DAKAR, Sept 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Senegalese singer and musician Samba
Diabare Samb, named a “living human treasure” by UNESCO in 2006, has died at
the age of 96, President Macky Sall said on Saturday.
“Senegal has lost one of its most illustrious sons,” he said, adding that
the musician had been “a symbol of dignity and social cohesion” as well as a
virtuoso xalam player, a traditional West African stringed instrument similar
to a lute.
Born in 1924 into a family of Griots, praise singers who are born into the
profession, the instrument is traditionally heard at weddings, infant naming
ceremonies and as part of folklore ensembles.
A noted historian, genealogist and poet, Samba Diabare Samb is also
remembered for a memorable television programme broadcast on the eve of
independence in 1960 celebrating Senegal’s cultural legacy.