Released by Smithsonian Folkways (the Smithsonian Institution’s non-profit record label), the Senegalese ekonting track “Bapaalay (Friendship),” by the band Esukolaa, will appear on the forthcoming album Ears of the People: Ekonting Songs from Senegal and The Gambi (out 4 February). The band includes Elisa Diedhiou—one of only a few women who play the ekonting, which is a musical ancestor to the banjo. The melodic track contains a call for unity between individuals across the African diaspora.
Esukolaal: Bapaalaay (Friendship)
