Balla Sidibe, a founding member and singer of the legendary Senegalese group Orchestra Baobab, has died in Dakar. Sidibe died in his sleep “after a very full day of rehearsals with his musical comrades”, Senegal’s music association said in a statement, adding that it had lost “a father, a sage and a friend”. Local media said Sidibe, who was also a percussionist, died after “a short illness”, without giving further details. He was in his 60s. Established in 1970, Orchestra Baobab fused Cuban rhythms, soul and jazz with traditional music from Senegal and other parts of Africa to become one of the most successful groups to emerge from the time. After a long hiatus, Orchestra Baobab reformed to international acclaim in the early 2000s. The news of Sidibe’s death prompted an outpouring of grief by fellow musicians and fans. World Circuit Records, the label that in 1989 released Pirate’s Choice, an album that captured Orchestra Baobab in one of their last sessions before their 1982 disbanding, described Sidibe as “a giant of African music and a great and gentle man”.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
More Stories
Mauritius’ Party Scene is Opened
Wining in Cape Town
Lagos Packs a Punch when it Comes to Culture
A Culinary Experience in Ghana
A Taste of West Africa and Beyond
This Photographer is Capturing the Femininity of Congo’s La Sape Movement
Sierra Leone Chef Wins the Nobel of Gastronomy Prize
Power of African Fashion Celebrated in Landmark Exhibition at the V&A
Harare’s New Scheme to Curb an Economic Collapse
Africa’s Airspace Faces Steep Competition
Not Enough Females Operating in the African Venture Capital Space
The Digital Economy as an Important Driver of Long-term Growth in Africa