National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Djambutu Thiossane is a Senegalese group led by the N'diaye brothers, who leven their traditional griot sound with mbalax—a Senegalese pop style rooted in Wolof percussion and centered on dance and the sabar drum. Its rhythms are pulsating and the dancers are known for their incredible acrobatic leaps. The group uses a combination of drums to achieve their deeply textured, polyrhythmic sound, including the sabar, djembe, dum dum, and de axila. On occasion they are also accompanied by the crystalline sound of the kora, the mandang harp. —Courtesy Calabash Music