Xalam is a prolific Senegalese band known for it's own fusion of jazz, rock and African rhythms. Founded in 1965 by Sakhir Thiam (songwriter, guitarist, scholar and future President of the Dakar Bourguiba University), this first formation became known as Xalam I, After the group first disbanded, Ndiouga Kebe, a wealthy businessman, offered them to be the house band at his new nightclub, the Sahel, thus the band became known as l'Orchestre du Sahel. Original members of the band consisted of Cheikh Tidiane Tall (guitar, keyboards), Seydina Insa Wade (acoustic guitar, vocals), Idrissa Diop (percussion, vocals), Djigui Diabaté (drums), Thierno Koite (alto and soprano saxophone, flute) Mbaye Fall a.k.a. "Otis" (voice), Willy Sakho (bass), Alassane Ndoye (congas), Emmanuel Batta (trombone), Jean Ndiaye (trumpet), Pape Djiby Ba (guiro, voice), René Cabral (voice), Later, under the leadership of drummer Abdoulaye Prosper Niang it reincarnated itself as Xalam II]. After Prosper Niang's passing in 1988 he band when into hiatus to finally resurface as Xalam III.