Orchestra Baobab, Band on the Wall. 5th August 2022

I might be out of my depth writing about tonight’s gig. I love Orchestra Baobab and have been obsessed with their 2002 album ‘Specialist in All Styles’ since it’s release, but I can’t claim to have cast my ears much further into this Senegalese sound. They’ve been around for decades, with a line up that’s grown with them. Tonight there’s 10 of them on the Band on the Wall stage, a venue with a rich history of putting on bands from a dizzying array of genres. You’re as likely to catch these African rhythms as you are some post punk, electro or hip hop. Orchestra Baobab’s sound is beautifully layered, with Latin themes fused with jazz tempos that instantly bring a smile to the face and movement to the feet. I believe I’m right in saying that the lyrics span a few languages including French and Spanish. I therefore have never understood a word and I feel quite bad about that. Vowing whilst I’m here enjoying the rhythm and melody, to find some translations. Regardless of what secrets the lyrics hold, they sound absolutely gorgeous. Another instrument in the arsenal, that’s surprisingly sparse with so many players. Guitars, saxophone, a trombone and a lot of percussion suffices nicely though. There’s a lot going on and they’re as tight as I expected. Even when the bassist starts looking a bit lost and gets some concerned looks from the guy on percussion, they still sound amazing. There’s a solid backbone to the sound, with tons of room for the guitars and brass to play over the top. It’s glorious and everyone’s dancing, swaying to the rhythm. It’s infectious. A wonderfully laid-back party. Much better than when I last caught them at Glastonbury and the crowd were still waking up. When the guy on lead guitar let’s loose though, well the room swells. It’s not raucous, just silky smooth soloing. Playing off with the horn section, it all sounds brilliant. He’s one of the younger members “part of the next generation of Orchestra Baobab!”. There’s a real mix of ages up there, but they’re all locked in and smiling. Well apart from the sax guy who looks a bit surly. The tall guy next to him with the all the dance moves has him covered though. When he’s not singing, he’s making sure everyone’s involved. After 40 minutes something unusual happens. A man comes on stage and announces “a small break of half an hour”. In the hundreds of gigs I’ve been to, I’ve never encountered this. I’ve not eaten though, so I rectify that before they kick off again. It does seem weird, but it seems normal to the band as they effortlessly slide back into the groove and the mood, the room quickly catching up, ready to enjoy part two. They’ve been on fire from the start, but the swing increases as we go on. Anyone in the crowd with any inhibitions letting them go and then there’s those guitar solo again. He’s the star for me in a stellar cast. Even the guy on sax lights up, bigging up the guy on trombone. I know this will stand out a bit against other bands I review, but seriously if you’ve never listened to anything like this, Orchestra Baobab are a great place to start and get yourself along to a show. They’re fantastic!