1. Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River.
18 Facts About Baaba Maal
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Baaba Maal has released several albums, both for independent and major labels.
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Baaba Maal was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a fisherman.
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However, under the influence of his lifelong friend and family gawlo, blind guitarist Mansour Seck, Baaba Maal devoted himself to learning music from his mother and his school's headmaster.
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Baaba Maal went on to study music at the university in Dakar before leaving to study musical notation in Paris.
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Baaba Maal's fusions continued into the next decade with his Firin' in Fouta album, which used ragga, salsa and Breton harp music to create a popular sound that launched the careers of Positive Black Soul, a group of rappers, and led to the formation of Afro Celt Sound System.
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In 2002, Baaba Maal again worked with the Red Hot Organization, recording "No Agreement" alongside Res, Tony Allen, Ray Lema, Positive Black Soul and Archie Shepp; as well as "Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am" alongside Taj Mahal and featuring Kaouding Cissoko and Antibalas, for the tribute album to Fela Kuti, Red Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti.
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On 7 July 2007, Baaba Maal performed at the Live Earth concert, Johannesburg.
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Baaba Maal appears on two tracks "Hunger" and "Still" on the Black Hawk Down film soundtrack and performed on the title track of the 2008 video game Far Cry 2, in addition to helping to create the whole soundtrack for that game.
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Baaba Maal played at Bonnaroo and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 2010.
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On 4 May 2013, Baaba Maal performed at the 2013 edition of the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe.
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In 1998 Baaba Maal was honoured by the Dutch-based Prince Claus Fund, which rewards people who have a progressive and contemporary approach to the themes of culture and development.
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Baaba Maal voiced the Wakandan soundtrack of Black Panther for Ludwig Goransson, helping introduce Goransson to many of the African musicians who contributed to the score.
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Early in his career, Baab Baaba Maal advocated disease prevention and poverty relief in Africa, with his songs often reflecting the social and health challenges of the continent.
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On March 28,2016, Baaba Maal launched Nann-K, a charity focusing on global sustainable development.
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Baaba Maal performed at the launch, which took place on International Women's Day to honor the role of women in business development in Africa.
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On December 11,2019, Baaba Maal promised to fight the desertification in the Sahel by planting trees.
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Baaba Maal said he hoped every person in Senegal could say they planted a tree.