Africa / Reggae / West African traditional music

PAN M 360 at Nuits d’Afrique 2024 – Omar Mbaye: Take-off for Dakar!

by Sandra Gasana

“You’re ready to take off for Dakar!!!” These are the opening words of Omar Mbaye, who arrives on stage wearing white pants and a patterned African shirt. With his guitar, he is accompanied by two backing singers, including one called Amina, a keyboardist, a drummer, a bassist and a percussionist who acts as host at times. No sooner had he taken to the stage than he asked us to sing along.

The Loto Québec stage wasn’t very busy at the start of the show by the Senegalese newcomer to Montreal, but that wasn’t the case at the end. Although a little shy at the start of the concert, festival-goers loosened up as the show went on.

“This song is about protecting and educating children. I’m an ambassador for this cause,” he announces at the outset.

He puts his guitar aside for his second track, which he dedicates to all the mothers of the world. The song is gentle, and you can already hear the beginnings of a light Mbalax. He takes the opportunity to get us dancing, asking us to follow his steps.

It’s on the third track that he reveals his penchant for reggae and dancehall, which is sure to get the audience moving. The percussionist manages to set the mood, and uses a stick to tap his djembe, accentuating the sound and giving it a Senegalese feel.

The weather was perfect for the second day of the Nuits d’Afrique outdoor festival, and a few Senegalese could be seen cheering on their compatriot. A number of benches and chairs were available for some of the older festival-goers who wanted to enjoy the show without having to stand the whole time.

My favorite track is the one he sings with Amina, the backing singer, who sings her parts in English. Perhaps a translation of the lyrics by Omar Mbaye, who sings in Wolof? In any case, he chooses to end the show with a return to Mbalax, the musical style we talked about at length with Def Mama Def during my interview with them. By the end of the show, we had landed in Dakar, thanks to Omar Mbaye.

Publicité panam

Latest 360 Content

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

LMNL – Rainbow

LMNL – Rainbow

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Galan Trio – Embrace

Galan Trio – Embrace

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Oktopus – Brahms, Balkans & Bagels

Oktopus – Brahms, Balkans & Bagels

OCM: Bernstein and his “Side stories” in the spotlight

OCM: Bernstein and his “Side stories” in the spotlight

Subscribe to our newsletter