Laba Sosseh's ancestors came from the Serer precolonial Kingdom of Saloum and from Banjul, the Gambia.
14 Facts About Laba Sosseh
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Laba Sosseh's mother was born in the Gambia but trace descent patrilineally to Kaymor then part of the Kingdom of Saloum, now part of modern day Senegal.
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Laba Sosseh's father Dembo was a driver for the British Overseas Airways Corporation.
4.
When Laba Sosseh was ten years old, his father got a promotion as a signalman and relocated to Dakar, Senegal with his family.
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In Senegal, Laba Sosseh continued his education in French until graduating at secondary school level.
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Whilst in Darkar due to his father's work at the airport, Laba Sosseh engaged in the Senegalese capital's musical scene, which was at the time strongly tilted towards son, rumba and other Cuban rhythms.
7.
Laba Sosseh was an early member of Dakar's influential Star Band, but in 1962 he left the Star Band along with Dexter Johnson who was creating his own band, Super Star de Dakar.
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Laba Sosseh sang with Dexter Johnson's Super Star de Dakar until the late 1960s when he took some of the members of the band to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire where they performed under the same name while Dexter Johnson kept the original band performing in Dakar.
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In 1972, Laba Sosseh cast his lot with a splinter group, Superstar de Dakar, that was based in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.
10.
Laba Sosseh remained connected to the New York salsa scene for thirty years.
11.
Laba Sosseh recorded repeatedly with Orquesta Aragon in Paris, and his song "Diamoule Mawo" was covered by Joe Arroyo.
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When Senegal and Cuba normalized relations, Laba Sosseh was part of the "Afro-salseros de Senegal" project, together with Pape Fall, James Gadiaga and Issa Cissokho among others.
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Laba Sosseh, who fathered 27 children, died 20 September 2007 in Dakar "after a long illness".
14.
Laba Sosseh was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Yoff, Dakar.