Orchestra Baobab, Celtic Connections Glasgow review: 'exhilarating'
Despite various line-up changes, this legendary group are as classy as soulful as ever, writes Fiona Shepherd
Senegalese legends Orchestra Baobab have seen many line-up changes since forming over 50 years ago as the house band at Dakar’s Baobab Club, not least over the last decade with many original players passing away. Founding member Thierno Koité is still a badass on alto saxophone, while brother Mountaga has manned the drumkit since 1974. Keeping it in their griot family, his son Papino is the effervescent new vocalist who paid explicit tribute to the ensemble’s “old generation” (indicating his uncle) and “new generation” exemplified by their lead guitarist Rene Sowatche, a man who is always ready for his featured solo.
Some things have not changed though. The core instrumental line-up remains percussion, brass, guitar and vocals, deployed to draw a line right across the Atlantic and make that Cuban connection. In a blind tasting you might swear that their opening song was Latin American as they reeled in the audience with a mellow swaying start.
Gradually, they upped the rhythmic appeal, decorating the groove with saxophone runs and plaintive vocals, before overlaying with ringing melodic guitar. Next stop on their sonic world tour was Nigeria for the innate drama of a highlife-inspired number and then to Jamaica for reggae vibrations laced with mesmeric jazz guitar so seductive that Papino tipped Sowatche’s hat to an even jauntier angle before the brass slammed back in with a sunshine riff. Much of the set was classy and soulful rather than hi-octane until Papino proclaimed “it’s time to move, we’re going to Africa” and energy levels rose onstage and on the floor.
Even among the bouncing rhythms, there was still room for an intoxicating guitar solo. Papino bust some athletic moves but was straight back in on rallying vocals and the whole troupe sealed the deal with a brace of exhilarating Afro-Cuban numbers to finish. The audience really didn’t want to let them go but it was time for the party to move on.
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