Baaba Maal (Fula: 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤦𞤢 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤, born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.
Maal sings primarily in Pulaar and promotes the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking people, who live on either side of the Senegal River in the ancient Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro.
Links to Peel[]
Baaba Maal's music was played regularly by Peel's colleague, Andy Kershaw, who first discovered the singer by picking up a cassette he got sent to. Peel may have discovered the artist via Andy Kershaw and liked some of his music, before playing it on his shows in the 80's and 90's. After 2000, Peel rarely played any of Baaba Maal's materials on his radio programmes. It was later found out after Peel's death, that he had a copy of a couple of the singer's albums in his Record Collection: M.
Shows Played[]
- 07 December 1988 (& Mansour Deck): Salminanam (album - Djam Leelii) Rogue
- 1992
- 01 August 1992: Hamady Boiro (12" - Hamady Boiro / Naange) Mango
- 10 August 1992 (BFBS): Hamady Boiro (12" - Hamady Boiro / Naange) Mango
- 1996
- 29 July 1996: Yela (Andy Kershaw session recorded on 10/11/88) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)