HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Youssou N'Dour (, ; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
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, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' described him as, "perhaps the most famous singer alive" in Senegal and much of Africa and in 2023, the same publication ranked him at number 69 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. 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 Senegambians (including the Wolof) as ''
mbalax Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the urban dance music of Senegal, Mauritania and the Gambia. The musical style is rooted in the indigenous instrumental and vocal styles accompanied by polyrhythmic sabar drumming of the Wolof, a social identity that incl ...
,'' a genre that has sacred origins in the Serer music njuup 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 academic publishing company, founded in 1965 in New York City by Sara Miller McCune and now based in the Newbury Park neighborhood of Thousand Oaks, California. Sage ...
(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. Since then Bradt has grown into a leading independent ...
(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 and '' Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love'' (2008) directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, 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. According to his memoir, he was from the village of Essaka in present day southern Nigeria. Enslaved as a child in ...
in the film ''
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
''.


Early life

Ethnically, N'Dour is Serer, born to a Serer father and a Toucouleur mother. However, culturally, N'Dour is Wolof. He was born in
Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
. He started performing at age 12 and would later perform regularly with the Star Band, Dakar's most popular group during the 1970s. Despite N'Dour's maternal connection to the traditional
griot A griot (; ; Manding languages, Manding: or (in N'Ko script, N'Ko: , or in French spelling); also spelt Djali; or / ; ) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. Griots are masters of communicatin ...
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 () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
of the
Mouride The Mouride brotherhood (, ''aṭ-Ṭarīqat al-Murīdiyyah'' or simply , ''al-Murīdiyyah'') is a large ''tariqa'' (Sufism, Sufi order) most prominent in Senegal and The Gambia with headquarters in the city of Touba, which is a holy city for t ...
brotherhood, one of the large four
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
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 and chants into his work.


Music career

At the age of 15, Youssou N'Dour joined a band called Diamono and, in 1975, toured with the band in
West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
.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 offi ...
(1995), p. 682,
Appiah, Anthony, Gates, Henry Louis, ''Encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 1'',
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press 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 Star Band 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, a band that made important contributions to Senegal's newly evolving musical style called
mbalax Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the urban dance music of Senegal, Mauritania and the Gambia. The musical style is rooted in the indigenous instrumental and vocal styles accompanied by polyrhythmic sabar drumming of the Wolof, a social identity that incl ...
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, bassist Habib Faye, 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 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, n ...
to
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
,
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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
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 singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
,
Axelle Red Fabienne Demal (born 15 February 1968), better known by her stage name Axelle Red, is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 albums, including ''Sans plus attendre'', ''À Tâtons'', ''Toujours Moi'' and ''Jardin Secret''. She is best ...
, Sting,
Alan Stivell Alan Stivell (; born Alan Cochevelou on 6 January 1944) is a Breton people, Breton and Celtic musician and singer, songwriter, recording artist, and master of the Celtic harp. From the early 1970s, he revived global interest in the Celtic (specif ...
, Bran Van 3000,
Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a numb ...
,
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...
,
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
,
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
,
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, widely known for her hit singles " Fast Car" (1988) and " Give Me One Reason" (1995). She was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she rel ...
, James Newton Howard, Branford Marsalis,
Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Music of Japan, Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the Synthesizer, synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his ...
,
Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...
,
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
,
Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to folk- and jazz-influenced rock to soundscapes accompanying spoken stories. His lyrics reflect interests in spirit ...
, and others. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' 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 (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 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 1861 to 1875 at ...
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
Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a numb ...
. 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 Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 1 ...
with
Axelle Red Fabienne Demal (born 15 February 1968), better known by her stage name Axelle Red, is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 albums, including ''Sans plus attendre'', ''À Tâtons'', ''Toujours Moi'' and ''Jardin Secret''. She is best ...
" 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, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
( best contemporary world music album) for his CD ''
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
'' 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
Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (; c. 1745 – 31 March 1797), known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (), was a writer and abolitionist. According to his memoir, he was from the village of Essaka in present day southern Nigeria. Enslaved as a child in ...
in the movie ''
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
'', which chronicled the efforts of
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 ...
to end slavery in the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. 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 university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. 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 of the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...
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 ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 â€“ 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
. 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 that it has more than ten million members a ...
Human Rights Now! Tour collaborating with
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
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 the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
, and he started Project Joko to open
internet café An Internet café, also known as a cybercafé, is a Coffeehouse, 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 ...
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 South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, from 6–8 July 2005 ...
concerts (in Live 8 concert, London, Live 8 concert, Paris and at the Live 8 concert, Eden Project in Cornwall) on 2 July 2005, with
Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...
. He covered
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
's " Jealous Guy" 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 project in 2007. In 2008, he joined the Fondation Chirac'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. 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 and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
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 (S ...
,
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 played the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his caree ...
of
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, 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 fir ...
, and
Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. 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 com ...
to help raise money for the campaign. N'Dour is a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, 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 Presidential elections were held in Senegal on 26 February 2012, amidst controversy over the constitutional validity of a third term for incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade. In the Runoff election, runoff on 25 March, Macky Sall defeated the incu ...
, competing against President
Abdoulaye Wade Abdoulaye Wade (, ; born 29 May 1926) is a Senegalese politician who served as the third president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), having led the party since it was founded ...
. 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 (, , ; born 11 December 1961) is a Senegalese politician who served as the fourth president of Senegal from 2012 to 2024. He previously served as the eighth Prime Minister of Senegal, prime minister from 2004 to 2007, under President ...
, 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. The story of N'Dour's presidential campaign was filmed for the
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
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 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

