Daby Balde Downloads

Moutarou ‘Daby’ Balde was born on 26 April 1969 in the city of Kolda, Fouladou (an area of the Cassamance region in south Senegal), which is approximately 1000 kilometres south of the capital, Dakar. The Cassamance region is geographically placed between Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, and is cut off from the north of Senegal. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, the Portuguese were the only...
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Moutarou ‘Daby’ Balde was born on 26 April 1969 in the city of Kolda, Fouladou (an area of the Cassamance region in south Senegal), which is approximately 1000 kilometres south of the capital, Dakar. The Cassamance region is geographically placed between Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, and is cut off from the north of Senegal. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, the Portuguese were the only Europeans to have settled and have dealings in this area. This is one significant reason why the Cassamance region has many different musical influences to the northern regions of Senegal. A lush, almost tropical area famous for its deep roots in ancestral values and customs, this is where Daby spent his childhood. Daby’s father, Malal Balde, worked for the government in the postal department, while his mother, Ousmane Diallo, remained at home looking after their six children. Daby attended the Koranic School in Kolda. At the age of 11, the young Daby Balde – full of inspiration – often used to sing and compose folkloric songs for numerous traditions such as circumcisions, burning the midnight oil and wrestling ceremonies. Being from a noble family, however, his musical career was already compromised in the eyes of his family and neighbourhood. After encountering many family difficulties with his choice to pursue music, Daby left school in 1987 and decided to go into exile. After spending more than six months in Guinea, he briefly returned home, before going to the Gambia for six years. He earned his living as a taxi driver, while building contacts around him in order to fulfil his real goals – to be a singer. Through these contacts, Daby was put in touch with an English woman named Allison Claire Burden, a teacher working for VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). Rapidly entranced by Daby’s voice, Allison introduced him to her friend Gary, who was visiting from London on a three-week holiday. It is thanks to Gary’s help that Daby, after three years of toiling, at last had his first guitar. Without delay, and with the help of an American friend, he started to learn how to play it. This finally enabled Daby to couple his voice with the sound of a guitar. In 1994, he went back to his home town, where he had an audition with Kolda Regional Orchestra. He was selected as the lead vocalist for the group, and worked with them for nine months, performing shows throughout Kolda. After this success, and still determined to further both himself and his career, Daby travelled to Dakar. He performed regularly both in Dakar and back in Kolda, which culminated in his participation in a large concert organized by the Belgian NGO Vredensaleiden. As a result of the exposure this concert gave him, Daby was invited to perform at Flanders Ethno festival and Draunter festival in Belgium. His music is influenced by his various travels, and experience drawn from life and his Fouladou culture. The area where Daby grew up is full of heritage, due to the ethnic diversity of its people and its surrounding countries, such as Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Gambia. The music from Cassamance has a particular rhythm (quite different to that of the Dakar sound) and many of his songs are sung in the Fula language. In Senegal, the language used in lyrics is important – the regional and ethnic groups have different languages, and music is a common form of political, cultural and educational information. The themes of his songs are generally oriented towards messages of peace, love, brotherhood, social justice and faith in God. In today’s world, where local and regional customs and cultural values are disappearing, Daby has made it his aim to keep African roots and culture alive. One of his first tasks, then, is to make the younger generation aware of the rich culture that surrounds them, and to spread this patrimony throughout the world via one of the most genuine forms of music and a strong voice. He shares the view that cultural mixture is vitally important – even if we do not come from the same continent, we share the same planet. Undoubtedly, Daby’s dream is to see a world of peace. He currently lives in Parcelles Assainess, a busy suburb of Dakar beyond Yoff Airport. Like most of Dakar, it is a short stroll to the sea, where the air is clear, there is always a breeze and the Atlantic rollers pound the shore. He performs weekly in Dakar at haunts such as Just For You, Central Park and the French Cultural Centre. Once every two or three months, he makes the arduous journey along rough, sandy roads to his home town of Kolda to perform at festivals, weddings and cultural events. 