Orchestra Baobab, Blick Bassy

Senegal's mighty Orchestra Baobab perform their first London show in three years.

One of the best known groups in Africa, Orchestra Baobab formed in 1970, taking their name from the Dakar night-club where they were resident. They drew musicians from all over Senegal as well as Togo and Nigeria, playing multi-lingual, multi-ethnic music with a strong Cuban flavour.

Orchestra Baobab released dozens of recordings until they split in 1987, before reforming in 2001 with the encouragement of Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour.

Since then, they have toured worldwide, released their first new recordings in nearly thirty years and received two BBC Radio 3 awards and a Grammy nomination.

'Masters of an urban style... impassioned vocals and sophisticated dance rhythms.´ (The Guardian)

'As a live experience, few can beat Orchestra Baobab in terms of old-fashioned musical ability and riveting stage presence.' (The Independent)

'One of Africa’s great bands' (New York Times)

'No flash. No artifice. Just spell-binding rhythms and relaxed late-night grooves.' (Uncut)

Support comes from singer-songwriter Blick Bassy, who performs in Bassa, one of 260 languages spoken in Cameroon. His latest album, Akö, is influenced by bluesman Skip James and the itinerant musicians he encountered during his rural childhood.

'A short but beautifully realised gem' **** (The Guardian)