"Made In Senegal": Orchestra Baobab releases its first album in ten years on October 23

Orchestra Baobab, the Afro-Cuban ensemble founded in Dakar in 1970, will release "Made In Senegal" on Friday, October 23, 2026, its first album of original songs in nearly ten years. The record features twelve tracks, recorded entirely in Dakar, and is being released by Strut Records in collaboration with Madoky Music. Their previous album of new material, "Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng," dates back to 2017.

An orchestra that has outlived its founders

After reigning over Dakar's clubs in the 1970s, the group went on hiatus before returning in the early 2000s to conquer international stages. The last few years have been difficult: founding guitarist Barthélémy Attisso died in 2021, and singer-percussionists Balla Sidibé and Rudy Gomis passed away at the beginning of the decade, shortly after saxophonist Issa Cissokho.

Of the nine current musicians, only one remains from the early days: 73-year-old percussionist Mountaga "Taga" Koïté. His brother, saxophonist Thierno Koïté, leads the orchestra. Rhythm guitarist Yahya Fall, 76, told AFP that this music has a "freshness" that the public had not heard from the founders. The next generation has arrived: 48-year-old trombonist and saxophonist Wilfried Zinsou, 37-year-old guitarist nicknamed "Bolero" who succeeded Attisso, bassist Malick Sy, and singer Zacharia "Papino" Koïté.

A woman on stage, for the first time

Having joined the group in 2023, 44-year-old singer Korka Dieng is the first and only woman in the orchestra's history. This is a notable fact for a group whose repertoire has been written and performed by men for fifty years.

Casamance, Ouidah, and the Senegal of today

The tracks map out a geography. "Casamance" evokes the region in southern Senegal where several members originate. "Wida," written by "Bolero," refers to the Beninese port from which slave ships departed. "Gorgorlou," written by Wilfried Zinsou, takes its name from the popular figure of the resourceful Senegalese person. The first single, "Togne Bakhoul," was composed by Rudy Gomis before his death, and "Tioro Bye Samba" covers a classic by Thione Seck.

Finally, a tour of the regions

During a press conference held on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Thierno Koïté announced a series of concerts outside of Dakar: in fifty-six years, the orchestra had never toured the Senegalese regions. The group played a few days earlier at the Just For You, a club in the capital, where the audience danced to "Utrus Horas." "A monument," summarizes 62-year-old Moustapha Samb, a loyal fan quoted by AFP: "it represents memory and resilience."