About Mbalax
Mbalax is a music genre that emerged in The Gambia and Senegal in the 1970s. It is usually classed as a form of Wolof music.
Among the best-known names in the style are Youssou N’Dour.
From Wikipedia
Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the urban dance music of Senegal, Mauritania and the Gambia. The musical style is rooted in instrumental and vocal styles accompanied by polyrhythmic sabar drumming of the Wolof, a social identity that includes both the original Wolof people of the Greater Senegambia region and the urban panethnic identity that arose during colonialism.
In the 1970s, mbalax arose as Senegalese fused indigenous music styles with urban dance music from the African diaspora, the West, and the continent. These foreign sounds included U.S. soul, jazz, and salsa. Afro Cuban musics from the diaspora, Congolese rumba, and rock were also fused with the rhythms of sabar that were now played on the electric bass, guitar and keyboards.
Genre family tree
Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of Mbalax.
Key artists
- Youssou N’Dour
Frequently asked questions
What is Mbalax?
Mbalax is a music genre that emerged in The Gambia and Senegal in the 1970s. It is usually classed as a form of Wolof music.
Where and when did Mbalax originate?
Mbalax originated in The Gambia and Senegal in the 1970s.
Who are famous Mbalax artists?
Youssou N’Dour.