Ba Balance
Electric guitar and African percussion in a raw, groove-based dialogue.
Ba Balance is a Danish–Gambian duo consisting of guitarist Preben Carlsen and percussionist Sal Dibba. The project is built around a stripped-down setup of electric guitar and West African percussion, allowing space, rhythm and interplay to take center stage.
Carlsen and Dibba first met in Copenhagen in 2001 and have since played together in numerous constellations within the world music, jazz and roots scenes. In 2019 they formed Ba Balance to highlight a long-term, intuitive musical exchange developed through years of collaboration, touring and shared musical curiosity.
The music draws on African traditions as well as Carlsen's Western background in blues, jazz and psychedelic rock. Modern electric guitar textures are blended with ancient rhythms in a personal take on contemporary desert blues and afro-rock.
Ba Balance released their critically acclaimed debut album Around the Crocodile Pond in 2020. The album received international airplay and reviews, reached the Top 20 on World Music Charts Europe, and led to nominations at Danish Music Awards Roots and Danish Blues Awards.
In 2025, Ba Balance began a collaboration with the acclaimed bassist and producer Laust 'Krudtmejer' Nielsen. The trio is currently working on a forthcoming album, with the first singles released during 2025—including a track featuring award-winning blues musician Big Creek Slim on vocals. As the project evolves, more guest features are expected to join. This partnership marks a new creative trajectory, blending Nielsen's expertise and flavours with the band's evolving sound.
Preben Carlsen
Preben Carlsen is a Danish guitarist and composer whose work moves between blues-based traditions, experimental music and longterm encounters with West African music.
Growing up on the west coast of Denmark, his early musical path led from punk and psychedelic rock towards jazz, roots and improvised music. Over more than two decades, travels, meetings and collaborations in West Africa have shaped his musical perspective and approach to the guitar.
Alongside Ba Balance, Carlsen has met and collaborated with musicians across diverse musical backgrounds — ranging from Malian kora virtuoso Toumani Diabaté and Ghanaian highlife singer A.B. Crentsil to American funk and soul saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis.
In Denmark, he is working with various artists as freelancer and has been a long-term collaborator with Dawda Jobarteh and Moussa Diallo.
Salieu Dibba
Salieu Dibba grew up in Bakau on the Gambian coast, where he began his musical journey at an early age through hands-on experience with percussion and live music environments.
Now based in Scandinavia, Dibba has developed a personal approach to West African percussion that moves freely between tradition and contemporary contexts. Over the years, he has collaborated with a wide range of international artists from both African and Western musical worlds, including Tony Allen, Toumani Diabaté and Titiyo, experiences that have further shaped his open, responsive playing style.
In Ba Balance, Dibba's percussion forms an essential counterpoint to the electric guitar — anchoring the music while leaving space for movement, interaction and dynamics on stage.
Quotes and Reviews
Rocking electric guitar and percussion duets, like an African White Stripes.
..a high-class desert blues album. If you are into African blues, you should not hesitate to listen to this distinguished debut album from Ba Balance.
Guitar and percussion. That's it. That's what you get. But what a world of music you enter when two old friends – one from Denmark, the other from The Gambia and each a master of their own craft - sit down and decide, finally, to make a record.
A fascinating sound that will appeal to fans of both World Music and Classic Retro Blues Rock. It's instrumental and very groovy, while the fact that only guitars and percussion are used and it still has a swinging rocking sound..You can really feel the joy and excitement of these 2 talented musicians.
This is such a rare case, where the whole is infinitely greater than the sum of the parts..super deluxe debut album!
You will hear the pleasure of playing together in every song..a beautiful musical landscape that you have never heard before. Awesome! An absolute must.
Not often you hear a CD from a duo that sounds so full and mature.. heavy desert rock, blues, pop and even a touch of folk. 'Around the Crocodile Pond' is a fantastic album: open in sound and full of color.
An impressive concert for guitar and percussion..The mood is reminiscent of both raw blues from the Mississippi River Delta and brings memories from the African desert of Mali.