Thione Ballago Seck was born on March 12th, 1955. He grew up in a family of musicians and began his career as a griot, learning from Wolof oral historian Laye Mbou.
In the early 1970s, he sang with Star Band de Dakar and later as lead singer with Orchestra Baobab, Senegal’s highly popular salsa band. He wrote one of the group’s biggest hits, ‘Mohamadou Bamba.’
In 1974, he formed his own band, together with his brother Mapenda, the 12-member group Raam Daan, which means “to achieve your goal.”
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Seck was one of the creators of mbalax, one of Senegal’s most popular musical styles.
Seck’s album Orientation received critical acclaim in 2006. The recording featured 40 North African, Arab, and Indian musicians, playing diverse instruments and creating a fusion of styles.
Thione Seck died on March 14, 2021.
[headline photo: Thione Seck at Moers Festival 2011 – Photo by Michael Hoefner]
Discography:
Le Pouvoir D’Un Coeur Pur (Socadisc, 1988)
Yow (Syllart Records, 1983)
Daaly (Stern’s Africa, 1997)
Le XVe Anniversaire Du Raam Daan Vol. 1 (ABCD international, 1998)
Favori (Syllart Records, 2000)
XV Anniversary Live! (Djoniba Productions, 2000)
Allo Petit (Djoniba Productions, 2001)
Mbaalaxfunk Vol. 1 (Djoniba Productions, 2002)
Musiciens (2003)
Orientation (Sterns Africa, 2005)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.