In the mid-80s, Lo left Diamono to pursue a solo career and was replaced by singer Mamadou Maigra, one of numerous personnel changes that refreshed the group’s image and sound, but also limited its ability to reach a broad audience. While Diamono enjoyed great fame and a devoted following in Senegal (it’s rumored that rivalries between Diamono and N’Dour fans would sometimes lead to violence on Dakar’s streets), they never received the international attention of compatriots N’Dour and Baaba Maal.

A few years later, in 1991, Pene revamped Diamono entirely, recruiting a slew of Senegalese session musicians. Super Diamono, as the Senegalese knew it in the 80s, was no more. In its place, the singer began a solo career and, while Diamono’s namesake disappeared, it’s musical legacy lives on in Pene’s music. Pene recorded several albums throughout the 90s and early 00s, including a collaborative effort with N’Dour, in which each covered the others’ songs. Together with Baaba Maal, N’Dour and Ismael Lo, Pene earned himself a spot among Senegal’s greats.

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Omar Pene

West Africa

Senegal

Often hailed as the "people's band of Dakar" in the 80s and early 90s, Super Diamano, with their politically charged, funky, jazz-mbalax style, was one of the few Senegalese groups to rival superstar Youssou N'Dour. Read more on Omar Pene...

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