Daby Balde Downloads

Daby Balde is one of Senegal’s best-kept musical secrets, long celebrated at home and now exploding on to the international scene. His stunning arrangements are based on his Fula traditions from the south of the country and feature the fiddle, accordion and flute alongside the more familiar West... Learn More »

Daby Balde is one of Senegal’s best-kept musical secrets, long celebrated at home and now exploding on to the international scene. His stunning arrangements are based on his Fula traditions from the south of the country and feature the fiddle, accordion and flute alongside the more familiar West African sounds of the kora, acoustic guitar and percussion. With strikingly rich and beautiful melodies, captivating vocals and a repertoire that ranges from euphoric to melancholic, Daby Balde is a West African star on the rise. The Guardian (Film & Music), 30 September – 3***stars (Robin Denselow) ‘If there’s one area of Africa where great musicians tend to get decent coverage in the west, it’s the neighbouring west African states of Senegal and Mali. Surprising, then, that Daby Balde slipped through the net. He’s a fine singer from Cassamance, in the south of Senegal, and though he is well known back home he is only now beginning to win international recognition… His distinctive, laid-back vocals are backed by the subtle textures of an impressive acoustic band, with kora and guitars matched against fiddle work… Taken individually, though, the songs are superb… If he’s this good playing live, and can vary the mood of his work, he could start to receive the same sort of recognition.’ The Times (The Eye), 24 September (Nigel Williamson) – 4****stars ‘Senegalese music has been dominated by Youssou N’Dour and Baaba Maal for so long that it is time a new voice emerged to challenge them. On the strength of his beguiling debut, Daby Balde could just be that figure. Balde is based in Dakar, but his rural roots mean that he operates in a different territory from the African dance music favoured by his compatriots. Introducing… is a predominantly acoustic collection of haunting melodies and gently lilting rhythms, full of subtlety and nuance and sung in a warm, sonorous voice. With a core line-up of guitar, fiddle, accordion and flute alongside the more African tonalities of the kora, the sound is highly accessible to Western ears. It is probably a completely out-of-the-box comparison, but in places you might imagine that you are listening to an African version of the Waterboys circa Fisherman’s Blues or Van Morrison in his more mystic vein. Highly recommended.’ Daily Telegraph, 9 September (Mark Hudson) ‘Well, it’s a fact that most music now coming out of Africa itself is dull and formulaic, while delightful musical encounters take place elsewhere – and which can in their way be just as ‘African’. Senegalese singer Daby Balde’s beguiling debut is one of them, and yes, it does involve Belgian folk musicians. Balde’s sharp, bright voice has a keening, incantatory flow reminiscent at times of the wailing one-string fiddles and whirring flutes of his ethnic group, the cattle-rearing Fulani. Yet here the traditional fiddle is replaced by Wouter Vandenabeele’s Celtic-tinged violin, which soars over the sparse yet exquisitely pretty guitar patterns. Saxman Christian Derneville restricts himself to subtle textural variations, while Philippe Thuriot’s wheezing accordion blends seamlessly into the African flow. The songs are strong and the very simplicity of the production adds to the sense of sincerity that will ensure this Cinderella album a wide audience.’ Charlie Gillett, BBC Radio ‘To judge from his debut album, Introducing Daby Balde, it sounds as if Daby Balde may well emerge as a major figure to stand alongside the internationally established Senegalese singers, Youssou N’Dour and Baaba Maal. Daby recorded first with musicians and singers in Dakar, and then took the tracks to Belgium where he added violin and saxophone before completing the final mix. Wonderfully assured, full of subtle details, ‘Sora’ is one of several songs in this collection that make effective use of female answering vocals, and provides the perfect overture for what is to follow.’
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