THE BEAT GOES ON IN DAKAR
THE BEAT GOES ON IN DAKAR
Travel is all about the vibe and discovering places that lift your spirits and fill your soul with music. If Dakar doesn’ t inspire you, it might be time to recharge. As the birthplace of Mbalax and a hub for Afrobeat, this coastal capital buzzes with energy, rhythm, and style. From live music that gets you dancing to lively galleries, open-air markets, and streets lined with boutiques, Dakar offers culture with a beat. United Airlines makes it easy to find the rhythm, offering nonstop flights from Washington Dulles International Airport( IAD) to Senegal’ s Blaise Diagne International Airport( DSS) three times a week.
The Pointe des Almadiesi area is known for a lively club scene featuring bands and DJs who play Mbalax fused with African and world beats that energize everyone under the colorful lights. Beachfront bars provide relaxed outdoor settings bathed in the Atlantic Ocean breeze.
The Atlantic also provides the foundation for Dakar’ s lively cuisine, starting with thieboudienne, the local one-pot dish and Senegal’ s national favorite, made with fresh fish, rice, and tomatoes. Like this traditional recipe, menus across the city showcase local flavors with dishes such as caldou, a fish and vegetable stew, dibi, street barbecue, and others perfected in homes throughout the capital and the country. Not all dishes are seafood, though. Mafe, a chicken and peanut stew, and many locally spiced lamb dishes are also essential on any food journey here.
Americans discovered global street markets in the early 2000s and have never looked back. One hopes the craft market will gain the same appreciation someday. Dakar bustles with permanent craft fairs, stalls overflowing with brightly colored, embroidered fabrics, artisanal objects, flea market finds, and, yes, street food, produce, and spice vendors. The Kermel Marché combines all of these elements to create a vibrant community experience. Jewelry makers and artists work onsite at the seaside Soumbédioune Marché, just as they do at the urban Sandaga Marché.
The visual arts keep pace every two years during Dak’ Art, the Biennial of Contemporary African Art. Now in its third decade, Dak’ Art encourages artists from Africa and the African diaspora to share their creativity around various themes during the month-long celebration. The immersive works hold significance far beyond their galleries, sparking conversation, reflection, and appreciation. Dak’ Art returns to Senegal in 2026.
You don’ t have to wait until next year to explore and celebrate Africa’ s contemporary art scene. The IFAN Museum of African Arts has showcased modern African art in Dakar since 1936. The museum serves as a key exhibition space and research center for artworks and artifacts from Francophone West Africa. The ritual masks, clothing, musical instruments, and historical weaponry are among the most prominent collections displayed in Africa.
The beat is almost always within hearing range in Dakar, a city rich in artistic expression. Long known for the rise of the Afrobeat genre, local musicians sample urban melodies from around the world before blending them into inspired compositions that capture the coastal vibe in syncopated rhythms, as danceable as any melody on Earth. This joy of life, flowing from street corners, craft markets, and the beach, washes over visitors with the pulsating energy of an ocean wave.
Shopping in Dakar
Credit: Corrado Baratta
Baobab Tree in Dakar
Credit: Leamus
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AUTUMN 2025
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