Amsterdam | Orchestra Baobab

For 55 years, Orchestra Baobab has filled venues and festivals across the globe with dancing crowds. Their success story began in Dakar, Senegal, where the group picked up Cuban styles like son and pachanga. Starting at Club Baobab, built around the iconic tree, the group travelled extensively through West Africa. All kinds of influences were integrated into the ‘Baobab sound’, and the band continues to make their sound more thrilling than ever with lively twists and energetic additions. Through the years, Orchestra Baobab’s infectious sound has evolved, in part by collaborating with griots, traditional local storytellers. The result is a unique blend of age-old traditions and the electric guitars of African pop music. A collaboration with Senegalese star singer Youssou N’Dour at the beginning of this millennium gave the orchestra a boost, and they have been touring the world ever since.