Sounds Of Africa - Mbalax

The traditional form of mbalax originated from the sabar, a Wolof genre that historically fused musical and cultural practices from different ethnic groups such as the Njuup, a religious Serer music.

The popular dance form of mbalax developed in urban Senegal in the early 1970s. Like many other francophones West African countries the Senegalese popular music scene was partially influenced by soul, blues, jazz, R&B, and rock from the United States, varieté from France, Congolese rumba, and Latin pop from the Caribbean and New York (e.g., pachanga, son, charanga, salsa, and Latin jazz).

In this mix of African diasporic sounds, Senegalese fans and musicians wanted their own urban popular dance music so they began singing in Wolof (Senegal's lingua franca) instead of French, and incorporated rhythms of the indigenous sabar drum.

Mbalax instrumentation includes keyboards, synths, and other electronic production methods. However, it is the Nder (lead drum), the Sabar (rhythm drum), and the Tama (talking drum) percussion, and widely influenced African and Arabic vocalistic stylings that continue to make Mbalax one of the most distinctive forms of dance music in west Africa and the diaspora. Jazz, Funk, Latin (especially Cuban) and Congolese pop music influenced the early sounds of Mbalax,



Today it is also influenced by RnB, Hip-Hop, Coupé-Décalé, Zouk, and other modern Caribbean, Latin, and African pop music.

Mbalax artists frequently collaborate with artists from other genres, such as Viviane Ndour's work with Zouk star Philip Monteiro and French/Malian rap star Mokobé. Perhaps the most well-known collaboration of all was Youssou Ndour's huge hit with Neneh Cherry; 'Seven Seconds

Mbalax is performed using instruments such as drums, balafon, riti, Tama (talking drum), sabar drum. In the 1970s Western instruments and equipment such as the flute, electric guitar, piano, violin, trumpet, and synthesizer have been incorporated into the music, to accompany the dance.

In addition to the instrumentation, humming, chanting, and singing (in either Wolof, French, or English) are used to accompany the music that the dance is done to. The lyrics of mbalax songs address social, religious, familial, or moral issues.