Hello, I'm Krestey Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 2009. My cast away this week is the musician Baba Marr. He possesses what's been called one of the finest most distinctive

voices to come out of Africa. Yet as a child he was told he couldn't sing because he hadn't

been born into the right kind of family.

Now he's among the best known African artists in the West,

wowing audiences from the Glastonbury Festival to the proms.

But in his homeland of Senegal he is a superstar, not simply a singer, more a

profit. Someone treated with such respect that his views are sought on education, health,

and even international politics. In our society

we use songs to express what people are feeling, he says. Musicians are closer to

society in Africa. We use our voice to say what the people expect from their

leaders. I'm wondering then, Baba Mal, if that's key for you that you're able to give voice to people

who are not normally usually heard in the run of things politically.

I come from a cultural background where the history play a big role.

And we know about history, listening to these storytellers

who use the music to tell these stories.

We learn about our responsibility from the music.

If you want to be really recognized in your society,

like a musician, even you have a very beautiful voice

and people love you everywhere you come.

You have to have something into your lyrics because music.

...