Cheikh Lô

About Cheikh Lô

Burkina-born singer and guitarist who built his career in Dakar as a Baye Fall musician, weaving Cuban son, rumba, and reggae through mbalax with a sound that is gentler than the genre's mainstream. His 1996 album Ne La Thiass, produced by Youssou N'Dour, made him an international name and remains one of the defining Senegalese records of the decade. He continues to tour the World Circuit catalogue worldwide and is a quiet foil to the genre's louder bandleaders.