Art, sculpture, music, and dance remain typically Senegalese in expression. Sculpture is characterized by abstraction and by the ideogram, through which the artist de-emphasizes the material aspect to give free rein to ideas and feelings; a sculptured gazelle, for example, may be represented solely by its horns and its neck, or an elephant may be depicted only by the immense fan formed by its ears and its trunk. Similarly, because traditional Senegalese music is not written down, the imagination of the musician is critical. This is especially true for griots. Once court artists, they are today a predominantly hereditary caste of traditional West African troubadour-historians who perform a variety of social and cultural functions—from genealogy and praise singing to acting as key celebrants of village ceremonies. Accompanying themselves, usually with a kora (a long-necked, multistringed instrument), griots recite poems or tell stories, often of warrior deeds, that contain a core of ideas around which they may improvise. Dance also owes much to improvisation, though professional troupes such as the Ballet National du Senegal, founded by Léopold Senghor in 1960, have created highly choreographed presentations that draw on many ethnic traditions.

Contemporary Senegalese music combines traditional styles, instruments, and rhythms with those of Western music. One of the first bands to blend these musical styles was the Star Band, established by Ibra Kassé in the early 1960s. Orchestra Baobab, founded in 1970, fuses Latin American elements—especially Cuban—with African languages and rhythms. Youssou N’Dour, one of Africa’s most famous recording artists, achieved worldwide fame with his bands Étoile de Dakar and Super Étoile de Dakar. He is known for blending traditional mbalax (a type of drumming) and more-modern elements of such Western styles of music as rock and pop. Another internationally known recording artist is Baaba Maal, a Fulani musician who often uses traditional African instruments but also draws from several styles of Western music, notably pop and reggae.

Senegalese literature is personified by Senghor, the former president who in 1983 became the first person from sub-Saharan Africa to be elected to the Académie Franƈaise. A poet and philosopher as well as a politician, he was associated with Negritude, a literary movement that celebrated the traditional culture of sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to Senghor, its practitioners include Ousmane Socé, David Diop, Sheikh Hamidou Kane, and Abdoulaye Sadji, all of whom are known for works that imaginatively reflect the flavour of Senegalese life. Mariama Bâ, one of Senegal’s few women writers, is known for her novel Une si longue lettre (1980; So Long a Letter). Another noted Senegalese author, Ousmane Sembène, wrote the classic Les Bouts de bois de Dieu (1960; God’s Bits of Wood), a fictional account of a strike of African railroad workers that occurred in the late 1940s.

About the time of that book’s publication, Sembène, eager to reach a larger, nonliterate Senegalese audience, began making motion pictures, first in French and then in his native Wolof language. His films include La Noire de... (1966; Black Girl), depicting the virtual enslavement of a Senegalese servant by a French family; Ceddo (1977; Outsiders), portraying the clash between traditional African and Islamist beliefs; Guelwaar (1992), a political thriller that examines Christian-Muslim conflict; and Moolaadé (2004; Protection), about the controversial practice of female genital cutting (also referred to as female genital mutilation or female circumcision). Other prominent Senegalese filmmakers include Djibril Diop Mambéty, Abacabar Samb-Makharam, and Safi Faye, the first sub-Saharan African woman to direct a feature film, Kaddu beykat (1975; Letters from My Village).

Cultural institutions

After the first World Festival of Negro Arts was organized at Dakar in 1966, a number of existing institutions were reoriented toward African traditions, and others were created, such as the Dynamique Museum, the Daniel Sorano Theatre, and the Tapestry Factory of Thiès. Since then, other institutions have been created, such as the Grand National Theater of Dakar and the Museum of Black Civilizations, the latter having a large collection of African cultural artifacts. The craft village of Soumbédioune in Dakar has become a popular marketplace and a centre for Senegalese artisans. The Fundamental Institute of Black Africa (Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire; IFAN) maintains the Théodore Monod African Art Museum in Dakar, which explores the anthropology of Africa and has a collection of African art. Gorée Island, with its remnants of the Atlantic slave trade, is a popular tourist attraction and was designated a World Heritage site in 1978.

Sports and recreation

Senegal has one of the most active national sports scenes in West Africa. Dakar has hosted the All Africa Games and several Africa Cup football (soccer) championships. A national holiday was declared after Senegal beat France in first-round play at the 2002 football World Cup, in Senegal’s first appearance in the competition. The country has national men’s and women’s football and basketball teams that rank among the best in Africa. Traditional African wrestling is also extremely popular throughout the country, and Senegalese wrestlers are among the best-known national sports figures. They wrestle in a sandy arena and attempt to win by making their opponent’s knees, shoulder, or back touch the sand. Matches are festive and lively occasions, with music, dancing, and praise singing for the athletes; the actual wrestling bouts, however, are often over within a few seconds.

Media and publishing

Senegal was the first of the former French West African territories to have a press. Daily newspapers include Le Soleil and several others. Radio Sénégal broadcasts are in French and English and in several African languages; the French-language station Africa No. 1, from Gabon, and Radio France Internationale are also available. Television is prevalent, with stations broadcasting in Arabic, French, and English as well as Wolof and other African languages. Phone booths and phone stores with fax machines can be found in rural and urban areas. Internet services are also available, and some Senegalese newspapers and magazines are published online.