In Fouta, in the consciousness of the people, there’s the erudite Saïkou Oumar, the river that flows to the rhythm of the blues, and Baba Maal, the voice of the people. Then there’s the trio, that beautiful vocal triplet that has lulled thousands of Futanké for decades. After Mbassou Niang, the mentor of the early days, Mansour Seck, the twin, has just joined the endless land. Baba Maal now walks alone in the midst of our community.

In 1975, the three companions founded the Lasly Fouta group, which Oumar Demba Ba, Senegal’s ambassador emeritus and Baba Maal biographer, describes as more than just a band, but a melting pot of Pulaar culture.

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Oumar Demba Ba adds, as if to emphasize the dimension of loss, that the friendship between Baba Maal and Mansour Seck was a continuation of that of their two fathers. ODB reveals the words of Baba Maal’s mother, Aïssata Wade, about their bond: “Mansour is your blood brother. Think of him as such. Tell yourself that you have the same father and mother. Whether I’m alive or dead, always stay together wherever you are.” The two artists respected the oath until the implacable arose.

At the age of 69, the backing singer and guitar virtuoso is tiptoeing out of here. From now on, he will rest on the land of Yoff, close to the ocean and far from the river. Mansour Seck co-founded the benchmark Daande Leñol orchestra in 1985, in the Castors district. His delicious guitar notes have accompanied Baba Maal’s bewitching voice everywhere. His famous interjection “Wallahi!” to punctuate the artist’s lyrics lulled my childhood. He was born in Guédé in 1955, in the heart of Saïkou Oumar country. Childhood friends of Baba Maal, they travelled the world, sowing the seeds of Pulaar culture and showing others what Senegal had to offer the world. They were Siamese twins, in fusion, the mark of a friendship that Euzhan Palcy, here too, as with the relationship between Senghor and Césaire, could describe as “essential”. When the visually-impaired artist passed away, many people bore witness to this close friendship and to the loyalty between the two men. 

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Yet, few are aware of the fundamental role Mansour Seck played in Baba Maal’s access to certain deep-rooted traditions in our complex Fouta. Indeed, it was Seck, gawlo, son of a gawlo, who bequeathed to Baba Maal, an uninitiated cuballo, the heritage of the Fouta griot repertoire. Without him, Baba Maal would never have received the title of king of Yéla, music reserved for griots (the awlube). Fouta has its own realities, the secrets of which are not available to the first-comer or to even the most impetuous of sons, but can only be acquired through a long exercise in patience and humility, capable only of hardened spirits determined to gain access to occult knowledge.

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The material with which Baba Maal conquered the world comes from an inexhaustible source, from a repertoire that is several generations old, but whose keys were given to him by his friend and brother. The man never boasted; he remained discreet, proud of his origins but humble, with that humility typical of people from the river. In a tribute to Mansour Seck, our brilliant compatriot Lamine Ba of Music in Africa, says: “At every stage of this incredible adventure, Mansour was present, a discreet but essential witness. He was the peaceful soul who balanced Baaba Maal’s creative fire, bringing invaluable stability and depth to their artistic partnership.”

Mansour Seck was a total artist, a faithful man, attached to his roots. He was an accomplished Futanké. A son of the river whose waters bathed his being, his memory and his emotions.

Mbassou Niang is gone, Mansour Seck has followed; the pearls of his disappearance are overwhelming. But today more than ever, the Daande Leñol will resound to tell our sons the story of our fathers, of this beautiful Futanké country, its mystique and the myths that line its river.
By Hamidou ANNE / hamidou.anne@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH / Serigne S. DIAGNE