“The music they made…was magnificent: hypnotic and galvanizing, uplifting and visceral.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES One of the true stars to rise from the African continent, Senegalese master musician Baaba Maal has been making music for the world to enjoy for nearly two decades. With releases ranging from contemporary Afropop to expressions of time-honored African music, his projects have received resounding critical acclaim worldwide. Baaba Maal’s unique and thought-provoking Tales from the Sahel project comes to the United States following a successful March 2011 UK tour. The intimate performances of Tales from the Sahel will feature ancient Fula stories from Senegal; a discussion about how such mythological tales have led to the inspiration that is modern Africa; and performances of songs that have emerged from these two apparently divergent strands. Maal will play with multi-instrumentalist Jim Palmer and his longstanding percussionist Mamadou Sarr in an acoustic set. Renowned for his fiery performances that fuse funk, rock and blues with the beats and melodies of West Africa, Baaba Maal returns to his roots in this special program reinforcing his role as a seminal artist in the world music arena.