Going out in Dakar and listening to great music with friends. This has become one of my favorite things to do while I’m here. Its usually a very relaxed environment, and I have never been disappointed by a group. Plus, there are generally so many options to choose from, not only on weekends, but also on weekdays, and coming from Haslett, Michigan, having that variety feels like such a luxury.
I thought I would highlight 3 music acts that I’ve seen so far in Senegal. Most recently, a group of us went to see Souleymane Faye, a Senegalese musician who has been playing in Dakar and throughout Senegal for the past 20 years. His music was kind of a mix of folk, R&B, and the blues, with Senegalese djembe (drums) providing the driving rhythm and jumping in for numerous drum breaks. We saw him at Just 4 You, one of my favorite clubs in the city. Also, we went with my roommate and landlady, who has been in and out of Dakar for 20 years and knows Souleymane Faye very well. Which meant I not only got to meet him, but I also shook his hand and had a chance to babble pathetically in French to him about how great he was. I was kind-of star struck.
The next most recent group I’ve seen is a group called Four for Africa. They are an Italian-Senegalese funk and reggae group with a English lead singer that plays AMAZING covers of Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. Yes that’s right. And the place we went to was literally 5 minutes from our house walking and the owner was a musician himself and got up to play with the band a couple times. We were pretty convinced we were the only people there who were not somehow connected to the band, and because it was mostly Senegalese and Italian people there, the common language seemed to be English that everyone was using – even though we were the only ones for whom English was actually our maternal tongue. It was a crazy experience – I almost at times felt like the concert was not even for us. But it was absolutely wonderful.
Check them out at this link:
And finally, a group called Takeifa. A great blend of Senegalese mbalax and folk and a bit of rock. And the lead singer was super cute, my friend knew him, and we got a picture of us together.
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