Omar Pene (born 28th December 1955) is a

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

ese vocalist and composer, who is the lead singer of Super Diamono, and is now a solo artist.

Career

Omar Pene was born in the working-class neighborhood of Derkle in

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from :wo:daqaar, daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar ...

. Having been singing his whole life and playing in other bands, he formed Super Diamono in 1975–76, with previous bandmates Cheikh Diagne, Bassirou Diagne, and Bazlo Diagne, along with members of Tropical Jazz De Dakar, including singer Ismael Lo. Other members of the band included Bob Sene, Aziz Seck, Lapa Diagne, Abdou Mbacke and Adama Faye, a jazz keyboardist who gave the group a harder electric sound. In

during the 1980s, Super Diamono were one of the few bands who could compete with

Youssou Ndour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...

, and the two singers had a lively artistic competition, both with devoted fanbases. Fans of Pene and Super Diamono used to congregate particularly at the Balafon Club, near the

Autonomous Port of Dakar The Autonomous Port of Dakar (French: ''Port autonome de Dakar'', abbreviation: ''PAD'') is a Senegalese public enterprise which is headquartered in Dakar, located in the east of city. Thanks to the strategic position that gives it a sheltered har ...

. Super Diamono's music was energetic reggae and jazz influenced dance music rooted in Senegalese

mbalax Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the national popular dance music of Senegal and the Gambia. In the 1970s, mbalax emerged as the distinctive sound of postcolonial Senegal. Derived from a fusion of indigenous Wolof sabar drumming with popular music principa ...

rhythms, which are frenetic and syncopated. Their songs cover socially conscious topics such as unemployment and education, and they were described by ''Rough Guide: World Music'' as "the people's band of Dakar's proletarian suburbs". In the mid-1980s Ismael Lo left to follow a solo career and was replaced by Mamadou Marga. By 1991 most of the group's original members had left for other projects, and Pene continued the band with session musicians, touring Europe and North America four years later. To date, he has released more than thirty albums and cassettes. Under their new name ''Super Diamono de Dakar'' , the band released their first album '' Géédy Dayaan'' in 1979 under Griot Records (''Disques Griot''). In August 2021, he released his first solo album ''Climat''.

References

External links

Official site of Omar Pène (In French)

Omar Pene Profile at Radio France International (RFI)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pene, Omar 21st-century Senegalese male singers People from Dakar 1956 births Living people 20th-century Senegalese male singers