Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

ese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine described him as, "perhaps the most famous singer alive" in Senegal and much of Africa. From April 2012 to September 2013, he was Senegal's Minister of Tourism. N'Dour helped develop a style of popular Senegalese music known by all

Senegambian The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

s (including the

Wolof Wolof or Wollof may refer to: * Wolof people, an ethnic group found in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * Wolof language, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * The Wolof or Jolof Empire, a medieval West African successor of the Mal ...

) as ''

mbalax Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the national popular dance music of Senegal and the Gambia. In the 1970s, mbalax emerged as the distinctive sound of postcolonial Senegal. Derived from a fusion of indigenous Wolof sabar drumming with popular music principa ...

,'' a genre that has sacred origins in the Serer music

njuup The Njuup tradition is a Serer style of music rooted in the Ndut initiation rite, which is a rite of passage that young Serers must go through once in their lifetime as commanded in the Serer religion. The Culture trip "Youssou N'Dour: An Unli ...

tradition and ndut initiation ceremonies.Sturman, Janet
''The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture''

SAGE Publications SAGE Publishing, formerly SAGE Publications, is an American independent publishing company founded in 1965 in New York by Sara Miller McCune and now based in Newbury Park, California. It publishes more than 1,000 journals, more than 800 books ...

(2019), p. 1926, . Retrieved 13 July 2019.Connolly, Sean, ''Senegal'',

Bradt Travel Guides Bradt Travel Guides is a publisher of travel guides founded in 1974 by Hilary Bradt and her husband George, who co-wrote the first Bradt Guide on a river barge on a tributary of the Amazon River, Amazon. Since then Bradt has grown into a leading ...

(2009), p. 27,

(Retrieved 13 July 2019) He is the subject of the award-winning films '' Retour à Gorée, Return to Gorée'' (2007) directed by

Pierre-Yves Borgeaud Pierre-Yves Borgeaud (born August 25, 1963 in Monthey, Switzerland) is a Swiss film director. Borgeaud has a bachelor's degree in arts at the Lausanne University in 1990, with a thesis about the influence of jazz on French writers (Paul Morand, Bor ...

and '' Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love'' (2008) directed by

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (; born ) is an American documentary filmmaker. She was the director, along with her husband, Jimmy Chin, for the film ''Free Solo'', which won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film profiled Alex ...

, which were released around the world. In 2006, N'Dour was cast as

Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (; c. 1745 – 31 March 1797), known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (), was a writer and abolitionist from, according to his memoir, the Eboe (Igbo) region of the Kingdom of Benin (today southern Nigeria). Enslaved as ...

in the film ''

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...

''.

Early life

Ethnically, N'Dour is Serer, born to a Serer father and a Toucouleur mother. However, culturally, N'Dour is

. He was born in

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

. He started performing at age 12 and would later perform regularly with the

Star Band Star Band is a music group from Senegal that was the resident band of Dakar's ''Miami Club''. They, along with the many off-shoots of the band, are responsible for many of the crucial developments in Senegalese popular music. They were formed in 1 ...

, Dakar's most popular group during the 1970s. Despite N'Dour's maternal connection to the traditional

griot A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. The griot is a repos ...

caste, he was not raised in that tradition, which he learned instead from his sibling. Although patrilineally from the noble N'Dour family, his parents' world-view encouraged a modern outlook, leaving him open to two cultures and thereby inspiring N'Dour's identity as a modern griot. As a Mouride disciple'', taalibé'' in Wolof, a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

of the

Mouride The Mouride brotherhood ( wo, yoonu murit, ar, الطريقة المريدية ''aṭ-Ṭarīqat al-Murīdiyyah'' or simply , ''al-Murīdiyyah'') is a large ''tariqa'' ( Sufi order) most prominent in Senegal and The Gambia with headquarters in ...

brotherhood, one of the large four

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

orders in

Senegambia The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

, he often incorporated aspects of

Islamic music Islamic music may refer to religious music, as performed in Islamic public services or private devotions, or more generally to musical traditions of the Muslim world. The heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, W ...

and chants into his work.

Music career

At the age of 15, Youssou N'Dour joined Super Diamono and, in 1975, toured with the band in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

.Hardy, Phil, ''The Da Capo Companion to 20th-century Popular Music'',

Da Capo Press Da Capo Press is an American publishing company with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. It is now an imprint of Hachette Books. History Founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, as a division of Plenum Publishers, it had additional of ...

(1995), p. 682, Appiah, Anthony, Gates, Henry Louis, ''Encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 1'',

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

(2010), p. 562,

/ref> In 1976 when N'Dour was 16 years old, he signed a contract to sing with Ibra Kasse's

at Kasse's Miami club in Dakar where he would become a sensation. In 1978, N'Dour would follow as several members of the Star Band left to form

Étoile de Dakar Étoile de Dakar (“Star of Dakar”) were a leading music group of Senegal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Youssou N'Dour was one of the singers in the band and the band was a major part of N'Dour's rise to stardom in Senegal. The group was ...

, a band that made important contributions to Senegal's newly evolving musical style called

Mbalax Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the national popular dance music of Senegal and the Gambia. In the 1970s, mbalax emerged as the distinctive sound of postcolonial Senegal. Derived from a fusion of indigenous Wolof sabar drumming with popular music principa ...

which incorporated traditional Senegalese music into the Latin styles that had dominated Senegalese popular music. Although they quickly became one of the city's most popular bands, the group was short-lived due to internal problems. Étoile de Dakar split into two groups: Étoile 2000 and Super Étoile de Dakar. The latter group included N'Dour, guitarist

Jimi Mbaye Mamadou "Jimi" Mbaye is a Senegalese guitarist best known for his work with Youssou N'dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer ...

, bassist

Habib Faye Habib Faye (November 22, 1965 – April 25, 2018) was a bassist, keyboardist, guitar soloist, arranger, composer and Grammy-nominated producer from Senegal. He was mostly known as the musical director for Youssou N'dour's Super Étoile de Dakar. He ...

, and tama (talking drum) player Assane Thiam. Super Étoile de Dakar produced four albums on cassette in just a few months and eventually evolved into N'Dour's backing band. By 1991, he had opened his own recording studio, and, by 1995, his own record label, Jololi. N'Dour is one of the most celebrated African musicians in history. His mix of traditional Senegalese mbalax with

eclectic Eclectic may refer to: Music * ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014 * ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996 * Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act * Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...

influences ranging from

Cuban rumba Rumba is a secular genre of Cuban music involving dance, percussion, and song. It originated in the northern regions of Cuba, mainly in urban Havana and Matanzas, during the late 19th century. It is based on African music and dance traditions, ...

to hip hop,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

has won him an international fan base of millions. In the West, N'Dour has collaborated with

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

, Axelle Red, Sting, Alan Stivell,

Bran Van 3000 Bran Van 3000 (also known as BV3) is a Canadian alternative rock and hip hop collective from Montreal, Quebec. Founded by James Di Salvio and E.P. Bergen, they collaborated on a number of songs with Stéphane Moraille, Sara Johnston, Steve "Liqui ...

Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, occasional DJ and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a number of punk roc ...

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...

James Newton Howard James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American film composer, music producer and keyboardist. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards. His film scores ...

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed inst ...

Ryuichi Sakamoto is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto inf ...

Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in modern Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (t ...

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, po ...

, and others. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' described his voice as an "arresting tenor, a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority". N'Dour's work absorbed the entire Senegalese musical spectrum, often filtered through the lens of genre-defying rock or pop music from outside Senegalese culture. In July 1993, ''Africa Opera'' composed by N'Dour premiered at the

Opéra Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...

for the French Festival Paris quartier d'été. In 1994, N'Dour released his biggest international hit single, the trilingual " 7 Seconds", a duet sung with

. He wrote and performed the official anthem of the

1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...

with Axelle Red " La Cour des Grands (Do You Mind If I Play)". ''Folk Roots'' magazine described him as the African Artist of the Century. He toured internationally for thirty years. He won his first American

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

(

best contemporary world music album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists between 2004 and 2011 for quality contemporary world music albums. The Grammy Awards, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

) for his CD ''

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

'' in 2005. He is the proprietor of ''L'Observateur'', one of the widest-circulation newspapers in Senegal, the radio station RFM (Radio Future Medias) and the TV channel TFM. In 2002, N'Dour was honoured with a Prince Claus Award, under that year's theme "Languages and transcultural forms of expression". In 2006, N'Dour played the role of the African-British abolitionist

in the movie ''

'', which chronicled the efforts of

William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 175929 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becom ...

to end slavery in the British Empire. In 2008, N'Dour offered one of his compositions, '' Bébé'', for the French singer Cynthia Brown. In 2011, N'Dour was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in music from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. In 2013, N'Dour won a share of Sweden's $150,000 Polar music prize for promoting understanding between faiths as well as for his music.

