Yandé Codou Sène (also ''Yande Codou Sene'') was a Senegalese singer from the Serer ethnic group. She was born in 1932 at Somb in the Sine-Saloum delta and died on July 15, 2010 at

Gandiaye The town and commune of Gandiaye in the Department of Kaolack, central Senegal, lies along National Route 1 about 24 kilometers from Kaolack. The population (2002) is about 10,000 consisting of the Serer, Wolof, Fula,In french: Peul or ; in ff, ...

in Sénégal. She was the official griot of president Léopold Sédar Senghor. Most of her music is in the Serer language.

Career

Yandé Codou sings in the old Serer tradition and have had a significant impact on Senegambian music as well as artists including Youssou N'Dour whom she has inspired immensely. Although she has been singing since she was a child and have had a profound effect on Senegambia's music scene, she did not record her first album (''Night Sky in Sine Saloum'') until she was aged 65. Her first recording debut on an album ''"Gainde"'' was in 1995 that she shared with Youssou N'Dour in which she received rave reviews. In that same year, her vocals were showcased on the full-length album ''Youssou N'Dour Presents Yandé Codou Sène''. RootsWorld described her as someone who: :''"can move mountains with her positively poetic voice."'' In Safi Faye's Mossane (a 1996 film), Yandé's powerful vocals received rave reviews whose song in the film is associated with the evocation of the Serer

Pangool Pangool (in Serer and Cangin) singular: Fangool (var : ''Pangol'' and ''Fangol''), are the ancient saints and ancestral spirits of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. The Pangool play a crucial role in Serer religion and hist ...

(ancestral spirits and Serer

Saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...

in the Serer religion). President Senghor who is famous for adopting the African griot technique of ''"naming"'' in his poems is adopted from the Serer tradition as in his poem ''"Aux tirailleurs Sénégalais morts pour la France."'' Yandé Codou who is proficient in this technique used a similar technique in the funeral of President Senghor.Mamadou Badiane. The changing face of Afro-Caribbean cultural identity: Negrismo and Négritude, p91. Rowman & Littlefield, 2010.

Albums

Gainde, Yandé Codou Sène and Youssou N'Dour, 1995

Yandé Codou Sène, Night Sky in Sine Saloum, 1997

Tracks

*Salmon Faye (sang in

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

) *Gainde *Keur Maang Codou *Bofia Tigue Waguene *Salmon Faye *Gnaikha Gniore Ndianesse *Natangue *Keur Mang Codou

Filmography

* Yandé Codou Sène, ''Diva Sérère'', documentary film by Laurence Gavron, 2008 * ''

Yandé Codou, la griotte de Senghor ''Yandé Codou, la griotte de Senghor'' is a 2008 Belgian-Senegalese documentary film written and directed by Angèle Diabang Brener and starring Yandé Codou Sène — two years prior to her death. The documentary is a portrayal of the life and ...

'', documentary film by Angèle Diabang Brener, 2008 * '' Mossane'', film by Safi Faye, 1996 * ''Karmen Gei'', film, directed by Joseph Gai Ramaka, 2001 *

Ousmane Sembene Ousmane is a given name or surname common in West Africa. It is derived from the Arabic name Uthman through Osman. People named Ousmane include: * Mahamane Ousmane (born 1950), Nigerien political figure * Ousmane Bangoura (born 1979), Guinean foot ...

's film '' Faat Kine''