Dance Music of Senegal

By Habsa Dia

“World music is about taking things from different places and bringing them together – which is great.” – Youssou N’Dour

It’s safe to say that music is always going to be a part of one’s culture. We love to create it, dance to it, immerse ourselves in it, and even find comfort in it. My family comes from Mauritania and Senegal in West Africa, and music is definitely a major influence in our culture.

In Senegal, one popular music genre is Mbalax (Mbalakh). It means “rhythm” in Wolof, one of Senegal’s main languages. Mbalax is the national dance music of Senegal and Gambia. It’s a blend of popular Western music like jazz, rock, blues, Latin, soul, etc, and harmonizing it with the dance music and traditional drumming of Senegal, or sabar. The sabar, or rhythm drum, is the most common instrument in Senegal and is usually accompanied by dancing. It is generally used for celebratory occasions such as weddings, births, holidays, and other special celebrations.

Mbalax was formed in the 1970s, and remains mostly unchanged today. Before it was formed, music such as Zouk, American Soul, Cuban music, and others prevailed and were played as the Senegalese musicians interpreted it. Then in the early 70s, different artists mixed these popular genres with traditional Senegalese music, in an attempt to define their national identity. Two of the most popular music groups that played Mbalax at the time were Étoile de Dakar (Star of Dakar) and Raam Daan (to achieve your goal). Although many years have passed since formation of these groups, the main singers still continued their career. Youssou N’Dour was a member of Étoile de Dakar and a few other music groups, then soon became one of the most well known music artists in West Africa.
Thione Seck is the one who created the band Raam Daan in 1974 and he is still leading it.

Mbalax has spread to other regions such as Mauritania, Mali, Ivory Coast, and even France. A few examples of today’s popular Mbalax artists from Senegal would be Alioune Mbaye Nder, Coumba Gawlo, Viviane N’Dour (Viviane Chidid), and Waly Seck.

All the parts that make up Mbalax make it one of the most unique forms of dance music in West Africa.