Loading details…
Artist
Omar Pene
12+ albums
africasenegalmbalaxafropopafrican
about
Omar Pene (born 1956 in Dakar) is the emblematic lead singer of the Super Diamono. He was born in the working class neighborhood of Derkle. In the mid seventies (1975-1976), he joined the Super Diamono, one of the longest running Senegalese popular bands- just. Recruited by Bailo Diagne, the first base-player and a founding member of the group, Omar Pene stood out as the most natural fixture in the band. Along with his band members, Bassirou Diagne- Bob Sene- Aziz Seck- Lapa Diagne- Adama Faye- Abdou Mbacke and, little after, Ismael Lo - already know as “l’homme orchestre” (one man band) due to his solo performances, they helped shape Senegalese contemporary music. During the eighties, in Dakar, there were two dominant types of melomanes, the ones bitten by the frenetic and highly syncopative Mbalax of the Super Etoile, who frequented Djender and later on Thiossane night club, and those who religiously consumed the progressive bluesy-funky- soulful brand of local fusion of Super Diamono- who filled the Balafon Club located in the other side of town, near the Port Autonome de Dakar. Although Omar Pene and Youssou Ndour, always maintained an healthy and lively artistic competition, their supporters pledged a loyalty only seen among opposing football fans (soccer). In many ways, both used the Mbalax, which is almost unavoidable, once the Sabar is involved, but they did it differently. Over the years many of the group’s original members went on to other things, Omar Pene stayed;
