Baaba Maal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baaba Maal
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Maal in 2011
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| Born | 13 June 1953 Podor, French West Africa (now Senegal) |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
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Baaba Maal (Fula: 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤦𞤢 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤, born on June 13, 1953) is a famous singer and guitarist from Senegal. He was born in Podor, a town located by the Senegal River. Besides playing the acoustic guitar, he is also skilled at playing percussion instruments.
Baaba Maal has released many music albums with different record companies. In July 2003, he was chosen to be a Youth Emissary for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This means he helps promote important goals for young people.
He mostly sings in the Pulaar language. Through his music, he shares and celebrates the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking people. These communities live along the Senegal River in the old Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro.
Contents
Early Life and Music Journey
How Baaba Maal Started in Music
Baaba Maal was expected to become a fisherman, just like his father. However, he had a strong passion for music. His close friend, Mansour Seck, who was a blind guitarist and a family gawlo (a traditional storyteller and musician), greatly influenced him.
Maal learned music from his mother and his school's headmaster. He then decided to study music further at a university in Dakar, Senegal. Later, he traveled to Paris, France, to learn about musical notation, which is how music is written down.
He lived in Paris for three years. During this time, he took classes at the Conservatoire de Paris. He also had private lessons and was very inspired by the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Baaba Maal's Music Career
Forming Bands and Blending Sounds
After returning to Senegal, Baaba Maal continued to study traditional music with Mansour Seck. He then started performing with his own band, called Daande Lenol.
In the 1990s, Maal began mixing different music styles. His 1994 album, Firin' in Fouta, combined ragga, salsa, and Breton harp music. This unique sound became very popular. It also helped launch the careers of other artists, like the rap group Positive Black Soul, and led to the creation of Afro Celt Sound System.
His album Nomad Soul, released in 1998, continued this trend of blending sounds. Famous producer Brian Eno was one of the seven producers who worked on this album. Baaba Maal also contributed to two songs, "Bushes" and "Dunya Salam," on the special album 1 Giant Leap.
Music for a Cause
In 1998, Baaba Maal recorded a song called "Bess, You Is My Woman Now". This was for an album by the Red Hot Organization. The album, Red Hot + Rhapsody: The Gershwin Groove, honored George Gershwin and raised money for charities. These charities worked to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS and fight the disease.
Maal worked with the Red Hot Organization again in 2002. He recorded "No Agreement" with other artists like Res and Tony Allen. He also recorded "Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am" with Taj Mahal. These songs were for Red Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti, an album honoring Fela Kuti.
Live Performances and New Albums
On July 7, 2007, Baaba Maal performed at the Live Earth concert, Johannesburg. This concert aimed to raise awareness about climate change.
His live acoustic album, On the Road, was released in 2008. It featured recordings from his shows over a decade. A new studio album, Television, followed in 2009.
Maal's music has also been featured in movies and video games. He contributed to two songs, "Hunger" and "Still," for the Black Hawk Down film soundtrack. He also performed on the title track of the 2008 video game Far Cry 2 and helped create its entire soundtrack.
In 2010, he performed at major music festivals like Bonnaroo and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. On May 4, 2013, Maal performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe. In 2014, he joined other artists for BBC Music's remake of The Beach Boys song "God Only Knows".
Recent Works and Collaborations
Baaba Maal's 11th studio album, The Traveller, was released in January 2016. He worked on this album with Johan Hugo from the Very Best and Winston Marshall from Mumford & Sons. The album's first songs, "Fulani Rock" and "Gilli Men," were highly praised. He also went on a UK tour and headlined Senegal's Festival Blues Du Fleuve.
In 2015, Maal joined Mumford & Sons on their Gentlemen of the Road tour in South Africa. They also released a song and live performance video together called "There Will Be Time."
In 1998, Baaba Maal received an honor from the Dutch-based Prince Claus Fund. This fund recognizes people who have new and modern ideas about culture and development.
Maal's voice was featured in the Wakandan soundtrack for the movie Black Panther. He helped composer Ludwig Göransson connect with many African musicians for the score. You can hear Maal's vocals on the tracks "Wakanda" and "A King's Sunset."
The two musicians worked together again for the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Maal even made a short appearance in the film as a funeral singer. To celebrate the movie's trailer launch, Maal and Massamba Diop performed at San_Diego_Comic-Con. His vocals are on the song "Nyana Wam."
In 2020, Baaba Maal spoke with The Metropolitan Museum of Art about traditional instruments. He explained how he chooses instruments to share his songs' messages. He said instruments like the kora and ngoni feel closer to people because they are made from things that once had life. Other instruments, like the talking drum, balafon, sabar, and djembe, are made from wood. When you hear them, your mind might think of a forest. Maal believes that when you create music, you need to understand the messages you want to send. This helps you choose the right instruments to go with the lyrics.
Helping Others: Humanitarian Work
Fighting Poverty and Disease
From early in his career, Baaba Maal has spoken out about preventing diseases and helping people escape poverty in Africa. His songs often talk about the social and health challenges faced on the continent. In July 2003, he was named a UNDP Youth Emissary. This role allows him to inspire young people to work for positive change.
On March 28, 2016, Maal started a charity called Nann-K. This charity focuses on global sustainable development. He performed at the launch, which happened on International Women’s Day. This was to honor the important role of women in business development in Africa.
NANN-K's goal is to help people in Senegal and other African countries pursue careers in agriculture. This includes farming, raising animals, and fishing. The charity aims to bring these traditional rural activities into the 21st century, using modern ideas and digital technology.
Protecting the Environment
On December 11, 2019, Baaba Maal promised to help fight desertification in the Sahel region. This is when fertile land turns into desert. He said he hoped every person in Senegal would plant a tree.
In April 2023, Maal was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification). Before this, he served as a UNCCD Land Ambassador alongside fellow Malian musician Inna Modja. In these roles, he helps raise awareness about land degradation and encourages efforts to restore healthy land.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Djam Leelii (with Mansour Seck) (1989)
- Baayo (with Mansour Seck) (1991)
- Lam Toro (1992)
- Wango (1987)
- Firin' in Fouta (1994)
- Gorel (1995)
- Taara (1997)
- Nomad Soul (1998)
- Djam Leelii: The Adventurers (1998)
- Jombaajo (2000)
- Missing You (Mi Yeewnii) (2001)
- Television (2009)
- The Traveller (2016)
- Being (2023)
Compilation Albums
- The Best of the Early Years (2003)
- Palm World Voices: Baaba Maal (2005)
- On the Road (2008)
Import Releases
- Jombaajo
- Ngalanka
- Ndilane
- C'est la vie
Contributing Artist
- Passion – Sources compilation (1989)
- Unwired: Acoustic Music from Around the World (1999)
- Television with Brazilian Girls (2009)
- The Rough Guide to the Music of Senegal (2013)
- Johannesburg with Mumford and Sons (2016)
- Black Panther Original Score with Ludwig Göransson (2018)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Original Score with Ludwig Göransson (2022)
DVDs
- 1999 – Live at the Royal Festival Hall
See also
In Spanish: Baaba Maal para niños
