Alioune Mbaye Nder has been a dancer and percussionist since his boyhood. In 1991, he joined Lemzo Diamono as a singer, and soon gained a reputation for his powerful, nuanced vocals. In the late '80s, Lemzo Diamono split off from the legendary Super Diamono, led by superstar singer Omar Pene. Ex-Super Diamono guitarist Lamine Faye started Lemzo. Faye, from one of Dakar's most prodigious musical families, is a monstrously innovative guitarist who aimed to merge mbalax with progressive rock. But to succeed, he needed a singer--and not just any singer. He needed someone with the potential to compete on the level of Senegalese icons like Pene, Youssou N'Dour, and Baaba Maal. In 1993, Nder became Lemzo Diamono's lead vocalist and the band garnered a large and loyal following over the next few years.

Nder struck off on his own in 1995, forming his own band, Setsima Group, and releasing his first cassette, Aduna by the end of that year. It was a brilliant debut. The song "Aduna" sang the cause of orphans with heartbreaking impact. At the same time, Nder invited popular young rappers to contribute, and he produced the recording with help from top Dakar session players and producers. Nder and his band also hit with a strong live show, introducing dances to accompany particular songs and rallying an enthusiastic youth following. When Nder's next cassette, Leneen (1997) proved equally successful, his hardcore fans took to calling him "the king of mbalax." While this coronation may have been premature, there was no doubting that West Africa's most musical of cities had produced yet another star for the ages.

"When the news of my departure from Lemzo was made public," Nder told the Senegalese press in 1997, "my house was besieged by musicians who wanted to form a group with me. I began with certain musicians who already played with established groups. Then we had to separate on good terms." For Leneen, Nder fashioned Setsima Group from young players he could mold and grow alongside, and it has remained a tight formation with just a few personnel changes since then. Dakar's Le Temoin wrote, "The arrangements essentially done by the young musicians of Setsima Group can easily compete with those traditionally realized by 'studio sharks.' What great art!"

Understanding that the message and lyrics in his songs would go a long way toward determining his success with the Senegalese public, Nder worked with one of the country's most respected lyricists, Biram Ndeck Ndiaye. On Leneen, his songs focused on women's issues and on marriage in contemporary society, revealing a willingness to go beyond familiar platitudes and probe into serious social matters. Since then, Nder has mostly written his own lyrics, using his strong, supple voice to drive his messages home. Subsequent cassettes--Aladji (1998), Pansement (1999), Super Thiof (2000), and Live Anniversaire (2001)--have kept the fires burning brightly.

Along the way, Nder joined the Africa Fête family. The traveling festival has had many guises over the years, but its birthplace is Senegal, and its founder Mamadou Konte, now solidly behind Nder and Setsima Group. In the summer of 2001, Africa Fête comes to New York City, and Nder and his group will make U.S. debuts in a number of east coast cities. U.S. contact: Patricia Tang, 23 Roberts Road, Cambridge, MA, 02138
Tel: (617) 491-5824. Email: patriciajtang@hotmail.com
Senegal contact: Africa Fête Dakar. Fax: (221) 822-4132
Tel: (221) 822-3168. Email: medinavl@telecomplus.sn

Contributed by: Banning Eyre