Baobab Guitarist Barthelemy Attisso Has Passed Away

<p>Composer, songwriter, co-founder and lead guitarist for Senegal’s legendary Orchestra Baobab, Barthelemy Attisso passed away on Aug. 29, at the age 76, at his home in Togo. </p> <p> Attisso moved to Dakar in 1966 as a student. He was, as he puts it, “forced,” to be a musician, because he needed to work at night and leave his days free for studying. With a book, a guitar and a methodical approach, after a few months, he tried rotating into various nightclub bands as an accompanist. When the owner of the Miami Club needed a soloist, Attisso took a leap, and there met members of the famous Star Band. When Adrien Senghor came looking to poach members of the Star Band to form the house orchestra at the new Club Baobab across town, he took Attisso. Along with percussionist Balla Sidibé and singer Rudy Gomis, and with saxophonist Issa Cissokho and singer Laye Mboup, they became the Orchestra Baobab. <br> </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTR8vf4HGSK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"><div> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTR8vf4HGSK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> <div> <div> </div></div> <div><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div> <div> View this post on Instagram</div></div> <div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div> <div> </div></a> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTR8vf4HGSK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dust-to-Digital (@dusttodigital)</a></p></div></blockquote> <p>With Baobab, Attisso wrote songs heavily influenced by Cuban <em>son</em> and <em>charanga</em>, but which also reflected the band’s home in Senegal, with drumming and harmonies from southern Senegal, and Wolof singing from the north, and influences that band members brought from across West Africa and the Sahel. The band dabbled in salsa, tango, and rumba.</p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mbf9aLD8E8M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p> Attisso’s guitar playing is a standout through it all, from fuzzed psychedelic wah-wah pedal adventures of the band’s early days to its later tender ballads. Influenced by Congolese giants like Franco and Tabu Ley Rochereau, jazz guitarists like Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt, and other musicians like saxophonist Manu Dibango and organist Jimmy Smith, Attisso embodied the band’s “specialist in all styles” philosophy. <br> </p> <p>“Barthelemy Attisso has made a synthesis of all the music he has played on the guitar, from all over the world, from all the guitarists who have played from the 1930s right up to the year 2002,” fellow Baobab guitarist Latfi Ben Jaloum told us in a 2002 interview. “He has worked on the styles of nearly all the guitarists who have emerged during that time, whether its Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, or whoever. Many guitarists have influenced Atisso, so he gives this touch of jazz that is often commented on...He gives Baobab something that is fundamentally different from <em>mbalax</em> music.”<br> </p> <figure><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/08S9UYUXZYA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></figure> <p><br> When the band went on hiatus in the late ‘80s, Attisso returned to Togo and finally practiced law as he had planned. When the band came back in 2002, Attisso dutifully dusted off the old guitar and found he needed to relearn how to play, a story he relayed in our 2020 program “The Story of Baobab.” <br> </p> <p>Attisso retired back to Togo before the band recorded 2017’s <em>Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng. </em> </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTR8vf4HGSK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" > <div> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTR8vf4HGSK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" > <div> <div > </div> </div> <div > <svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" > <g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"> <g> <path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631" ></path> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> <div> <div > View this post on Instagram </div> </div> <div > <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> <div > </div ></a> <p > <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTR8vf4HGSK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" >A post shared by Dust-to-Digital (@dusttodigital)</a > </p> </div> </blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>