Out of the northern part of the small country of Senegal comes one of Africa's most far-reaching voices: that of Baaba Maal. He studied music first in Dakar and then in Paris. His music is deeply rooted in the traditional sounds that he grew up with but has also been influenced by American soul and Jamaican ska. 
It was unusual for someone of Baaba Maal's caste to become a musician because he is not a griot (hereditary praise singer) but is from the fishermen's caste. He is much revered in his home area and continues to perform there but these are very late night shows in remote villages where the nomadic people live - the shows may begin at 3 a.m. and go on until daylight.
In the year 2001 Baaba was on an extensive European tour that began in Brussels. The 10 British venues ranged from as far south as Portsmouth right up to Aberdeen in the north. During the time of the tour he was also on several radio and TV programmes, a sign of the extent of his popularity. 
Baaba Maal's international CD releases are Djam Leelii (1989), recorded with blind guitarist Mansour Seck (Baaba Maal's griot with whom he has played for twenty years), Firin' in Fouta (1994), an album that has a great variety of sounds and gave rise to the Afro-Celt Sound System that members of Baaba Maal's band (Daande Lenol) have collaborated with, and Nomad Soul (1998) which