Orchestra Baobab Returns With ‘Made in Senegal,’ Its First Studio Album Since 2017
Senegalese group Orchestra Baobab has released Made in Senegal, a 12-track album and its first studio project since 2017. Recorded in Dakar and released through Strut Records in partnership with Madoky Music, the project moves between new compositions and reworked material from the band’s catalogue.
The album draws on the group’s long musical history, including Afro-Cuban rhythms, Wolof griot traditions, mbalax, Congolese rumba and jazz. Its lead single, Togne Bakhoul, was composed by the late vocalist Rudy Gomis as a tribute to his wife. Another track revisits a song first recorded by Senegalese singer Thione Seck, while Casamance honours the region connected to several members of the orchestra.
A catalogue that can keep moving
Made in Senegal is notable both as a new release and as an example of how a group can bring its history into the present. Reworking earlier material alongside new songs creates a listening bridge between generations: long-time followers can hear familiar roots, while new listeners have an accessible entry point into the catalogue.
The current line-up combines veteran musicians, younger performers and family connections to former members. That continuity matters for a group formed more than five decades ago, especially as it carries a sound built from several musical traditions without reducing it to a single genre label.
The album is available digitally and in physical formats, including vinyl and CD. Its return puts a fresh studio statement from one of Dakar’s best-known ensembles back into the conversation.
Source: Music In Africa’s report on “Made in Senegal”.
Featured image is illustrative and does not depict Orchestra Baobab. Photo by Jens Thekkeveettil via Unsplash.