Activism

N'Dour was nominated as

Goodwill Ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a public ...

of the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

of the United Nations (FAO) on 16 October 2000. In Senegal, N'Dour became a powerful cultural icon, actively involved in social issues. In 1985, he organized a concert for the release of

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

. He was a featured performer in the 1988 worldwide

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

Human Rights Now! Tour Human Rights Now! was a worldwide tour of twenty benefit concerts on behalf of Amnesty International that took place over six weeks in 1988. Held not to raise funds but to increase awareness of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on it ...

collaborating with

on a version of the Peter Gabriel song " Biko" which was produced by

Richard James Burgess Richard James Burgess (born 29 June 1949) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, author, manager, marketer and inventor. Burgess's music career spans more than 50 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s a ...

and featured on the Amnesty International benefit album ''The Secret Policeman's Third Ball''. He worked with the United Nations and

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

, and he started Project Joko to open

internet café An Internet café, also known as a cybercafé, is a café (or a convenience store or a fully dedicated Internet access business) that provides the use of computers with high bandwidth Internet access on the payment of a fee. Usage is generall ...

s in Africa and to connect Senegalese communities around the world. In 2003, N'Dour cancelled an upcoming American tour in order to publicly deny support for the upcoming American invasion of Iraq. In a public statement explaining his decision, N'Dour said:

It is my strong conviction that the responsibility for disarming Iraq should rest with the United Nations. As a matter of conscience I question the United States government's apparent intention to commence war in Iraq. I believe that coming to America at this time would be perceived in many parts of the world--rightly or wrongly--as support for this policy, and that, as a consequence, it is inappropriate to perform in the US at this juncture.

He performed in three of the

Live 8 Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, from 6–8 July 200 ...

concerts (in

Live 8 concert, London The main Live 8 concert was held at Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom on 2 July 2005. The event is also referred to as Live 8 London or Live 8 UK. Lineup All times BST * Jonathan Ross (Introduction) (HP 14:00) * Paul McCartney and U2 – " ...

, Live 8 concert, Paris and at the

Live 8 concert, Eden Project On 2 July 2005 a Live 8 concert was held at the Eden Project, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The event was dubbed "Africa Calling", but was also known as "LIVE 8: Africa Calling" or "Africa Calling: LIVE 8 at the Eden Project". The event was initiate ...

in Cornwall) on 2 July 2005, with

. He covered

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's "

Jealous Guy "Jealous Guy" is a song written and originally recorded by English rock musician John Lennon from his 1971 album ''Imagine (John Lennon album), Imagine''. Not released as a single during Lennon's lifetime, it became an international hit in a v ...

" for the 2007 CD '' Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur''. N'Dour appeared in a joint Spain-Senegal ad campaign to inform the African public about the dramatic consequences of illegal immigration. He participated in the

Stock Exchange of Visions {{Unreferenced, date=August 2007 The Stock Exchange of Visions is a project initiated in 2006 by Fabrica, Benetton's research center. It gathers visionaries from diverse nationalities and cultures, who hail from a wide range of specialties, to prov ...

project in 2007. In 2008, he joined the

Fondation Chirac The Fondation Chirac was launched by former French President Jacques Chirac, after having served two terms in office between 1995 and 2007. Since 2008, this foundation strives for peace through five advocacy programmes: * conflict prevention * ...

's honour committee. The same year, Youssou N'Dour's microfinance organization named Birima ("Birima" is also a song's title) was launched with the collaboration of

United Colors of Benetton Benetton Group S.r.l. () is a global fashion brand based in Ponzano Veneto, Italy, founded in 1965. Benetton Group has a network of about 5,000 stores worldwide. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Benetton family's holding company Edizio ...

. In 2009, he released his song "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)" under a

Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

license to help IntraHealth International in their IntraHealth Open campaign to bring

open source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized sof ...

health applications to Africa. The song was remixed by a variety of artists including

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

, and

Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik is known for his 1996 debut single " Barely Breathing", which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He has composed ...

to help raise money for the campaign. N'Dour is a supporter of the

Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme *Bli ...