1 Mamadiyel 5:47 Fula/Wolof People of Gambia, how are you? Hello, how are you, all the artists of Africa? How are you, my family? I thank all of you The people in Gambia are thanked How are you? My mother, my father, how are you? 2 Heli 5:09 Fula This song is about a king who was a warrior. He was a great warrior and a great man, but – like all of us eventually will – he died. Everyone will have their own day, but for now the king is dead. It is a plea to do good things in life, because, come the end of it, those around you will look back proudly at your achievements. 3 Kaye Waxma 5:03 Wolof This is the tale of a man betrayed by his lover. He wants her to tell him to his face the problems she has. He calls every day, but she will not answer the phone. Don’t fight with me if you have a problem Don’t telephone and say horrible things to me If you have something to say, say it to my face Don’t telephone and put me down 4 Tamania 5:03 Mandinka Africa has great women – even young girls – who work incredibly hard. This song praises those women who work to raise children and provide food from the fields. The women of Africa will one day get good things (from God) because of their dedication and efforts. 5 Waino Blues 4:18 Fula This song tells of a visit to a man named Serene Bababa, a hardworking marabout. Marabouts are personal spiritual leaders in the Islamic faith as practised in West Africa. They rely on donations to live, and often there is an obligation within a community to support their marabouts, many of whom make amulets for good luck and preside over ceremonies. 6 Sora 4:32 Mandinka Slavery is over and everyone has to get on with and make their own lives. Everyone is free to do as they wish now. We must make our own way in freedom. 7 Mbadi 5:06 Fula You have to help me If you don’t help me, I cannot go on my way Please help me to go and do good for my country I want all you people to come join me and wish me well to do good for you Come join me, we will ask for help together 8 Halaname 4:55 Fula/French Can you tell me? Can you tell me? You are the best person in the world You bring light You are the sun, the stars and the moon Everywhere you go, you bring peace and happiness All the Fula kunda are happy with you Everyone has hope for you 9 Fouladou 5:39 Fula If you are going somewhere and you don’t know the way, you must go back and start again If you make a wrong decision, then go back to your roots Fouladou is a good place to be: you must remember your home in Fouladou You have to go back to where you come from, and start again if you are lost 10 Douna 5:40 Fula Nenmou is Fula for ‘mother’. I have been away My father and I have been away But my mind is always with you I have been away 11 Hakurujamane 4:13 Fula/Mandinka End of the world Now we are at the end of the world We have to try to do good things To do bad things will bring the end of the world sooner 12 Mbeugel 5:34 Wolof I sit talking to you, and when I go you betray me, but you actually betray yourself You make sweet things with your lovers and you water them like a plant or tree You betray me My friends give me advice but I don’t listen, and you betray me as they say you will No one will love you like me, you cannot buy love, love comes from the heart 13 Mido Waino 4:01 Fula This is a non-blues-style version of track 5. Appearing on this album are: Lead vocal/guitar: Moutarou Balde (Daby) Guitar accompaniment: Elhadj Soumare Guitar solo: Abdoulaye Samb Bass guitar: Abdoulaye Ndiaye Violin: Wouter Vandenabeele Accordion: Philippe Thuriot Saxophone: Christian Derneville Percussion: Ousmane Sane Kora: Djiely Mory Tounkara Vocals: Ndeye Mansata Bodian, Mariama Kouyate, Adama Balde, Sadio Wandianga Thanks to Almighty God, my family, Nola Marshall, Duncan Baker, Charlie Gillett, Pape Diouf, Vredeisalen, Brussels Airline, Christophe Tardy, Phil Stanton, Sandra Alayón-Stanton and all at World Music Network, Wouter, Philip and all the people who assisted me in releasing this album Special thanks to RTS (Senegal), MP Ndiaye Lo, Just For You, Central Park and all my fans All songs composed by Daby Balde and published by Riverboat UK Music (MCPS) Produced by Tech-Record Recorded at Technics Baye (Senegal) and in Zulte (Belgium) Mixed at Tech-Record by Florent Disccaciati Mastered by Florent Disccaciati Sleeve notes by Daby Balde and Nola Marshall Photographs courtesy of Lèa Disccaciati and Christophe Tardy
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