Le SAHEL

The Biggest band of Senegal ever is back after 35 years! It was in 1973 when the greatest musicians of Dakar created a band to play in SAHEL club. They stayed together only three years. The band is reformed again with their three main members:
IDRISSA DIOP, CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL, THIERNO KOITE.

IDRISSA DIOP - Chant & Timbales:
First group at the age of 13 the "RIO ORCHESTRA DE DAKAR" with Ibrahima Mbaye dit Blaen and Moussa Cissokho who is now playing with "KORA JAZZ TRIO". He releases his debut solo album with Thierno Koite, "IDY dans DIOUBO" in 1970 and after this he joins the band "SOLEYA MAMA" in the PLANTATION were he meets for the first time CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL. Together they continue playing in all the clubs in Dakar, until 1972 were they form with THIERNO KOITE the first super band in Senegal, the "SAHEL", were Bass Coumbala chose the best musicians from all the bands of Dakar to join the group. They group stays together until 1976 and is the group that changed the music in Senegal forever. is the first band that mixes the Latin Sound with the traditional one to give to Senegalese audience the music of Mbalax. After this Idrissa goes for two years in Cap Skirring is the south of Senegal were he is singing with a group in the Club Med hotel. At the end of 1978 he leaves for France were he joins with musicians from other African countries and he creates his own groups. In 1982 he releases with SEYDINA WADE (another singer of the SAHEL) the album "IDY & SIDY - GORGUI". In 1985 he releases 4 personal album with fusion music. He continues his career in France and in the '90s he starts working with Carlos Santana. He continue releases personal albums and he is invited from big names in the music like, STING, Narada Walden....
In 2006 he is invited to the Montreux Jazz Festival were he is joined again from Carlos Santana and others.
In 2008, after 30 years living abroad, he decides to return to Senegal. He releases another personal album and in 2010 he is recording another album with the help again of Cheikh Tidiane Tall. In the beginning of 2011 he reforms the group of SAHEL under the guidance of Adamantios Kafetzis from the label TERANGA BEAT, with Cheilh Tidiane Tall and Thierno Koite.

CHEIKH TIDIANE TALL - Guitar & Organ:
The most important musician and composer in Senegal. In 1965 he creates the band of XALAM and at that time he is playing percussion. In 1968 the guitar player of the band leaves and Cheikh leaves the percussion and starts playing the guitar for the group until 1970. The band of XALAM is reformed again a bit later as XALAM II. Cheikh continues with SOLEYA MAMA and in 1972 becomes the Chef d' Orchestre of the group SAHEL. There at the same time he is playing the guitar and organ. He is the composer and arranger of all the titles of the group with THIERNO KOITE. After the SAHEL he is working almost with all the bands of Senegal. He arranges more than 650 tracks, with groups like NGUEWEL de DAKAR, KINE LAM, MEISSA NGOM, etc. In 1999 he leaves for France were he is playing with African musicians and in 2006 he returns to Senegal to reform the band of SAHEL. He finds it difficult so he reforms the band of XALAM II. At the same time he is working with all the musicians in Senegal, recently with CHEIKH LO also and he apart the XALAM II he has another Jazz group with THIERNO KOITE and HENRY GUILLABERT. In the beginning of 2011 he is happily reforming the band of SAHEL, with IDY and THIERNO.

THIERNO KOITE - Saxophone Alto, Tenor, Soprano:
His first band was the XALAM I, were he continued with them even in the very first years as XALAM II. After this he is working with IDRISSA DIOP were they continue together in the group SAHEL, were he is one of the three main members with IDY and CHEIKH. After the SAHEL he joins the STAR NUMBER ONE de DAKAR and STAR BAND, he is playing in the first album of SUPERS DIAMONO de DAKAR "LE DIAMONO - BITAA BAANE" and he continues with all the bands in Senegal. At the same