Baaba Maal — African Soul Revolutionary
Double CD Released September 20th on Nascente

“African Soul Revolutionary” focuses squarely on Baaba Maal’s prolific early career, when he was on the cusp of becoming a major international star, collecting together the ‘Wango’, ‘Taara’ and ‘Jombaajo’ albums for the first time plus a bonus track, ‘Tabakaly’ where Baaba plays alongside his childhood friend Mansour Seck.

Recorded for legendary African producer and record label boss Ibrahima Sylla in Paris, they were the first “hi-tech” recordings of Baaba Maal with his group Daande Lenol (Voice of the People) with ‘Jombaajo’ being an amalgamation of previously unreleased tracks from the Wango recording sessions.

Unafraid to electrify traditional Senegalese roots music, on “African Soul Revolutionary” Baaba melds reggae and funk with the powerful dance rhythm of Mbalax and his Tukulor heritage. This heady mix saw him breakthrough into the Senegalese mainstream posing a serious challenge to Youssou N’Dour as the country’s leading male artist.

Baaba Maal continues to release highly acclaimed music as well as touring the world fronting Daande Lenol or, on occasion, with the constantly shape-changing Africa Express alongside the likes of Damon Albarn, Rachid Taha, Franz Ferdinand and Amadou and Mariam.

Baaba is committed to the concerns of families, young people and the future of the African continent. Over the years he has acted as Youth Emissary for the United Nations’ Development Programme, and most recently he has been awarded a position as a UN envoy for their Millennium Development Goals advocacy programme.

Baaba spends all his time singing about, and campaigning for, Africa and “African Soul Revolutionary” represents the earliest taste of great things to come.