WAAW Band
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
"Led by legendary Senegalese Bassist Thierno Camara, WAAW Band is the first NYC-based group to present authentic and original M'balax Music of the Wolof people from Senegal, West Africa! WAAW Band's original and fresh approach to M'balax reflects the diverse talents of the group's members and how they infuse the musical traditions of their homeland with the popular styles they have absorbed as young musicians living in New York City." - Fusicology
"Led by legendary Senegalese Bassist Thierno Camara, WAAW Band is the first NYC-based group to present authentic and original M'balax Music of the Wolof people from Senegal, West Africa! WAAW Band's original and fresh approach to M'balax reflects the diverse talents of the group's members and how they infuse the musical traditions of their homeland with the popular styles they have absorbed as young musicians living in New York City." - Fusicology
"Bassist-songwriter Thierno Camara toured the world with many giants of Senegalese music before settling in New York. The WAAW Band was formed because he had something to prove: That a fine M'balax band could be assembled right here in Gotham." - Timeout NY
"Bassist-songwriter Thierno Camara toured the world with many giants of Senegalese music before settling in New York. The WAAW Band was formed because he had something to prove: That a fine M'balax band could be assembled right here in Gotham." - Timeout NY
"WAAW Band's original and fresh approach to African Jazz is now being heard throughout the New York music scene exciting listeners making them sing, dance and wanting to hear more." - All About Jazz
"WAAW Band's original and fresh approach to African Jazz is now being heard throughout the New York music scene exciting listeners making them sing, dance and wanting to hear more." - All About Jazz
Timeout NY revues it...A Bands so good I'd go see them every Monday!!
- Timeout NY
Timeout NY revues it...A Bands so good I'd go see them every Monday!!
- Timeout NY
Discography
Get Together (on sale now)
Thierno Camara is currently in the process of recording a 2nd WAAW band album, expected to be released in 2009 with the band's current line-up of musicians. The roster of musicians to be featured on the next WAAW album is as follows:
Thierno Camara (Lead Bassist/Vocalist)
Manta Faye (Drums)
Arona Ndiaye (Marimba/Keyboards)
Morcumba Gueye (Sabar/Djembe)
Raja Kassis (Guitar)
Photos
Bio
WAAW Band is the first NYC-based group to present authentic and original mbalax music of the Wolof people from Senegal, West Africa! Popularized internationally by the renowned singers Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal, mbalax is a highly danceable music style characterized by complex polyrhythmic percussion and dramatic vocal harmonies sung in Wolof (Senegal's largest language group). WAAW Band's original and fresh approach to mbalax reflects the diverse talents of the group's members, and how they infuse the musical traditions of their homeland with the popular styles they have absorbed as young musicians living in New York City.
The WAAW movement was started in Senegal, West Africa by Thierno Camara, a ronouned Senegalese Bassist/Singer/Sonwriter/Composer who had performed internationally with some of Senegal's most popular artists including Thione Seck, Cheick Lo, Fatou Gowel, Kine Lam, and Moussa NGom, the SeneGambian. By 1998, Thierno had moved to New York and began collaborating with American musicians and other artists from around the world, adding other sounds to his concept. By 1999 this eclectic collective of african and world fusion came to be known as the WAAW Band, touring the United States and Canada.
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