Fascinated by the traditional rhythms of his heritage and the progressive music of the African American culture, Hervé Samb was determined to develop his own music as a force of Panafrican expression and identity.
His first band, The Hervé Samb 5tet, was a Blues-driven ensemble. Together they performed at prestigious Senegalese events and venues like the Saint Louis Jazz Festival, sharing the stage with Lucky Peterson and McCoy Tyner. Samb soon met fellow guitarist Pierre Van Dormal, who not only became his mentor, but also inspired him to seriously pursue Jazz.
In 1998 it’s the beginning of a international career: Amadou & Mariam, David Murray, Meshell Ndegeocello, Phaoroah Sanders, Cheikh Tidiane Seck, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, to say a few