Gueladio Ba
About Gueladio
Gueladio has been making music since he was 9 years old thanks to his father. First with the group “Khumaru” of Touré Kunda and Hamidou Touré, where he learns to sing and keep rhythm. 2 years later, his father taught him to play guitar.
Originally from Mauritania, Gueladio moved to Dakar, Senegal, to work as an apprentice with Baaba Maal. This is how he learns folkloric rhythms and singing techniques. When he returned to Mauritania, he began playing with different groups.
In 2016, he fled the social and political injustice in his homeland and came to Belgium, where he soon joined the Brussels open arts house Globe Aroma. In addition to his own project with the group “les Griots” ( more information on the topic below), he often plays with other Brussels musicians.
His music
His music is best described as West African blues with many traditional influences, especially from the griots culture such as the Peul. In addition to a large number of concerts, Gueladio Ba also collaborated on the music score for the Bruzz documentary about the small castle (where he himself stayed for a long time), the theater play ‘Edmond & Samba’ by Marc Bober and with Hans van Cauwenberghe and his song ‘Samba’ is on the Globe Aroma compilation ‘SE LAL BUM’.
He also frequently collaborates with Muziekpublique, where he played a number of concerts, including in the “world music chain” and the “hide and seek” festival. He performed on stage at the Ancienne Belgique for the release of Se Lal Bum.
Gueladio & les griots
In the generation before the two brothers Guéladio and Cheykhou Bâ, there was a large Mauritanian family of griots called BâGuisse, created from the alliance of the two families Bâ and Guisse. The father of Guéladio and Cheyhkou, Saïdou Bâ, musician and griot, was part of this family. Known for the technique of the traditional instrument “the HODOU” and the guitar he developed. During his lifetime, he succeeded in getting people around the world to listen to Mauritanian sounds.
The griots’ journey will take you on the waves of traditional Mauritanian music, blues, jazz and afro dance. With their instruments, they encounter each other to create a dialogue with the audience about their current situation. The music of Gueladio & les griots starts from a strong commitment to world peace and the sharing of culture.
Gueladio & les griots is made up today of the following experienced musicians: Cheykhou Ba (Hoddu,percussion, drums, gourd and talking drum), Gaëtano Vullo (bass guitar), Baptiste Beignon-Pivert (alto saxophone and harmonica) and Gueladio Ba (vocals and guitar).
More video’s by Gueladio: