Dakar, Jan. 25 to Feb. 7, 2027
Tour schedule details are in progress. Join the interest list to receive the full itinerary when it is released.
You’re invited to join Sean Barlow and Banning Eyre of the Peabody Award-winning Afropop Worldwide public radio series for a unique, culturally immersive visit to Senegal, one of Africa’s most exciting musical destinations. We’ll experience a wide range of music cultures--from a deep dive into lively music scene of the capital, Dakar, a cultural, artistic and intellectual powerhouse of West Africa, to experiencing rich traditional music in village settings in the countryside Grammy Award winner Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour (and Afropop Board member) popularized the local mbalax music globally, and we will go deep with this thrilling music genre with the rising stars of mbalax. We’ll also arrange private sessions with veteran and emerging artists. We took Afropop fans to Senegal in 1997 and 1999. 2027 will be better than ever!
“The amount of research and planning that went into the itinerary must have been staggering. We explored so many aspects of Tanzania that we could not have discovered on our own or in such depth.”
- Gareth, 2024 Afropop Tanzania Tour Participant
Info Zoom session on the tour with Sean and Banning will be on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 8 pm (ET). Email info@afropop.org, subject “Senegal tour zoom” and we’ll send link
Also if you’re in the NYC metro area, join us for a Senegal dinner party for info on tour at Africa Kine Senegalese restaurant in Harlem on Sat. Jan. 17 at 7. Email info@afropop.org subject “Senegal dinner”
Movers and shakers in the local creative community will join us for meals and seminars on the tour. We’ll visit the infamous Gorée island (a UNESCO World Heritage Centre,) as well as world class arts museums, bustling markets, grand mosques, a beautiful Atlantic Ocean beach, traditional villages, take a cooking lesson, bargain for crafts, and more. Along our merry way you’ll enjoy what Senegalese proudly call teranga, Wolof for “hospitality.”
For nearly 30 years, Afropop Tours have created highly memorable experiences for music and culture lovers in Senegal, Mali, Cape Verde, Madagascar, Cuba, and Tanzania. Our tours are led by Afropop co-founders Sean Barlow and Banning Eyre who combined have 80 years of experience doing original research and recording in 45 countries in Africa and the diaspora for our radio show, including many visits to Senegal, profiling and befriending Senegal’s world class stars and forging relationships with the country’s leaders in the arts. They will bring us access to artists, producers, thinkers, influencers, local music experts and guides on the ground in Senegal.
“The Afropop team took us on a mind-blowing, unparalleled journey into music, culture, history and adventure!”
- Sam Sirkin,2024 Afropop Tanzania Tour Participant
Participants often refer to our Afropop tours as “life-changing experiences.” The significant number of repeat participants testify to the quality of our tours. We attract a lively, globally groovin’, curious, thoughtful, eclectic group of individuals. Fun people to travel with! Our travelers often make friends for life with fellow travelers.
“This was the trip of a lifetime for me. I loved the variety of experiences we had--the: music and the mix of cultures.”.
--Debbie, Afropop Tanzania 2024 participant
Your comfort is a priority as we’ll stay at top class hotels and enjoy the best restaurants offering delicious local Senegalese cuisine.
Delta and Virgin Atlantic fly direct from JFK to Dakar, 8 hour flights. We’ve planned tour dates around their flight schedules. Flights fill up so advise you book as soon as dates are finalized.
There already is quite a buzz from veteran Afropop travelers and others about this Afropop Tour to Senegal in 2027 and we anticipate it will sell out so we suggest you make your deposit soon to reserve your spots!
Banning and Sean are heading to Senegal in Feb. 2026 to do see new artists, check out clubs, hotels, restaurants, road test excursions out of Dakar and in general do research on the 1,001 things required for a successful Afropop tour. More detailed tour itinerary is forthcoming.
Tour info: Sarah Sponzo, Sponzo Travel, 203-927-4200, sarah@sponzotravel.com
Payment info: Lynn Jones, Afropop Worldwide, 917-723-6303, lynn@afropop.org
Tour price will include all hotels, all meals, non-alchoholic beverages, guides, ground transportation, entrance to clubs and museums, concerts, tips for drivers and guides and restaurant staff.
Not included is travel and medical insurance, alchoholic beverages, international flight, souvenirs or items of a personal nature, tips for hotel staff
COST: Note: we are still gathering cost details from Senegal. Tour program price to be announced shortly.
About Afropop Worldwide: Launched in 1988 by NPR and hosted by broadcast legend Georges Collinet from Cameroon, Afropop Worldwide was the first nationally syndicated broadcast platform for contemporary African and diaspora music. We have done original research in 45 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe and the U.S. and introduced music fans around the globe to the continent’s greats. Our community also connects to us via afropop.org, podcasts, our bi-monthly e-Newsletter, Instagram, our Afropop Hall of Fame galas and other events as well as our renowned Afropop Tours to Africa. Go to afropop.org for more information and to sign up to join the Afropop community. The Founder of Afropop Worldwide is Sean Barlow. The Co-Founder is Banning Eyre.
Info Zoom session on the tour with Sean and Banning will be on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 8 pm (ET). Email info@afropop.org, subject “Senegal tour zoom” and we’ll send link
Also if you’re in the NYC metro area, join us for a Senegal dinner party for info on tour at Africa Kine Senegalese restaurant in Harlem on Jan. 17. Email info@afropop.org subject “Senegal dinner”
