Orchestra Baobab — Utrus Horas
Pirates Choice · 1982
Label: Stern's African Records · Genre: World / Afro-Cuban Funk · From: Dakar, West Africa
Orchestra Baobab were the house band at the Club Baobab in Dakar in the early 1970s, playing a mixture of Cuban son, Wolof griot music, and Afro-funk that became known as mbalax. Pirates Choice was recorded for radio broadcast — they never expected it to be released commercially. When it was, Dakar's music scene had already moved on and the band dissolved. They reunited in 2001 and made another album.
Did you know: Pirates Choice was recorded over several nights as a radio program. The entire record was made with minimal rehearsal and was broadcast before it was released as an album. The relaxed, late-night quality is because they literally thought they were doing radio.
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