SET SELA

In a part of the world where a music scene is starting to make itself heard, Senegal's Guiss Guiss Bou Bess throw an offering into the mix that's more on the experimental side but is still heaps of fun to dance to. Set Sela is their debut album, and it is an innovative ferocious and vibrant set, a mix of West African arrangements backed with a strong electronic undertone. Their live shows have been met with acclaim following their performances at WOMEX and Atlantic Music Expo in the last couple of years. And it translates well on record too, which is something that's rare to find.

The opening track, ‘Sunu Gal’, sets the tone for the album, blending deft electro beats with traditional West African music. It also has band member Mara Seck bellowing ‘as-salamu alaikum’ (‘peace be upon you’) within the first five seconds. There are too many highlights to list in a short review; the album is an absolute must-listen. ‘Waxtane’ is an impossible-to-resist dance number and ‘Jëm Ça Kanam’ is a call-and-response for all African nations to represent themselves. A brilliant record from a brilliant ensemble.

Songlines Review April 2020

LISTEN

BUY

MEET GUISS GUISS BOU BESS

Guiss Guiss Bou Bess creates a powerful sound alchemy, mixing traditional Senegalese sabar drums with deep electronic beats.

The fiery “Electro Sabar” sound was forged by the captivating Mara Seck (lead vocals & percussion, Senegal) and master beatmaker Stéphane Costantini (beatmaker, France) in 2016 in Dakar, Senegal. They then searched high and low for the best percussionist and dancer to join the group and discovered the powerful percussionist Aba Diop (percussion, Senegal) and the mesmerizing Thiate! (dancer, Senegal). Together, their unique style breaks down barriers and makes the sounds of Senegal accessible to people all over the world.

Mara and Aba are both descendents from long griot lineages. Mara (singer, percussionist) is the son of the late musician, Alla Seck, the beloved Senegalese icon most known for performing with Youssou N’Dour. Aba (percussionist) is the son of the late Malick Diop, the most powerful mystical sabar percussionist of his generation.

Stéphane (beatmaker) has lived a life devoted to electronic music and has a deep, encyclopedic knowledge of bass music from around the world. In 2016 he met Mara while doing his doctoral music research project in Dakar. They had an instant spark that began their inspired collaboration. They later met the young percussionist Aba, and the three quickly realized the explosive magic of Guiss Guiss Bou Bess. Within a short time they recorded their first EP and received invites to play at the largest festivals throughout Europe.

Their live shows are pure, high-octane energy that ignites the audience. In Senegal, there is no separation between music and dance—they are both called sabar and considered parts of the same experience. In keeping with that tradition, Guiss Guiss Bou Bess performs with the captivating young dancer Thiate (pronounced Chat!) who mixes wild sabar dancing with krumping and hip hop to create her signature Afropop style.

The drums, beats, and sounds of Guiss Guiss Bou Bess are inspired by the exuberant, bustling working class neighborhoods of Dakar. The Medina, where Mara Seck grew up, has a rich atmosphere and energy that is present throughout their sound. These close ties to their roots ensure that the traditions of sabar are honored in every song.

Together, the three have explored every style and rhythm to develop the perfect fusion of ritual percussion and bass music. They methodically respect every code of Senegalese traditions, while merging with the global rhythms of trap, dubstep, UK garage, drum & bass, bass house, afrobass and kuduro.

They have performed at concerts and festivals throughout Europe and Senegal, including Trans Musicales 2019 (featured artist), Atlantic Music Expo 2019 (Cape Verde), Kehinde Wiley’s Black Rock (Senegal), Womex 2018, among others. This summer they booked a 20+ date European tour, including major festivals such as Roskilde, which are now rescheduled for 2021.

MARA
SECK

LEAD VOCALS & PERCUSSION

Vocal leader of the group, Mara Seck, is a child of the Medina of Dakar. Coming from a large griot family, he grew up in the sabars and started playing at a very young age. Following in the footsteps of his well-known musician father, Alla Seck, Mara was soon attracted to the stage where he began as a dancer, then as a percussionist and ‘tassu’. 2016 marked a turning point in his career when he met the KAANI association and beatmaker Stéphane Costantini.

stéphane costantini

BEATMAKER

Stéphane’s passions—researching social sciences, composing, beatmaking and percussion, lead him on a research mission to Dakar. He was interested in the sabars and discovered the world of Mara and his traditional culture. A multi-disciplinary artist, Stéphane has devoted his life to the stage and to his musical projects, starting with reggae and jazz, and moving on to work with the machines in the Parisian group Electro Hip Hop, Clarkk and Co.

ABA
DIOP

PERCUSSION

The young and talented percussionist Aba Diop joined the band and is now indispensable in the creative process thanks to his musical ear and stage charisma. Born into a family of griots from Kebemer (Senegal), Aba is a multidisciplinary and self-taught musician. He plays different types of percussion (djembe, sabar, caron,...) and performs with several bands such as Ndiguel Rythme, the traditional percussion group with which he has toured extensively in Europe.

THIATE!

DANCER

The mesmerizing Thiate (pronounced Chat!) defies categorization. She’s a master of the traditional Sabar dancing of Senegal as well as krumping and hiphop styles. She mixes the dance forms seamlessly to create her own signature Afropop dance style.