ABOUT
BA BALANCE
Electric guitar, effect pedals and loops meeting groovy African percussion in a musical journey. From dusty sub-Saharan moods and cinematic landscapes to dancing grooves and wild solos.
BA BALANCE is a two man band by Danish guitarist Preben Carlsen and Gambian percussion player Sal Dibba.
Carlsen and Dibba met in Copenhagen in 2001 and have since then played together with many artists specially from the world-music and jazz scene. In 2019 they formed Ba Balance to highligt a long time cultivated and intuitive interplay in between them. The dogmatic duo concept continually challenges their individual craftsmanship and creative expression in a common quest to make the music soar. The past meets the future when Ba Balance utilizes a modern stereo guitar sound blended with ancient African instruments and rhythms in their personal take on contemporary afro blues.
The repertoire is composed by Carlsen and reflects his curiosity and many musical journeys to the African continent. At the same time it has traces back to his Western upbringing with elements and stylistic references to acid rock, jazz and blues.
Their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Around the Crocodile Pond’ was released by the Danish indie label “One World Records” in may 2020. The album received great international attention from radio stations and music critics and reached top 20 on World Music Charts Europe.
Ba Balance was nominated for Danish Music Awards Roots 2020 and Danish Blues Awards 2021.
Preben Carlsen
Preben Carlsen grew up in Esbjerg, a windy seaport town on the West coast of Denmark.
Blues Rock and mainstream pop music was the local leading trends during his teens but he found his preferred way into sub-genres like punk, psychedelic and experimental jazz. While taking up the guitar and playing with local bands it all served as a starting point for a continuously personal and musical journey. From villager to world citizen he discovered the African continent and got hit by West African music.
Today its clear and no accident that Preben Carlsen has a sound and feeling for the music of sub-Saharan Africa. His guitar style has been nurtured and developed through 20 years of traveling, meetings and collaborations with masters such as Toumani Diabate, A.B. Crentsil, Fanta Mady Kouyate, Bassekou Kouyate, Pa Bobo Jobarteh, Koo Nimo, musicians from Ballét Djoliba, Harouna Samake and even Pee Wee Ellis.
Alongside his own projects Carlsen has been the regular guitarist, bass player and a collaborative arranger for various soloists, not least the Gambian kora virtuos Dawda Jobarteh and the Malian/Danish legendary bass player and singer Moussa Diallo.
During his many international tours Preben began composing the music which in 2020 resulted in the album ‘Around The Crocodile Pond’.
Sal Dibba
Sal Dibba grew up in Bakau, a vibrant town on the Gambian coast famed for its sacred crocodile pond. It was from here that he began his musical career and embarked on a journey that would eventually bring him to Scandinavia. Over the years Sal has refined his unique style, playing with and learning from some of the great masters of West African traditional percussion & contemporary Western music. He has collaborated with international musicians including Tony Allen, Toumani Diabate, Titiyo among others.
In 2019 Dibba & Carlsen created Ba Balance.
Rocking electric guitar and percussion duets, like an African White Stripes.
Nigel Williamson
Songlines Magazine April 2021
..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.
Jakob Wandam
Bluesnews.dk June 2021
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.
Iain Scott
Triple Earth & Sterns Music
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.
Strutter Magazine, June 2020
This is such a rare case, where the whole is infinitely greater than the sum of the parts..super deluxe debut album!
Dani Heyvaert
Rootstime, June 2020
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.
Holly Moors
Moors Magazine, June 2020
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.
Mattie Poels
Music Frames, June 2020
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.
Milan Tesař