Everything about Mbalax totally explained
Mbalax (or Mbalakh) is the national popular dance music of
Senegal and
The Gambia. Mbalax is a fusion of popular Western music and dance such as
jazz,
soul,
Latin, and
rock blended with
sabar, the traditional drumming and dance music of Senegal. The genre's name derived from the heavy use of accompanying rhythms used in
sabar called
mbalax.
History and Influence
Mbalax developed in
Senegal in the late 1960s and early 1970s. During that time popular music was dominated by Congolese Soukous, American Soul and Funk, as well as Cuban music, which Senegalese musicians would play and imitate. Influenced by the 'back to roots' philosophy of
Negritude and the receding influence of colonialism, artists began to mix these sounds with traditional Senegalese music and forge new sounds incorporating their new national identity. Musicians began singing in
Wolof (Senegal's
lingua franca) instead of French and English, and incorporated rhythms of the indigenous
sabar drum. Dancers began using moves associated with the sabar, and tipping the singers as if they were traditional
griots.
Among the bands that played this new style,
Etoile de Dakar (starring
Youssou N'Dour and
El Hadji Faye), and
Raam Daan (starring
Thione Seck), were the most popular and innovative and are credited with the modern sound. Since becoming popular, both Mbalax and its associated dance have spread to other region such as
Mali,
Mauritania,
Ivory Coast and
France. This dissemination has come about through radio,
audio cassettes and televised video clips.
Following worldwide trends in pop music, modern Mbalax has evolved to contain keyboards, synths and other electronic production methods. As
Jazz,
Funk, Latin (especially Cuban) and Congolese pop music influenced the early sounds of Mbalax, today it's increasingly influenced by
RnB,
Hip-Hop,
Coupé-Décalé,
Zouk and other modern Caribbean, Latin, and African pop musics. Recently, Mbalax artists have frequently collaborated with artists from these genres, such as
Viviane Ndour's recent collaborations with Zouk star Philip Montiero and French/Malian rap star Mokobe. However, it's sabar rhythms and Islamic influenced vocals continue to make Mbalax one of the most distinctive forms of dance music in west Africa and the diaspora.
Mbalax Dance
Mbalax Dancing is popular in nightclubs and social gatherings as well as religious and cultural gatherings for example; weddings, birthdays, and naming ceremonies. Although it's popular among all ethnic and socio-economic groups, it's most popular among the young, upper class
Wolof. Movement varies across age and gender lines. Most often, men and women will dance individually; rarely do they dance together. Mbalax dance style incorporates pelvic gyrations and knee movements.
New Mbalax dance movements are constantly emerging, this often occurs with the increasing popularity of a particular song. Patricia Tang describes some of the new movements:
"Examples of such dances are the ventilateur ('electric fan', which describes the motion of the buttocks swirling suggestively); xaj bi ('the dog', in which a dancer lifts his/her leg in imitation of a dog); moulaye chigin (which involves pelvic and knee movements that perfectly match the sabar breaks); and more recently, the jelkati (a dance in which the upper arms, bent at the elbows, move in parallel motion from left to right). Interestingly all of these dance crazes are closely tied to sabar breaks, and some (such as tawran tej) are even named for the vocal mnemonics of the sabar rhythm they accompany."
Music and Instrumentation
Senegalese songs are usually unwritten, and certain instruments or musical styles (such as yela music for women) are reserved for specific genders or age groups. In the past, only
griots could perform music. Their traditional role was transmitting oral history, genealogies and social rankings, diplomacy, and storytelling. Today, griots continue to participate in naming ceremonies, weddings, and funerals.
Music is performed using instruments such as drums,
balafon,
riti,
tama (small drum), sabar drum. In the 1970s Western instruments and equipment such as the
flute,
electric guitar,
piano,
violin,
trumpet and
synthesizer have been incorporated into the music, to accompany the dance. In addition to the instrumentation, humming, chanting and singing (in either Wolof, French or English) are used to accompany the music that the dance is done to. The lyrics of mbalax songs address social, religious, familial, or moral issues.
According to author Patricia Tang:
"The rhythmic foundation and primary identifiable feature of modern mbalax is the sabar…in Wolof gewel percussionist parlance, mbalax literally means 'accompaniment'. Within a sabar ensemble, different drums play different roles, and mbalax refers to the accompaniment parts played by the mbeng-mbeng. However, the mbalax part varies rhythmically from one dance to another.
Artists
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mbalax'.
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