Ismael Lo Essentials

An important export of Senegalese music, singer-songwriter, bandleader, guitarist and harmonica-player Lo tackles both soft esoteric ballads and trademark Senegalese urban beats, commonly known as mbalax, making a swift leap from African dancefloors to the European charts. From laid-back R&B sung in Wolof to euphoric sabar-led drumming, as well as folk and Afropop, he brings forth vital social and religious matters, underscored by his warm, compassionate voice. Always in focus, in soft-spoken lyrics and inherited rhythms, is his motherland Senegal. Hear all the sounds of a true artist here.