The Wolof, the largest ethnic group in Senegal, have a distinctive musical tradition that, along with the influence of neighboring Fulani, Tukulor, Serer, Jola, and Mandinka cultures, has contributed greatly to popular Senegalese music, and to West African music in general. Wolof music takes its roots from the Serer musical tradition, particularly from the Serer pre-colonial Kingdom of Saloum. Virtually all Wolof musical terminology including musical instruments comes from the Serer language.Masters of the sabar: Wolof griot percussionists of Senegal. Page 46. By Patricia Tang
Griot tradition Wolof musicians were traditionally drawn from the griots (géwél), or of the blacksmith caste (tëgg), who were masters of drumming. Griots taught history, ethics and religion using their songs and recitations, and were employed by powerful members of the community as praise-singers and historians. Today many modern Wolof musicians still come from Griot families.
After the 19th century conversion of major Wolof kingdoms to Islam, the tagg, or ode song in Wolof, was reused in an Islamic Nasheed tradition—an important integration of pre-Islamic style into the new Muslim paradigm.
Instruments Wolof folk instruments include the xalam or halam,Turino, pg. 183; Hudson, Mark with Jenny Cathcart and Lucy Duran, "Senegambian Stars Are Here to Stay" in the Rough Guide to World Music, pgs. 617 - 633; World Music Central which is a five-stringed lute, very important in Wolof folk music, the sabar drums, an ensemble of seven different drums, each differently tuned, and the hourglass talking drum called a tama. The Qadiriyyah Sufi order use tabla drums.
Modern Wolof musicians have incorporated instruments usually associated with the neighboring Serer, Fula and Mandinka, including the Fula flute, the Mandinka balafon, the Maures tabla drums, the Mandinka kora (a West African harp), the riiti (a Fula single-stringed bowed instrument), the Serer instruments i.e. tama, the sabar, the junjung, and the Serer motifs and genres i.e. mbalax (from Serer-njuup "Rémi Jegaan Dioh : Sur un air culturel et cultuel" [in Ferloo), , baka, tassou, etc.
The late Serer-diva Yandé Codou Sène was a practitioner of the Tassou (var : Tasú), a "form of sung and chanted poetry central to both everyday and ritual Serer life that is also used explicitly by the Wolof, Fula, Mandinka, Bambara and other regional ethnic groups."
Dance Rhythms Wolof music has unique dance rhythms. Farwoudiar (in Serer) is a women's dance with a distinct tama accompaniment in which women celebrate their prospective husbands (based on Serer marital tradition).World Music Central: International Dance Glossary & Dance Forms .
See also Music Music of Senegal Mbalax Senegalese hip hop: especially mbalax rap
Senegalese musicians Doudou N'Diaye Rose: Sabar master and Griot. Mbaye Dieye Faye: Singer and percussionist. Youssou N'Dour: Perhaps the most famous Senegalese singer, from a griot family on his mother's side. Alioune Mbaye Nder: Singer, the Prince of Mbalax Thione Seck: Famed singer of the 1970s to today. Jimi Mbaye: Guitarist and producer
References
Sources and external links Mbye B. Cham, "Islam in Senegalese Literature and Film", Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 55, No. 4, Popular Islam, 1985 pp. 447–464. Ali Colleen Neff, "Tassou: The Ancient Spoken Word of African Women." [in] Ethnolyrical