The new video for ‘Gilli Men’, off Baaba’s new album – The Traveller – was directed by Nate Campion, who commissioned three artists to draw and sculpt Baaba Maal himself. Each had a day to make one piece of art, which was recorded and subsequently edited by Camponi. The video is interspersed with painted dancers, moving to the driving rhythms and drums of the song.
For information on Baaba’s latest album release The Traveller please click here.
I’ve been an enormous fan of Baaba Maal since I heard his incredible vocal on the Ridley Scott film Black Hawk Down score. I’ve always wanted to make a video where we document art being created but in a way that feels flowing, magical and cinematic. Baaba’s spiritual sound felt like the right coupling for that idea and I felt that it would be pretty powerful to have them actually paint and sculpt him. The idea was very experimental, but as we went along and explored, we discovered subtle visual connections between each scene and it felt like each piece of art was connected and driven by the music.
Thomas Merton
For me a video of my music is a canvas of movement and colour. Music represented by art. I love the art form, the two worlds coming together like the sculpture of music.
Baaba Maal