, an organisation which advocates for democratic reformation of the United Nations. N'Dour is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

Political career

At the beginning of 2012, he announced plans to stand as a candidate in the 2012 Senegalese presidential election, competing against President

Abdoulaye Wade Abdoulaye Wade (born 29 May 1926)
Encyclopedia of the Nations. Retrieved February 28, ...

. However, he was disqualified from running in the election over the legitimacy of the signatures he had collected to endorse his campaign. N'Dour backed the opposition candidate

Macky Sall Macky Sall (, wo, Maki Sàll, fuc, 𞤃𞤢𞤳𞤭 𞤅𞤢𞤤‎, italic=no, Maki Sal; born 11 December 1961) is a Senegalese politician who has been President of Senegal since April 2012. He was re-elected President in the first round voti ...

, who defeated Wade in a second round of voting in March 2012. N'Dour was appointed as Minister of Culture and Tourism in April 2012 as part of the cabinet of new Prime Minister

Abdoul Mbaye Abdoul Mbaye is a Senegalese banker and politician who was Prime Minister of Senegal from April 2012 until September 2013. He is a technocrat who was appointed prime minister by President Macky Sall following the latter's win in the 2012 presid ...

. The story of N'Dour's presidential campaign was filmed for the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

TV program '' Sound Tracks: Music Without Borders''. Later his portfolio was modified and he was appointed as Minister of Tourism and Leisure. He was dismissed from that post on 2 September 2013, when a new government under Prime Minister

Aminata Touré Aminata Touré may refer to: * Aminata Touré (Senegalese politician) * Aminata Touré (German politician) * Aminata Touré (Guinean politician) {{hndis, Toure, Aminata ...

was appointed. N'Dour was instead appointed as Special Adviser to the President, with the rank of minister, and tasked with promoting the country abroad.

Awards and nominations

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Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

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Danish Music Awards The Danish Music Awards (DMA) is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called ''IFPI-prisen'' ("IFPI-Award") until 1991, when it changed its name to ''Dansk Grammy'' ("Danish Grammy"). It was chang ...

, 1995 , Best International Song , " 7 Seconds" , , , - ! scope="row",

Edison Award The Edison Award is an annual Dutch music prize awarded for outstanding achievements in the music industry. It is comparable to the American Grammy Award. The Edison award itself is a bronze replica of a statuette of Thomas Edison, designed by ...

, 1994 , Best Pop International , '' The Guide (Wommat)'' , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=6,

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, 1993 , rowspan=3,

Best World Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album is an honor presented to recording artists for influential music from around the globe at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors i ...

, ''Eyes Open'' , , rowspan=6, , - ,

, '' The Guide (Wommat)'' , , - ,

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, ''Joko: The Link'' , , - , 2004 , rowspan=3,

Best Contemporary World Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists between 2004 and 2011 for quality contemporary world music albums. The Grammy Awards, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

, ''Nothing's In Vain (Coono du Réér)'' , , - ,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, ''

'' , , - ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, ''Rokku Mi Rokka'' , , - ! scope="row",

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

, 1995 , International Hit of the Year , " 7 Seconds" , , , - ! scope="row", La Mar de Música Awards , 2020 , Festival Award , rowspan=6, Himself , , , - ! scope="row" , Lunas del Auditorio , 2004 , Espectaculo Alternativo , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=4,

MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Af ...

, 2001 , rowspan=3, Best World Music Act , , , - , 2003 , , , - , 2004 , , , - , 2005 , Best African Act , , , - ! scope="row",

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, Best Song , " 7 Seconds" , , , - ! scope="row",

Montreal International Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fest ...

, 2011 , Antonio Carlos Jobim Award , rowspan=3, Himself , , , - ! scope="row",

Polar Music Prize The Polar Music Prize is a Swedish international award founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of the Swedish band ABBA, with a donation to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The award is annually given to one contemporary ...

, 2013 , Polar Music Prize , , , - ! scope="row",

Praemium Imperiale Prince Takamatsu The Praemium Imperiale ( ja, 高松宮殿下記念世界文化賞, Takamatsu-no-miya Denka Kinen Sekai Bunka-shō, World Culture Prize in Memory of His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu) is an international art prize inaugura ...

