Orchestra Baobab is a highly influential Senegalese band that was formed in 1970 as the resident band for the Baobab Club in Dakar, which itself was named after the native baobab tree. Many of the original members came from the well-known Star Band de Dakar. The group quickly established a unique sound, combining the prevalent Afro-Cuban rhythms of the time with various West African musical styles, including Wolof and Mandinka songs and the Casamance musical traditions of singers like Balla Sidibé and Rudy Gomis. Guitarist Barthélémy Attisso, a Togolese law student, became known for his distinctive arpeggiated runs, while lead singer Laye M’Boup, with his Wolof language lyrics and soaring voice, defined many of the band's early hits.
Throughout the 1970s, Orchestra Baobab became one of Africa’s dominant groups, recording around twenty albums and performing every night at the club. Following M’Boup's death in 1974, singer Thione Seck took over the lead vocalist spot. The band’s popularity continued, and they played at state occasions and even traveled to Paris in 1978 to record. After the Baobab Club closed, the group moved its residency, but by the mid-1980s, the rise of the more contemporary and funkier Senegalese genre, mbalax, led by artists like Youssou N’Dour, saw their audiences decline. Unable to compete with the changing musical tastes, Orchestra Baobab disbanded in 1987.
However, the band’s music found a second life when their 1982 album, Pirates Choice, was reissued in Europe in 1989 and gained international cult classic status within the burgeoning "world music" scene. This renewed interest prompted the band to officially re-form in 2001, with many of the original members returning. Since their reunion, the orchestra has recorded new albums, such as Specialist In All Styles (2002) and Made in Dakar (2007), and continued to tour and perform globally, with newer members joining to pay tribute to the group’s rich legacy. They remain active, almost half a century after their formation, continuing to celebrate their history and their unique blend of Pan-African and Afro-Cuban sounds.