On leaving college he toured West Africa with longtime friend, guitarist and Griot, Mansour Seck, soaking up more knowledge, "it's traditional for young musicians to do that. When you arrive in every village you do a gig. This makes you friendly with all the young people who are in the village. The next day the young people take you to visit the oldest person who knows about the history of the village and the country and about the history of the music". From there Baaba lived in Paris for several years, studying at the Conservatoire des Beaux Arts, with ears still wide open.

Baaba Maal