tassou that began to emerge in the early \'90s.
In recent years, Senegal has become perhaps the most active and productive laboratory for the massive African hip-hop movement. Positive Black Soul was among the first to achieve prominence when they collaborated with Baaba Maal in 1994. PBS remains active, but now, there are many rap and hip-hop acts in Dakar, mixing traditional sounds from various ethnic groups with heavy dance beats and hard-hitting--mostly positive--social commentary. Senegal\'s MC Solar made his break in France with a cool, whispery take on the genre, but Dakar\'s new crop, led by acts like Daara J, are now ascendant back in Senegal.
Meanwhile, there are comebacks. After a 15 year pause, the greatest of Senegal\'s salsa bands, Orchestra Baobab, reunited in 2000 and are now among the most celebrated African acts on the international scene. Mining their large repertoire from the 70s, this band delivers a blend of star vocal talent, sensuous Latin grooves and rich elements from Wolof, Fula, Mande and other West African cultures that still sounds fresh and relevant all these years later. The group has been active ever since with their positive take on rap.
And there are other veterans at work reinvigorating Senegal\'s music scene. Once a singer in the innovative \'70s band Xalam, Souleymane Faye now has a strong solo career, and in a departure from the customary standoffishness among competing stars, Souleymane has collaborated with star singers Cheikh Lô and Coumba Gawlo Seck. Ex-Super Etoile drummer Pape Dieng has joined the growing ranks of Dakar producers, turning out superior mbalax releases for Thione Seck and relative newcomer Khar M\'Baye Maddiaaga, a female griot singer whose melismatic voice recalls gravel-throated flamenco singers. But despite competition from Khar and Coumba, the grand lady of Senegalese pop remains Kine Lam, a booster of traditional culture who roared onto the pop scene in the \'80s and now records both acoustic traditional records and state-of-the-art mbalax.
Dakar has one of the most prolific recording industries in Africa and some of the best musical nightlife anywhere. Music piracy remains a serious problem, but one that is out in the open and very much part of public and political discourse. Meanwhile, live music is thriving in the city with Youssou N\'Dour\'s Thiosane nighclub and the Kilimanjaro, the favorite roost of Thione Seck, among the preferred destinations for the city\'s devoted, music loving public.
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Straddling the lands of the great West African empires and the Atlantic coast, with its link to the Americas, Senegal naturally bridges ancient and modern worlds. Nowhere is that clearer than in the country's exemplary music.
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