Malick Sow

b. Malick Pathe Sow, 1959, Ndioum, Senegal. Given birth to into a category of ‘griots’ (typically the caste of music artists and performers within Western African culture), Sow used music from a age, performing and playing the hoddu (an area relative from the banjo) and ‘Fulani’ violin. In 1978 he created the music group Yellitaire with Baaba Maal, which became Dande Lenol, Maal’s support music group for live looks. Sow toured using the music group throughout Africa and European countries and made an appearance on Maal’s traditional Baayo (1991). Shifting to Brussels, he created Welnere, his personal music group, offering both African and Western musicians. As could be heard on the debut, Danniyanke (released on Maal’s Yoff Productions label), they blend a broad selection of musical affects (funk, reggae, rumba), while keeping the distinctive audio of Senegal’s Fulani area.