Aba Diop – Family (2025)
Family is a courageous step forward for Senegalese percussionist Aba Diop, who repositions the wonderful sabar drum set at the center of a contemporary, transcontinental sound. The sabar is part of the ancient drumming traditions of the Wolof people. On this album, the sabar participates in an international collaboration.
Diop, a griot from Dakar, assembled a group that brings together generations and continents. The lineup features tama (talking drum) player Samba Ndokh, kora virtuoso Noumoucounda Cissoko, bassist Thierno Sarr, guitarist Jason Hosier, and vocalist Zeyna Ngom Diop. American keyboardist John Medeski adds harmonies, while producer Lamp and engineer Danny Blume finalized the project in geographically split sessions in Dakar and upstate New York.
The result is both grounded and forward-facing. Family preserves the immediacy of griot performance. Its lead single, “Aba Ñew Na!” (“Aba Is Here!”), exemplifies this with dense polyrhythms, call-and-response interplay, and an unmistakable rhythmic foundation powered by sabar.
Long known as a performer, Diop now emerges as a composer and leader. His past collaborations with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Yussef Dayes underscored his versatility; here, he defines a personal sonic vision shaped by inherited knowledge. “My mother was griot. My father was griot. They taught us rhythm and respect,” he notes.
The album explores sabar’s full expressive range. “Bamba Ji” meditates on spiritual themes through restrained phrasing, while “Baye Fall Du Badola” builds into a trance-like crescendo supported by Medeski’s fluid organ work.
Buy Family.
Author: Sonia Keller
