Baaba Maal

Born in Senegal in 1953 to the fisherman's caste, Baaba Maal wasn’t destined to be a performer. In West African culture, the ancient griot caste traditionally produces the singers and poets. Growing up inspired by indigenous African music, American R&B, soul, jazz, reggae and blues, he defied expectation and became a musician.

Throughout the 70s and 80s Maal developed a distinctive sound that fused traditional African instruments with an adventurous electronic approach, recording with Mansour Seck; forming the group Daande Lenol and releasing a series of acclaimed solo albums.

His passion for blurring diverse musical forms has never faltered. Returning to recording in 2015 after a hiatus, Maal's collaborated with Johan Hugo, Mumford & Sons and helped Ludwig Goransson create the sound of Marvel’s Afrofuturistic Black Panther movies.