The multi-instrumentalist, writer, composer, and radio artist Ibaaku is one of the pioneers of Sengalese Afro Futurism. His music is original and hypnotic with expansive urban influences. His album debut Alien Cartoon, released by Akwaaba in January 2016, was inspired by Dakar’s murmuring energy as well as the green beaches of Casamances and the raw rocks of Sardinia, where the artist often finds escape.

Ibaaku started his musical career in Dakar in the 1990s with the group Still. Since then he has moved freely between different genres, whether it be hip hop, soul, jazz, or folk, never fully embracing one and always on the move. From the beginning Ibaaku was already seen as a producer with great artistic integrity, having worked with several stars on the Senegalese Hip Hop scene (Xuman, Keyti, Daara J, Matador, and more).

Alien Cartoon, inspired by a fashion show put on by designer Selly Raby Kane, explores Dakar as a city of the future. It’s not only about how the West African metropole will develop over time and space, but also about what might happen to its originality and personality. Alien Cartoon is a time travel which combines visuals with fashion and music, originating from Ibaaku himself.