Gambia: Alieu Badara Breathes New Life into Traditional Sounds with ‘Balafon’ Project –

By Haddy Touray

Gambian music star Alieu Badara, widely celebrated as the voice of the Smiling Coast, is winning fresh praise with his latest project, Balafon a unique five-track album that revives traditional West African instruments for a new generation.

Departing from the Mbalax style that made him a household name, Alieu has crafted a new sound he calls GamAfro, blending instruments like the Balafon, Halam, Kora, Dimbeh, Riti, Bukara-Buk, and Leket (calabash) with modern rhythms to…