Two sticks on either side of the neck allow the musician to hold the instrument, whose strings are played with the thumb and forefinger of each hand. The stars of the instrument in the country are Lamine Konté (1945-2007), one of the most popular griots of Manding culture, and in a traditional vein Toumani Diabaté (1965-2024) or Ballaké Sissoko. The more modern Ali Boulo Santo and, above all, the great Djeli Moussa Diawara (half-brother of Mory Kanté) add effects or marry the instrument to genres such as jazz, blues, flamenco or salsa. Composer Jacques Burtin has also introduced the kora to the orchestral world of contemporary music. The Saint-Benoît de Keur Moussa abbey, on the outskirts of Dakar, is famous for its kora workshop, which has been producing traditional kora instruments since the early 1970s. The Festival de Folklore et de Percussions de Louga (Louga Folklore and Percussion Festival) is a great opportunity to hear some of the best musicians from this part of the world. A must-see.
The other iconic instrument is the balafon, a xylophone consisting of a wooden or bamboo support on which are placed gourds topped with wooden slats of increasing size.
Also, somewhere between poetic and musical traditions, griots are Senegal's verb, its history, its library and the yardstick of its song. These bards are still very much in evidence today, and their ranks include such stars as Ablaye Cissoko (best known as a jazzman, but defining himself as "a young Mandingo griot") and Lamine Konté, the great kora player. It's not uncommon to hear griots on special occasions, and entities such as Palmarin's Maison de l'Ecotourisme offer to take travelers to the parties where they perform.
Popular Music
A pillar of Senegalese identity, popular local musical expression could almost be summed up as mbalax. Ubiquitous and easily identifiable, the genre was born in the 1970s as a fusion of traditional rhythms and instruments (including the njuup) and more modern genres such as zouk, funk and jazz. But it was a decade later, in the 1980s, that mbalax exploded with the international success of Youssou N'Dour, the master of the genre. In addition to Youssou N'Dour, mbalax also boasts a number of big names, such as Baaba Maal, also nicknamed the "king of yéla" (the music of the Toucouleur ethnic group, of which he is a member), and Ismaël Lô, one of Africa's most talked-about musicians, who has a mbalax background, but is more into folk, soul and jazz. Today, the genre continues to evolve, blending with coupé-décalé, pop and hip-hop.
Since the 1960s and 1970s, Senegalese music has also been influenced by Latin and Western influences. It was against this backdrop that a great Senegalese group was born: Orchestra Baobab. Although the group's first moment of glory came in the 1960s, when it was known throughout West Africa, its success was to come in two stages. In the 1980s, new icons such as Youssou N'Dour and Xalam and the wave of mbalax swept all before them. Orchestra Baobab had to face up to a desert crossing. But that was without counting on a certain Nick Gold, director of World Circuit and a specialist in bringing former glories back to the fore (he was responsible for the rebirth of Buena Vista Social Club). He organized their comeback in 2001, reissued their album Pirates Choice and success knocked on the door once again. This was an opportunity for the whole world and younger generations to re(discover) this incredibly swaying music, a blend of influences from all over the world, sung in Wolof, French or Spanish. If they're scheduled to perform, they're not to be missed!
And there's no shortage of stages in the country, starting with Dakar's Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor, a rather dynamic and sometimes well-programmed venue. Alternatively, the Institut français de Dakar, strategically located in the heart of the city, offers Dakar's inhabitants a rich and varied cultural offering. Throughout the year, the Institut français welcomes great personalities in all artistic fields, and it's here that some of the world's greatest musicians have debuted and performed, including Youssou N'Dour, Ismaël Lô, Cesaria Evora, Tiken Jah Fakoly and many others. Another of the city's major cultural venues, the Théâtre National Daniel Sorano, offers a wide range of concerts by Senegalese musicians and singers, as well as performances by the National Ballet and plays. In the provinces, we recommend the Centre Culturel Cisko in Cap Skirring, undoubtedly the best place to go out and see concerts.
Jazz
If "mbalaxmania" doesn't go away, in pre-Youssou N'Dour Senegal, jazz was king (or almost). Talk to old-timers in Dakar and you'll see just how rich their jazz culture is. What remains is a passionate public and, above all, a creative community with an overflowing imagination. Among them, Ablaye Cissoko is one of the most sought-after. At least internationally, since his reputation outside the country unfortunately exceeds his reputation at home. A great kora player - which he has been "teasing" since the age of 2 or 3 - Ablaye Cissoko now leads a major Senegalese jazz band: the Saint-Louis Jazz Orchestra. Other well-known Senegalese jazzmen include Mor Thiam (father of rapper Akon), a fabulous percussionist, Ali Boulo Santo, a kora virtuoso, and Herve Samb, a guitarist on the rise.
Of course, when you think of jazz in Senegal, you immediately think of the Festival International de Jazz de Saint-Louis. This is where the biggest names in jazz have been performing every year since the festival was launched in 1993. Alternatively, in Dakar's Plateau district, in the cellar of the Hôtel Le Djoloff, there's a jazz club where top-quality concerts are held at weekends. And in Cap Skirring, the New Bayonnais is the place to go for a French-style breakfast, as well as for concerts of Diola music and jazz.
Rap
Is there any corner of the world that hasn't been touched by hip-hop? Senegal is no exception, as local urban youth have found it an ideal vehicle for self-expression. The pioneers of the 1990s, Didier Awadi and Amadou Barry (aka Duggy Tee) - and their group, the now-separated Positive Black Soul (PBS) - or Daara-J, the group of the famous Faada Freddy, are still very popular, alongside young prodigies such as Dip Doundou Guiss, the rising star of Senegalese rap. On the whole, the lyrics - sung in Wolof, French or English - are full of puns drawn from popular wisdom and denounce the wrongs, tares and shortcomings of society and its leaders.
Dance
At the top of the list of Senegalese dances is, of course, the famous sabar, a term that simultaneously designates the dance, the instrument and the celebration organized on the occasion of a wedding or christening. Over time, sabar's traditional repertoire, performance venues and functions have evolved, but its gestures remain sensual, physical and acrobatic.
The contemporary dance scene is also quite active in Senegal. The Ecole des Sables - also known as the Centre international en danses traditionnelles et contemporaines africaines - founded in Toubab Dialaw by the illustrious Germaine Acogny, has trained a whole generation of dancers and choreographers in the country in her "Acogny technique", a synthesis of traditional West African dance and Western classical and modern dance. A benchmark on continental and international levels. The discipline also benefits from a major festival in Saint-Louis, the Festival Duo Solo Danse, which, over three days and nights, features a number of high-quality contemporary choreographic performances.
