Pape Samory Seck

A highly regarded vocalist with a gruff baritone voice that has sometimes been compared to that of Louis Armstrong, Seck was very successful in Senegal, working alone and with master musician Thioneseck's group, and on the verge of greater attention in the rest of the world when liver cancer killed him. Coming from a family of Senegalese musicians, or griots, Seck became a virtuoso on the sabar and djembe drums. Over the years, he wandered far from traditional music to incorporate jazz, Latin and other styles into his music, eventually becoming one of the most important figures in Afro-Latin music. In 1992 he was brought to America as part of the Africando project. He was married to Isseu Niang, a top film and television star. ~ Steven McDonald