Baaba Maal News

A work of exquisite beauty, and an exemplary adventure in cross-cultural music making, banjoist Bela Fleck's Throw Down Your Heart deserves every bit of hyperbole that is going to be thrown at it.

Another unexpected three hour show meant first half of show better planned than last.

After an eight year hiatus, one of Africa's most celebrated musical artists is back in the recording limelight with a new album and music fans in Los Angeles recently received a privileged look at his new work.

Brought a bunch of new stuff to the studio this week for a show that magically expanded back to three hours to accommodate it all.

On this edition of All Songs Considered we've got an unusual new project from Victoria Bergsman.

September 5, 2009 - GUY RAZ, host: The singer Baaba Maal has taken his traditional Senegalese sound and mixed it up in an electronic and dance music blender.

Music copywrite law is not just a hot topic in the United States. The West African nation of Senegal has a long tradition of producing talented musicians.

Thousands of festival-goers descended on the banks of the river at Stowford for the 36th annual Trowbridge Village Pump Festival.

Thousands of festival-goers descended on the banks of the river at Stowford for the 36th annual Trowbridge Village Pump Festival.

Baaba Maal teamed up with Brazilian Girls for "Television," his first album of all-new material since 2001.

A host of stars, including former model and French president's wife Carla Bruni, will perform at a 91st birthday party tribute to Nelson Mandela.

Just two weeks to go until Trowbridge Village Pump Festival and weekend tickets are selling fast.

There's a storm blowing through south London. Inside, all looks calm, as Baaba Maal sits in a gold suit reminiscent of Elvis, and quietly sings.

Senegalese recording artist, Baaba Maal helps celebrate the release of the new album, 'Island Life: 50 Years Of Island Records', and book, 'Keep On Running: The Story Of Island Records' with a free acoustic show and signing session at Fopp's Earlham Street store in London's Covent Garden on Tuesday 2nd June 2009.

TALK about a birthday surprise... Rockers U2 stunned the crowd at Shepherd's Bush Empire last night when they joined Senegalese artist BAABA MAAL onstage.

U2 got their big break on St Patrick's Day in 1978, when they won a talent competition and received A 500 to record a... Band join Baaba Maal at Island Life gig tonight U2 made a surprise appearance onstage in London tonight .

Baaba Maal usually arrives on stage dressed in traditional robes. He throws off the outer cloak, then his tunic, to dance bare-chested. He may take a talking drum and squeeze it under his arm, rapping out an urgent tattoo or embark on a series of increasingly improbable leaps.

Bob Marley, U2, Roxy Music and Nick Drake are among the artists who have called the Island Records label home over the last 50 years.

"I believe that I was born to sing, because since I was five years old, music was calling me." -- Baaba Maal This week on African Voices, we profile Baaba Maal, a very modern "griot" -- a world-renowned musician whose unique mix of the old and the new is bringing a fresh audience to African music.

A victory for "broadcasting over narrowcasting" was how the Radio 3 controller described his network's snaffling of the Gold Award for Station of the Year at last night's Sonys .