, 2017 , Music , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=2,

Victoires de la Musique Victoires de la Musique (; en, Victories of Music) is an annual French award ceremony where the Victoire accolade is delivered by the French Ministry of Culture to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The classical and jazz ...

, 2001 , rowspan=2, World Music Album of the Year , ''Joko'' , , , - , 2011 , ''Dakar – Kingston'' , ,

Discography

Early cassettes

This numbered series of cassettes was released in Senegal between 1982 and 1988, and was credited to Youssou N'Dour & Le Super Etoile de Dakar. * Vol 1 Tabaski * Vol 2 Ndakarou * Vol 3 Independence * Vol 4 Banjoly N'Diaye * Vol 5 Yarou * Vol 6 Marguedy * Vol 7 Daby * Vol 8 Immigres * Vol 9 Africa * Vol 10 Ndobine * Vol 11 Bekoor * Vol 12 Jamm * Vol 13 Kocc Barma * Vol 14 Gainde

Albums

*''Ndiadiane Ndiaye'' (1982) *''Mouride'' (1982) *''Independance Vol. 3'' (1982) *''Show!!! A Abidjan'' (1983) *''Djamil Inédits 84-85'' (1985) *'' Immigrés'' (1985) *''Nelson Mandela'' (1985) *'' The Lion'' (1989) *''

Set Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...

'' (1990) *''Eyes Open'' (1992) *'' The Guide (Wommat)'' (1994) *''Gainde – Voices from the Heart of Africa'' (1995) *''Djamil'' (1996) – anthology *''Lii'' (1996) *''St. Louis'' (1997) *''Special Fin D'annee Plus'' (1998) *''Le Grand Bal a Évry'' (1999) *''Rewmi'' (1999) *''Joko: From Village to Town'' (2000) *''Joko: The Link'' (2000) *''Le Grand Bal'' (2000) *''Ba Tay'' (2001) *''Le Grand Bal a Bercy'' (2001) *''Nothing's in Vain (Coono Du Réér)'' (2002) *''Kirikou Et La Sorciere'' (2004) *''

'' (2004) *''Jigeen Gni'' (2005) – single *''Alsaama Day'' (2007) *''Rokku Mi Rokka'' (2007) – No. 30 in ''

''s Top 50 Albums of 2007. *''I Bring What I Love'' (2008) – film soundtrack *''Special Fin D'annee: Salagne-Salagne'' (2009) *''Dakar – Kingston'' (2010) *''Mbalakh Dafay Wakh'' (2011) *''Fatteliku'' (2014) *''#Senegaal Rek'' (2016) *''Africa Rekk'' (2016) *''Seeni Valeurs'' (2017) *''Respect'' (2018) *''History'' (2019) *''Mbalax'' (2021)

Compilation albums

*''Diongoma'' (1983) *''Special Noël'' (1993) *''The Best Of Youssou N'Dour'' (1995) *''Euleuk Sibir with

Omar Pene Omar Pene (born 28th December 1955) is a Senegalese vocalist and composer, who is the lead singer of Super Diamono, and is now a solo artist. Career Omar Pene was born in the working-class neighborhood of Derkle in Dakar. Having been singing h ...

'' (You et Pene) (1996) *''Immigrés/Bitim Rew'' (1997) *''Inedits 84–85'' (1997) *''Best of the 80's'' (1998) *''Hey You: The Essential Collection 1988–1990'' (1998) *''Birth Of A Star'' (2001) *''Youssou N'Dour and His Friends'' (2002) *''The Rough Guide To Youssou N'Dour & Etoile de Dakar'' (2002) *''Céy You'' (2003) *''Le Grand Bal: Paris-Bercy'' (2003) *''4.4.44'' (2004) *''Bercy 2004 vol. 1 & 2'' (2004) *''7 Seconds: The Best Of Youssou N'Dour'' (Remastered) (2004) *''Bercy 2005'' (2005) *''Le Grand Bal: Bercy 2008'' (2008) *''From Senegal to the world'' (2012) *''Le Grand Bal: Bercy 2013'' (2013) *''Africa Rekk (Réédition)'' (2017) *''Raxas Bercy 2017'' (2017) *''Le Grand Show'' (2019)

Collaborations

* 1986: ''So'' from

–- backing vocals on "In Your Eyes". * 1989: ''Passion'' from Peter Gabriel – backing vocals on "A Different Drum", "Passion". * 1990: ''Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats'' from Peter Gabriel - "Mercy Street" and "Shaking the Tree". * 1990: ''Le mani e l'anima'' from Italian singer Claudio Baglioni - "Oltre" album. * 2000: Album ''Solidays'' – song " Qui sait?" – for the association Solidarité sida – with

Anggun Anggun Cipta Sasmi (; born 29 April 1974), better known as Anggun C. Sasmi or more often mononymously as Anggun, is an Indonesian-born French singer-songwriter and television personality. Born in Jakarta, she began performing at the age of sev ...

