🎵 🇸🇳 🎸 ⚽ 📜 In 1988, the Super Diamono de Dakar made a big splash with Cheikh Anta Diop, an album that cemented their reputation as pioneers of modern mbalax. The record is a daring fusion of Senegalese rhythms, rock, reggae and jazz, carried by the voice of Omar Pène, champion of Afrofeeling, and the inspired arrangements of Lamine Faye. The band, then at the height of their fame, paid tribute to the pan-African historian Cheikh Anta Diop, as well as figures such as Kwame Nkrumah, while denouncing social ills (La Mouche) and celebrating local culture (Diaraf, an ode to Dakar’s football club). The album moves from powerful electric guitars and brass to more introspective melodies, such as the title track, which blends blues harmonies and traditional percussion. Afro-reggae is also present with Goune and Dou Dègne. The rhythm section, provided by Bob Sène on bass and Lappa Diagne on drums, with formidable precision, provides an ideal foundation for Lamine Faye’s guitar solos, combining lyricism and rock energy. Cheikh Anta Diop is a true musical and political manifesto, combining virtuosity and accessibility. It confirms Super Diamono as one of the most innovative band of its generation, capable of transcending the boundaries between tradition and modernity. Even today, this album remains an essential reference point for mbalax and mixed African music.
