Some boys who were impressed by Xalam 1 formed Xalam 2 [1]. The younger musicians helped their "stars" with small services and were thus allowed to play the instruments of Xalam 1 from time to time. That's the legend. In fact in the beginning they played the same variety of Latin-American, Afro-Cuban and North-American music. But they added rhythms and melodies taken from traditional West-African sources. This direction was not accepted by the audiences, but Xalam continied on this way to eventually invent Mbalax and to combine Mbalax with elements from jazz.
Their brake-through followed in 1975 when they toured Africa with Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela.
1979 they received a "Golden Palm" at Horizonte-Festival in Berlin. After their retour to Senegal they played the Jazz-Festival in Dakar and made a West-African tour playing in Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Nigeria.
In 1981 they visited the US and contributed to a Walt-Disney film production on African music. Since 1982 the were based in Paris and touring a lot, mainly around Europe ...
Members[]
Founding members:[]
- Cheikh Tidiane Tall (solo g)
- Idy Diop (perc)
- Abdoulaye Prosper Niang (dr, perc)
- Henri Guillabert (synth, keyb)
- Ibrahima Koundoul (voc)
- Baye Moussa Babou (b)
- Moussa Diongue
- Jean-Pierre Gandour
- Sanoussi Sidibé
- Daniel Gandour
- Xalifa Cissé (voc, perc)
Additional members[]
- Abdou MBoup (perc)
- Samba Yigo Dieng (solo g)
- Ansoumana Diatta (as)
- Yoro Dieng (tb)
- Moustapha Cissé (perc)
- Jean-Philippe Rykiel
- Souleymane Faye (voc from 1985 to 1988)
Discography[]
1979
- Adé. Festival Horizonte de Berlin (LP: Xalam XPS 001)
- Marche à l'ombre (LP: RCA Milano A 258 RC 250 LC 8126)
1983
- Gorée (LP: Celluloid CEL 1925)
1985
- Apartheid (LP:, CD: Encore! ENC 134 C / Mélodie 9334 DK018)
1986
- Ndiguel
year unknown
- African Roots (LP: Milkway Records FC 2428 883)
- Xarit (CD: Jet Set/BMG 259 009)
- Kanu 2 b/w Sidi Yella (7": Celluloid CEL 1925)
see also Xalam 1
References[]
- ↑ The following information is taken from the book Mbalax Mi by Cornelia Panzacchi
Bibliography/Sources[]
- Mbalax Mi. Musikszene Senegal / Cornelia Panzacchi. - 2. Aufl. - Wuppertal: Hammer, 1997.