Draft:Aba Diop (musician)

Babacar Diop (born 6 April 1989) is a Senegalese griot sabar player, composer, percussionist, arranger, performer, and sabar-maker. He is one of six children of Senegalese percussionist, Malik Diop.

Early life and education
Babacar Diop was born on 6 April 1989 in Kebemer, Senegal. He was born into a traditional griot family and started playing sabar percussion from an early age. He began to perform professionally at 6 years old and began playing sabars at weddings and baptisms in Senegal.

Career
In 2006, Diop began performing professionally on the stage with his uncle's group, Ngueweul Rythme. In 2009, he recorded for the first time in the studio with Ngueweul Rythme and in 2013, performed internationally, traveling with Ngeweul Rythme to France.

Diop continued to perform throughout Europe and Senegal with Ngueweul Rythme until 2018, when he started to perform with the French/Senegalese group Guiss Guiss Bou Bess. In 2018 he performed with Guiss Guiss Bou Bess at Womex, and in 2019 toured with the group through Europe. In 2019 the group performed at Transmusicales.

The trio released their first full-length album Set Sela in 2019. It contains 12 tracks in the groups signature style, mixing a variety of electronic music beats with vocals sung in Wolof and traditional Senegalese sabar drumming. In 2023 they released 2 EPs—Jolof Bass Music and Drum'n'Mbalax.

In 2020, Diop began work on a solo album, recorded at Lamp Studios in Dakar, Senegal. Over the following two years, he continued performing with Guiss Guiss Bou Bess and worked on the album periodically. In January of 2023, he finished recording his first solo album under the name Aba Diop & the Yermande Family.

Personal life
Diop is married to Bec Stupak Diop, an American artist and creative director, who is also his manager. He also has a son with Senegalese singer Seynabou Ngom.

He has numerous brothers and sisters and a large extended family. Both his father, Malik Diop, and mother Suzanne Ndiaye, are deceased.

Discography

 * Invitation (2010) – Ngueweul Rythme
 * Senegal, Souvenir des Rythmes (2013) – Ngueweul Rythme
 * Set Sela (2019) – Guiss Guiss Bou Bess
 * Jolof Bass Music EP (2023) – Guiss Guiss Bou Bess
 * Drum'n'Mbalax EP (2023) – Guiss Guiss Bou Bess
 * Selebeyon EP (to be released 2024) – Aba Diop & the Yermande Family