Suggestions for Senegalese Bassists/music/Bands

[j-raj]

I need to run over some material this evening that has a West African/Senegalese blues feel to it and I tend to do a very generic african-esque bass line when asked...

Could someone suggest Bassists/music/Bands that I can look -into/research?

THX!

[JohnnyRook]

Hi j-raj!

I understand your problem and I've always referred in such cases to Paul Westwoods "Bass Bible".
It's a 285 pages 2 CD work that covers almost all styles. The African section includes North Africa and Middle East, Somalia, Mali, Guinea, Cameroon, Congo, Simbabwe and South Africa and Soweto.

Try to get hold of that book, the ISBN-Nr. is 3-927190-84-5

best regards

-JR

[fretlessrock]

I have some really nice stuff by Baba Maal, and I found a review of the Early Years disc:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/world/rev...aal_best.shtml

And if you haven't checked out Youssou N'dour then you gotta. He has an amazing voice and there is planty of bass to keep you interested. I recently saw his live DVD from London and it is top notch.

[DaveBeny]

Babaa Maal and Youssou N'Dour are the two biggest Senegalese stars. I imagine that their recordings at Amazon or itunes will have soundclips available.

There is a book available called 'The Rough Guide to the Music of Senegal and Gambia' that you might be able to find in a bookshop to take a look through.

This is an interesting link with mp3s:
http://www.geocities.com/jbenhill/mp3.html

[j-raj]

Thanks guys!! I'm gonna do a tad bit of shedding on the feel a little this evening before their weekly gig... It's like a paid (and fed and beveraged) rehearsal.

... this is why I love TB as a collectively great resource!

[superbassman2000]

the only one that i know of is orchestra Baobob...actually i don't even know if that is the right spelling, or even the correct name...either way, i know that they were one VH1 when Trey anastasio and Dave matthews went to west africa...they were pretty good