Baaba Maal talks new album ‘Being’ and the importance of African stories

nme.com:

Baaba Maal has spoken to NME about his new record, making music all over the world, and his legacy whilst hoping “the whales singing in the background aren’t too loud”.He is set to release his 14th studio album ‘Being’ on March 31 – featuring the singles ‘Freak Out’, ‘Agreements’, and ‘Yerimayo Celebration’.His first album release since 2016’s ‘The Traveller’, ’Being’ was created during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

With the world on lockdown “whilst this album was becoming itself”, the Senegal legend found that the key to surviving life’s ups and downs was discovering that “the most important thing is just to be”.“Music shouldn’t be about the struggle,” he told NME. “Let things come out of our heart and soul and share it with people that will love to share.”The arrival of ‘Being’ wasn’t “a surprise” for Maal, but “it came at the right time,” he said.

While discovering the core message of the album, he also “discovered [his] family.”Defining himself as a nomad, Maal told us how his perception of family is different, due to travelling the world.“Family is very important, especially in Africa,” he said. “Your family isn’t just you, your wife or husband, the small amount of people that you call your family.

It’s huge. It’s your community. You know your own place in society. Everyone has their own roles in society and you’ll find a way to move forward to the future together.”He said that he felt togetherness and community spirit “are all driven by the culture, by the music we play and the proverbs we put in the music we play”.