Africanews reported that the Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab is preparing to release its album "Made in Senegal" on Friday. This release marks the group's first collection of new songs in nearly ten years. The nine-person ensemble, which blends Wolof griot music, Congolese rumba, and jazz through an Afro-Cuban filter, is currently integrating a new generation of musicians to sustain its historic sound.
The band's recent live performance at the Just For You venue in Dakar demonstrated its continued ability to energize audiences. Africanews noted that the group's guitar and saxophone melodies electrified the nightclub, prompting partygoers to dance cha-cha steps and sway their hips. The performance highlighted the group's enduring appeal, with fans describing the orchestra as a monument representing memory and resilience for the country.
Newer members of the ensemble, mostly in their 30s and 40s, have joined the group in recent years. Vocalist Korka Dieng, who started singing with the band in 2023, became its first and only woman member. Africanews reported that these younger musicians aspire to preserve the band's originality while adding their own personal flavor to the music.
The album includes approximately half newly composed tracks, with the vast majority not previously appearing on a Baobab record. Among the new compositions is "Gorgorlou" by trombone and tenor saxophonist Wilfried Zinsou, a Wolof term for a person who works hard to get by. Another track, "Wida," was composed by lead guitarist "Bolero" Lagratte and references the historical slave port in his native Benin.
Veteran members of the orchestra, including 76-year-old rhythm guitarist Yahya Fall and 73-year-old percussionist Mountaga "Taga" Koite, expressed confidence in the new generation. Koite, the band's last remaining original member, stated that the young musicians will ensure the orchestra lasts a full century. Africanews noted that the group has maintained its standing despite the loss of several iconic musicians in the early 2020s, including founding members Balla Sidibe and Rudy Gomis.