Patrick Bruel Patrick Benguigui (; born 14 May 1959), better known by his stage name Patrick Bruel (), is a French singer-songwriter, actor and professional poker player. Biography Early life Patrick is the son of Pierre Benguigui and Augusta Kammoun, d ...

, Stephan Eicher,

Faudel Faudel Belloua ( ar, فُضيل بيلوى; born June 6, 1978) is a French raï singer and actor of Algerian descent. He released studio albums, notably '' Baïda'', '' Samra'', ''Un Autre Soleil'' and ''Mundial Corrida'' and the live album '' ...

Lââm Lââm (born 1 September 1971) is a French singer of Tunisian descent. She has sold more than 4,000,000 singles & albums. Biography Lââm (whose real name is LamiaLokua Kanza Lokua Kanza (born April 1958) is a singer-songwriter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound. Biography Lokua Kanza was born Pascal Lokua Kanza in Bukavu in the province of Sud-Kivu, in the eastern p ...

, Nourith, Axelle Red &

Zucchero Adelmo Fornaciari (; born 25 September 1955), more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero (), is an Italian singer, musician and songwriter. His stage name is the Italian word for "sugar", as his elementary teach ...

. * 2003: ''Hit'' from Peter Gabriel – backing vocals on "In Your Eyes". * 2005: ''Live 8: One Day, One Concert, One World'' – DVD Various Artists - Youssou N'Dour sings "7 Seconds" with Dido. * 2005: ''Live 8 Paris'' : DVD Various Artists – N'Dour sings at the end of the concert "New Africa/Lima Weesu". * 2007: ''Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur'' Various Artists – N'Dour sings "Jealous Guy". * 2008: ''Bord Ezanga Kombo'' from

Koffi Olomide Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba (13 July 1956), known professionally as Koffi Olomidé, is a Congolese Soukus singer, dancer, producer, and composer. He has had several gold records in his career. He is the founder of the Quartier Latin Internati ...

– N'Dour on "Festival". * 2009: Les Amis Du Monde with the Lebanese diva

Majida El Roumi Majida El Roumi Baradhy ( ar, ماجدة الرومي برادعي; born 13 December 1956) is a Lebanese soprano singer and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. Early life Majida El Roumi Al Baradhy was born on 13 December 1956 in Kfarshima. ...

for The Francophone Games Opening – 2009 in Beirut * 2020: '' Twice as Tall'' from

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album, '' L.I ...

– on track 4 * 2020: ''L'Ours'' with

Christophe Maé Christophe Martichon (; born 16 October 1975), better known by his stage name Christophe Maé (), is a French pop singer. Career Maé learned to play the violin at age five, and later began playing the guitar and harmonica at age 16 after he ...

Singles

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , - ! scope="col" rowspan="2", Single ! scope="col" rowspan="2", Year ! scope="col" colspan="8", Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2", Album , - ! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;", UK
! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;", AUS
Australian chart peaks: *Top 50 peaks: *"Undecided": ! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;",

FRA A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...

! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;", BEL
(WAL)
! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;",

SWI SWI may refer to: Places: * Switzerland (this is not the ISO 3166-1 code, which is CHE) * Swindon railway station (National Rail code SWI), serving Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom In science and technology: * SWI-Prolog, a free implementatio ...

! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;", GER
! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;", US
! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;", US
Alt Rock
, - ! scope="row", "The Rubberband Man / Nelson Mandela" , 1985 , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , ''Nelson Mandela'' , - ! scope="row", "Shango Affair" , 1988 , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , ''Black Mic Mac 2 OST'' , - ! scope="row", "Shakin' the Tree" (with

) , rowspan="2", 1989 , 61 , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , 9 , rowspan="2", ''The Lion'' , - ! scope="row", "The Lion / Gaïende" , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , - ! scope="row", "Toxiques" , 1990 , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , ''Set'' , - ! scope="row", "Africa Remembers" , 1992 , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , ''Eyes Open'' , - ! scope="row", " 7 Seconds" (with

) , rowspan="2", 1994 , 3 , , 3 , , 1 , , — , , 1 , , 3 , , 98 , , — , rowspan="4", '' The Guide (Wommat)'' , - ! scope="row", "Mame Bamba" , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , - ! scope="row", "Undecided" , rowspan="2", 1995 , 53 , , 145 , , — , , — , , — , , 92 , , — , , — , - ! scope="row", "Chimes of Freedom" , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , - ! scope="row", "How Come" (with

Canibus Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is an American rapper and actor. He initially gained fame in the 1990s for his ability to freestyle, and eventually released his debut album Can-I-Bus in 1998 ...

) , rowspan="2", 1998 , 52 , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , '' Bulworth OST'' , - ! scope="row", "La Cour Des Grands (A Ton Tour De Jouer)" (with Axelle Red) , — , , — , , 16 , , 31 , , — , , — , , — , , — , official hymn of

, - ! scope="row", "My Hope Is in You" , 1999 , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , rowspan="2", ''Joko - From Village to Town'' , - ! scope="row", "Birima" , 2000 , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , - ! scope="row", "So Many Men" (with

Pascal Obispo Pascal Michel Obispo (; born 8 January 1965) is a French singer-songwriter. Biography Pascal Obispo, son of Max Obispo (a former Bordeaux Girondins football player of Basque origin) and Nicole Guérin (originally from Angers), was born on 8 J ...

) , 2002 , — , , — , , 35 , , 27 , , 85 , , — , , — , , — , ''Nothing's in Vain (Coono Du Réér)'' , - ! scope="row", "#Senegaal rekk" (with Le Super Etoile) , 2016 , — , , — , , 189 , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , - , colspan="11" style="font-size:90%", "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Films

'' (2006) :*As

. "A central figure in the

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

movement in Great Britain, Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745–97) wrote an eyewitness account of his life as a

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and of his work in the anti-slavery movement: ''

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano ''The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African'', first published in 1789 in London,

''." :*As a musician on the film's soundtrack. ''

Retour à Gorée ''Retour à Gorée'' (English: ''Return to Gorée'') is a 2007 musical documentary road movie directed by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, featuring singer Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born ...

'' (2007) :*As himself, journeying from the island of Gorée to the USA and back, exploring the origins of jazz, which go back to the era of slave trade in Africa, through a concert performed by an international group of artists.Curiel, Jonathan
"Return to Gorée"
(review), ''San Francisco Chronicle'', 19 September 2008. '' Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love'' (2008) :*As himself, through the recording of the ''

'' album and its repercussions. :*Released in the US on DVD by

Oscilloscope Laboratories Oscilloscope Laboratories is an independent film company and distributor founded by Adam Yauch and former TH!NKFilm executive David Fenkel. It also has a recording studio and film production facilities. Fenkel returned to the company on May 4, 20 ...

Notes

References

External links

* – official site *
Youssou N'Dour
at African Music Encyclopedia
Youssou N'Dour
interview at Afropop Worldwide, May 2004
Youssou N'Dour
''World Music Legends'' at GlobalRhythm.net
Youssou N'Dour
article ''Senegal Superstar Wins Grammy for "Egypt"'' at World Beat Planet, 16 February 2005
Youssou N'Dour
article ''Youssou N'Dour, "Egypt" and Islam'' on

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

*
Youssou N'Dour
film ''Youssou N'Dour: I bring what I love'' at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Youssou N'Dour
role in the fil
Amazing GraceYoussou N'Dour
video interview ''Visions of Youssou N'Dour'' on

Youssou N'Dour
at '' IntraHealth Open'', featuring N'Dour's track "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)" {{DEFAULTSORT:Ndour, Youssou Serer singers Serer politicians 1959 births Living people 21st-century Senegalese male singers People from Dakar Wolof-language singers English-language singers from Senegal French-language singers Grammy Award winners MTV Europe Music Award winners Senegalese Muslims World music musicians Culture ministers of Senegal Tourism ministers of Senegal Male songwriters 20th-century Senegalese male singers