Xalam

Xalam 2, also known as Xalam and Xalam II, a Senegalese musical group, founded in 1969 by a group of friends. The band was originally called African Khalam Orchestra.

The band takes its name from the xalam, a lute-like instrument. Xalam performed a mix of contemporary jazz tunes as well as African mbalax originals, usually sung in Wolof, the dominant local language; although the leading artists are all Serer and Toucouleur. The band included sax, drums, African percussion, bass and electric guitar.

Xalam started playing dance music, such as rock, salsa, bossa, and rhythm and blues. The group performed in Senegal and other countries in Africa. Numerous musicians have played in the group and through their collaboration, have become popular.

In 1975, they went on an African tour with Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba. Later, the group decided it was time to find its own musical identity and left the stage for four years to look for inspiration in traditional folk music and mix it with their own modern music.

In 1979, Xalam made a guest appearance at the Horizonte – Festival der Weltkulturen der Berliner Festspiele. That first trip to Europe was their opportunity to record Ade, their first LP.

In 1981, Xalam recorded music for the soundtrack of the Epcot African Pavilion videotape in Dakar for the Disney Corporation, to be used at their Epcot site in the US. They also performed at the Dakar Jazz Festival and jammed with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, and others. In the early 1980s, the band moved to Paris, France, where they became regulars on the local music scene. Prosper died in the mid-1980s, replaced on drums by his younger brother, who had been the drummer for Senemali, another Senegalese group which had moved to Amsterdam.

In June 1982, the group was revealed to the French public at Paris Africa Fête. Then, band recorded the following LP, Gorée, in London. The band was so impressive that The Rolling Stones invited the percussionists to play on their next album Undercover of the Night.

A European tour followed in 1983, Xalam opened for Crosby, Stills & Nash in Paris (Hippodrome d'Auteuil). With the release of the LP Gorée, the album reached the Top 5 (African, Reggae, and Folk albums) published in Le Monde for five months.

1984 found the band writing the music for the French movie Marche à l'Ombre (over 5,000,000 spectators), followed by 150 concerts starting in Switzerland and ending in Paris.

Xalam opened for Robert Plant at the Palais des Sports in Paris, France, in 1985.

In 1986, they performed three concerts at the Cirque d'Hiver, then continued on an international tour of more than a hundred gigs to support the release of Apartheid, including the Francofolies of La Rochelle, the Festag in Guadeloupe, and a long winter tour in Africa.

A Canadian tour followed in 1987, including Montreal, Toronto, and Québec. Xalam also performed at the Printemps de Bourges in France and then recorded the LP Xarit in Paris. ...

Source: Article "Xalam 2" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.