VISIT THE STATES. MUSIC LOVERS REJOICE
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Beginning June 5 with a two-night run at Yoshi's in San Francisco (followed by two-nights at Yoshi's Oakland) and concluding July 7 at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont, Senegal's Orchestra Baobab will play concerts coast-to-coast behind their new release, Made In Dakar, which arrived May 20 on World Circuit/Nonesuch.
Formed in Dakar in 1970 by saxophonist Baro N'Diaye and bassist Sidathe Ly, Orchestra Baobab quickly became one of the world's most innovative and important musical ensembles captivating a global audience with its unprecedented fusion of African and Cuban styles. N'Diaye and Ly assembled an all-star cast of players from diverse musical backgrounds to perform weekly at the Baobab Club, an intimate meeting spot created by and for Senegalese government officials. Critics hailed the ensemble as the greatest group in Africa and Orchestra Baobab was soon playing nightly to sold-out crowds. The group disbanded in 1987 but reformed in 2001 after the international re-release of 1989's landmark Pirate's Choice by World Circuit. They have recorded two new albums since then and toured the world several times.
Orchestra Baobab's music resides where Afro-Cuban and Portuguese styles collide with Congolese rumba, highlife, calypso, and American soul. Dakar, one of world's great port cities, has been exposed to an array of cultural influences for centuriesAfrican, European, Latin America, Islamic. Orchestra Baobab combines these influences, pioneering a sound that is at once local and global, which has influenced international stars like Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Mal, and Cheikh L. This rare opportunity to see this band in action is not to be missed.
Orchestra Baobab Tour Dates
June 5 San Francisco, CA Yoshi's
June 6 San Francisco, CA Yoshi's
June 7 Oakland, CA Yoshi's
June 8 Oakland, CA Yoshi's
June 10 Santa Cruz, CA Rio Theatre
June 11 Napa, CA Napa Valley Opera House
June 12 Spokane, WA The Fox
June 13 Portland, OR The Aladdin Theater
June 15 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Festival
June 17 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Nightclub
June 18 New Haven, CT Int'l Festival of Arts & Ideas
June 19 Washington, DC Birchmere
June 21 Boston, MA Somerville Theatre
June 24 Hanover, NH Dartmouth College
June 25 New York, NY River to River Festival
June 26 Brooklyn, NY BAM Rhythm & Blues Festival
June 28 Chicago, IL Millennium Park
June 29 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
June 30 Minneapolis, MN Dakota Jazz Club
July 2 Montreal, QUE Festival Int'l de Jazz de Montreal
July 3 Toronto, ON Harbourfront Centre
July 4 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Cisco Systems Blues Festival
July 5 Quebec City, QUE Quebec City Int'l Summer Festival
July 7 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Here's a taste of Orchestra Baobob live at the Malta Jazz Festival.
It'd be unfair to stop with just one bite, so here they are on LaterWith Jools Holland.
