MOUTAROU ‘DABY’ BALDE was born on 26 April 1969 in the city of Kolda, Fouladou (an area of the Casamance region), in south Senegal. Growing up in the Casamance region, a lush area famous for its deep roots in ancestral values and customs, Daby attended the Koranic School in Kolda. Born into a noble family, Daby’s decision to pursue music was greeted with numerous objections and, in 1987 he left school and decided to go into exile. Following six months in Guinea and six years in the Gambia (where he began learning the guitar), he returned to his hometown in 1994 and became the lead vocalist for the Kolda Regional Orchestra. After performing with them for nine months, he began performing under his own name, regularly, in both Dakar and Kolda. Subsequently, he played in a large concert organised by the Belgian NGO Vredensaleiden that led to performances at Flanders Ethno festival and Draunter festival in Belgium. He now lives in a suburb of Dakar, performing weekly at several city venues and every few months in Kolda, at festivals, weddings and cultural events.

Musically, Daby is influenced by his various travels and experiences and his Fouladou culture. Ethnically diverse, Casamance, which is geographically placed between the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau,  has a rich heritage. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, the Portuguese were the only Europeans to have settled and have dealings in the region, and subsequently the music from Casamance has a particular rhythm,  quite different to that of the Dakar sound. This rhythm resonates throughout Daby’s music.

On the album recorded in Senegal and Belgium, Daby sings in Wolof, Mandinka, French and Fula. Daby aims to keep his Fouladou culture alive. His compositions are messages of peace, love, brotherhood, social justice and faith in God.

The opening track, "Mamadiyel"– is sung in a combination of Fula and Wolof. Daby’s sonorous voice is perfectly brought to light as his lyrics greet the people of the Gambia, artists from all over the world and his family. Sung in Mandinka, the lyrics to "Tamania" praise hardworking African women who raise children and provide food from the fields, and "Waino Blues" describes a visit to a diligent marabout – (spiritual leader in the Islamic faith as practised in West Africa). 

 

Introducing Daby Balde presents an artist celebrated in the Senegambia, but whose talents are now reaching a wider acclaim. This album showcases his innovative and stunning compositions and the southern Senegalese traditions that have influenced him.

 

“To judge from his debut album, Introducing Daby Balde, it sounds as if Daby Balde may well emerge as a major figure to stand alongside the internationally established Senegalese singers, Youssou N’Dour and BaabaMaal…wonderfully assured, full of subtle details…”. Charlie Gillett, BBC Radio London