00:00The legendary Afro-Cuban and West African fusion group is preparing to release Made in Senegal,
00:06its first album of new songs in almost a decade, formed in Dakar in the 1970s.
00:13The band blends all of great music, Congolese rumba, Senegalese ballas and jazz.
00:19Its distinctive sound has made orchestra baobab, a symbol of Senegalese culture at home and abroad.
00:28We've managed to keep the baobab going for 50 years and now I think we are at 55 years.
00:34The young members of the band are about 35, 40 years old.
00:38When they are our age, they'll be able to bring the baobab to reach a full century,
00:44but only with courage, a great deal of self-sacrifice and a lot of skills.
00:55The new album features 12 tracks, around half of them newly composed.
01:01One song, Gogolu, refers to people who work hard simply to make ends meet,
01:06while another, Wida, recalls the history of Benin's former slave port and its door of no return.
01:15You can feel there's a new freshness.
01:18There's something new, something exceptional, something people hadn't heard back in the founders' day.
01:23People are discovering that now, and I can assure you,
01:26the new album that's about to come out is going to be like an atomic bomb here.
01:31Despite the loss of several iconic members, the group continues to evolve.
01:35A younger generation of music is gradually joining the virtual performance,
01:39while preserving the orchestra's original spirit.
01:43The band's first and only female member vocalist, Koka Diang, joined in 2023.
01:48Since 2023, when I joined, I've seen far more young people than old school.
01:53I really see a lot more young people.
01:55And I think this line-up with me, Papino, Bolero, Malik, Wilfried,
02:00means there's a lot of young faces.
02:02The new generation is starting to understand that Orkesta Baobab isn't just old school.
02:08For long-term supporters, Orkesta Baobab remains more than a band.
02:13It is a living monument to Senegal's memory, resilience and musical heritage.
