BEHIND THE SCENES
Sometimes you have to get lost to find what you’re looking for.
The truth is, when I boarded the ferry to Gorée Island, I thought (thanks to an erroneous map
I’d found online) that Dread Amala’s Bufalo Soldier record shop was on the island. It was only
the blank stares I got when asking for the ‘boutique de musique’ that helped me realise I’d been
misinformed. During my search, a few helpful souls pointed me in the direction of a ‘studio’, which
I naturally wanted to investigate. That’s how I stumbled across Civil Society (guitarist Fallou Kandji,
pictured) and the remarkable story of the reggae band that makes its music in a former slave fort.
By Kevin Perry
MUSIC IN DAKAR
Drum lessons with Ibou Sene (pictured above)
http://www.facebook.com/SenegalStyleAfricanDrum
School; Rue DD-16.
Bufalo Soldier Music Shop
http://www.facebook.com/BufaloSoldierMusicShop;
Jet d’Eau roundabout, 11000.
Play Club at Hôtel Al Afifa
46 rue Jules Ferry, Dakar-Plateau
Espace Vema
Route de l’Embarcadère de GoréeSIGHTS IN DAKAR
Ferry to Gorée Island
Ferries depart for Île de Gorée from Dakar's
main port (www.portdakar.sn).
House of Slaves
You have the option to hire a private guide
(Île de Gorée; entry: ` 52/ person).
African Renaissance Monument
At 161ft tall, this is the tallest statue in Africa
and thus pretty hard to miss.
Village des Arts de Dakar
Good for local art (Dakar 19024)
Institut Français du Sénégal
Cultural group with a restaurant and record stall
(www.institutfrancais-senegal.com;
3 rue Parchappe)A LOCAL’S TIPS By photographer
Emmanuelle AndrianjafyI have been living in Dakar since 2011.
The urban sprawl, hectic environment
and coastal yet semi-arid conditions struck
me on arrival. Eight years later,
I still feel overwhelmed by the city.
It is an immense construction site
of concrete and blowing sand, with busy
streets where people work, bargain,
chat, pray, do the laundry and play.
Dakar is a whirlwind, so I particularly enjoy
spending time in quiet places.
AMBY fitness
Alpha Barry runs a beach gym for
personal training or small group classes
(www.facebook.com/amby.fitness).
Djinkoumé House
A maquis (open-air restaurant)
serving Ivoirien and Togolese dishes
(www.facebook.com/
DjinkoumeHouseDkr)
Espace Médina
A long-standing art space, but also
a mosque and Senegalese family house
(Rue 33 x 10, Médina)
Raw Material Company
Raw offers a diverse programme
of conferences, artist talks, exhibitions
and residencies (www.
rawmaterialcompany.org).
Simone Café
The only Brazilian coffee and dessert
house in Dakar (www.simonecafe.com)August 2019 99