Senegalese Mbalax Maestro Omar Pene To Perform In South Africa

Senegalese vocalist, composer and mbalax maestro Omar Pene and his group Le Super Diamano, often dubbed - “the people’s band of Dakar” - are set to perform their Southern African debut in South African in June 2007. The group will introduce their eclectic sounds at two intimate shows at the prestigious Kippies International Jazz venue in Newtown Johannesburg on the 28th  and 29th of June before heading to Kwa-Zulu Natal where they will perform at the closing of the Durban International Film Festival on 30 June 2007.One of the few Senegalese musicians to rival Youssou N'Dour, Omar Pene and Super Diamono  have played a pivotal role in the evolution of Senegalese music since 1972 – infusing reggae, jazz, blues and salsa influences with traditional Senegal-mbalax rhythms. The group, which once boasted the musical talent of Ismael Lo, have enjoyed immense fame and a devoted following in Senegal - not only for their deft, highly-charged musical style often termed “Afro-feeling”, but for their provocative lyrics steeped in social consciousness and unafraid to tackle difficult socio-cultural issues.  Over the years, Omar Pene and Le Super Diamono have earned a spot amongst Senegal’s music legends and attracted considerable international following.  In 1998, the group won a “gold award” as best West African group at the Kora’s held in Johannesburg and in the same year Pene was named the “Best African musician” by CFTV in the United States. Currently on tour in Europe where they have just played the London African Music Festival, the International Africa Festival in Wurzburg Germany and the Winterthur Afro Festival in Switzerland. The ten piece band featuring a kora player, a timbala/percussionist, a bassist, a dancer, backing vocalists amongst others, lead by the inimitable voice of Omar Pene look forward to bringing their sound to South Africa. Omar Pene’s shows in South Africa are brought to you by African Synergy/Book Café, an initiative working to break the cultural isolation between African countries by stimulating a network of artists, venues, festivals, bookings and innovative events through their Africa Tour Circuit (ATC) programme. Their appearance at the Durban International Film Festival is made possible by the Centre of Creative Arts of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and African Synergy/Book CafeContact Details:Nomsa MwamukaAfrican Synergy/BookTel: (082) 647 6561nomsa@nomsainc.comwww.africansynergy.com www.omarpene.org