The Mamadou Waflash Band

The Mamadou Waflash Band

Mamadou grew up in a small village named Somone on the Senegalese shores of the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa. His family and ancestors are Lebou. The Lebou people are well known for their fishing and boat building abilities. When he wasn't working with the fishing boats, Mamadou would compose his songs and exercise his voice on the beach. His lungs, vocal chords and sound projection grew strong singing above the waves of the ocean. This is where he developed his unique clicking and deep voice. It is also where he had the solitude and peace to express his feelings and create his songs that have to do with wrongful imprisonment, begging children,young men looking for work, an old man's wisdom and love.

Mamadou has been deeply inspired by such artists as Malian Salif Keita, Bob Marley, Yossou N' Dour, Bob Dylan and American Blues. When he was at college in the city of Thies in Senegal, he met fellow musicians and formed the band Waflash. In a short time Waflash rose to one of the top bands in Senegal. Their music represented a new form of Mbalax that spread throughout
Europe and Africa. Live performances in 53 countries, music videos and recording cds kept Mamadou busy as one of the two lead singers and choreographer.

Since 2009, Mamadou has lived in America and performed his independent projects in New York, Washington and Massachusetts. He is currently a resident of Brooklyn, NY playing such hot spots in NYC as SOB's, L'Orange Bleu, Bar Tabac, Chez Lucienne and many other local venues/festivals. He has been accompanied by celebrated German xylophonist Stefan Bauer and Angelique Kidjo's djembe player, Thioxo. Leading Brazilian, Bahian percussionists, Davi Vera and Mea Noite have added cachacee, timbau and pandera giving the Mamadou Waflash Band an international flavor. Indigenous African instruments such as the calabash, gombi and kora preserve the authenticity of the African melodic music that represent Mamadou's acoustic, earthy style.

We are all from Africa! The first humans originated in Ethiopia. Goree Island in Senegal, a world heritage site, is where Mamadou has performed many times. It is the point of no return where many of our relatives taken by force and chains in slave ships came to America, Brazil and the Caribbean. Welcome to your roots and the universal heartbeat through the music of the Mamadou Waflash Band.

Official website