With his long dreadlocks and patchwork clothes, Cheikh Lô is often mistaken for a Rastafarian. In fact, his look reflects his membership of the Baye Fall, a Sufi movement in Senegal. His music is as layered as his story: Senegalese, Burkinabè, Cuban and Congolese all at once.
Bobo-Dioulasso
Cheikh N’Digel Lô was born on 12 September 1955 to Senegalese parents in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. He began playing drums and singing at an early age.
Volta Jazz
In 1976, he joined Orchestre Volta Jazz, a variety band in Bobo-Dioulasso that played Cuban and Congolese pop as well as traditional Burkinabè music. The experience gave him a wide musical vocabulary.
Senegal
Lô moved to Senegal in 1978 and performed with several mbalax groups, learning the fast, percussive style that dominated Senegalese popular music.
Paris
By 1985, he was playing guitar with musicians from Côte d’Ivoire and France, and in 1987 he recorded material in Paris.
Youssou N’Dour
His breakthrough came when Youssou N’Dour offered to produce his debut album. Ne La Thiass, released in 1995, became a global success and introduced his warm voice and relaxed grooves to world music audiences.
Baye Fall
Lô is a member of the Baye Fall, a movement within the Mouride Sufi order of Islam. His dreadlocks are part of the order’s customs, and many of his songs carry spiritual themes.
Albums
His albums include Bambay Gueej in 1999, Lamp Fall in 2005, Jamm in 2010, Balbalou in 2015 and Maame in 2025. He also recorded Chanchullo in 2000 with the Cuban pianist Rubén González.
Influences
Lô has spoken of his love for Congolese music, especially Tabu Ley Rochereau. His songs blend mbalax, Cuban son, Congolese rumba and reggae.
Collaborations
He has collaborated with artists including Les Nubians and Manu Dibango, and appears on compilations of Senegalese music.
His voice
Lô’s voice is high, soft and expressive, often floating over busy percussion. He sings in Wolof and French, and his relaxed delivery gives even fast mbalax songs a sense of calm.
On stage
His concerts mix dance grooves with devotional moments, and audiences in Europe and Africa often respond to both with equal enthusiasm.
A traveller’s music
Cheikh Lô’s life crossed borders before his music did. Born in Burkina Faso, rooted in Senegal and shaped by Havana and Kinshasa, his songs sound like a map of West African musical history.