{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" , - ! scope="col" , Award ! scope="col" , Year ! scope="col" , Category ! scope="col" , Nominee(s) ! scope="col" , Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable", , - ! scope="row", Brit Awards ,
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, International Male Solo Artist , Himself , , , - ! scope="row",
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 c ...
, 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,
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
,
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, rowspan=3, Best World Music Album , ''Eyes Open'' , , rowspan=6, , - ,
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, '' The Guide (Wommat)'' , , - ,
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, ''Joko: The Link'' , , - ,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, rowspan=3, Best Contemporary World Music Album , ''Nothing's In Vain (Coono du Réér)'' , , - ,
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, ''
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
'' , , - ,
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, ''Rokku Mi Rokka'' , , - ! scope="row",
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
, 1995 , International Hit of the Year , " 7 Seconds" , , , - ! scope="row", La Mar de Música Awards , 2020 , Festival Award , rowspan=7, Himself , , , - ! scope="row" , Lunas del Auditorio , 2004 , Espectaculo Alternativo , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=5,
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 Ba ...
, 2000 , rowspan=4, Best World Music Act , , , - , 2001 , , , - , 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 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, Best Song , " 7 Seconds" , , , - ! scope="row",
Montreal International Jazz Festival The Festival international de Jazz de Montréal 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 festival. Every year it features roughly 3,000 ar ...
, 2011 , Antonio Carlos Jobim Award , rowspan=3, Himself , , , - ! scope="row", Polar Music Prize , 2013 , Polar Music Prize , , , - ! scope="row",
Praemium Imperiale Prince Takamatsu The Praemium Imperiale () is an international art prize inaugurated in 1988 and awarded since 1989 by the Imperial family of Japan on behalf of the Japan Art Association in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, mu ...
, 2017 , Music , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=2, Victoires de la Musique , 2001 , rowspan=2, World Music Album of the Year , ''Joko'' , , , - , 2011 , ''Dakar – Kingston'' , , , - !scope="row",
Urban Music Awards The Urban Music Awards (UMA) are a hip-hop, R&B, dance, and soul music awards ceremony that was launched in the UK by Jordan Kensington in 2003 and is now held in multiple countries. The US version of the award ceremony, the Urban Music Awar ...
, 2023 , Artist of the Year (Africa) , Himself , ,


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 * Vol 15 Set


Albums

*''Ndiadiane Ndiaye'' (1982) *''Mouride'' (1982) *''Independance Vol. 3'' (1982) *''Show!!! A Abidjan'' (1983) *'' Immigrés'' (1984) *''Djamil Inédits 84-85'' (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) *''
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
'' (2004) *''Jigeen Gni'' (2005) – single *''Alsaama Day'' (2007) *''Rokku Mi Rokka'' (2007) – No. 30 in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''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'' (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'' by
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
– backing vocals on "In Your Eyes". * 1989: ''Passion'' by Peter Gabriel – backing vocals on "A Different Drum", "Passion". * 1990: ''Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats'' by Peter Gabriel – "Mercy Street" and "Shaking the Tree". * 1990: ''Le mani e l'anima'' by 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), known mononymously as Anggun, is an Indonesian-French singer, songwriter, and television personality. Born in Jakarta, she began performing at the age of seven and recorded a children's album two yea ...
, Patrick Bruel, Stephan Eicher, Faudel,
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
, Lââm, Lokua Kanza, Nourith,
Axelle Red Fabienne Demal (born 15 February 1968), better known by her stage name Axelle Red, is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 albums, including ''Sans plus attendre'', ''À Tâtons'', ''Toujours Moi'' and ''Jardin Secret''. She is best ...
&
Zucchero Adelmo Fornaciari (; born 25 September 1955), known professionally as Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero (), is an Italian singer, musician and songwriter. His stage name is the Italian word for "sugar", as his primary school teacher used to ...
. * 2003: ''Hit'' by Peter Gabriel – backing vocals on "In Your Eyes". * 2005: ''Live 8: One Day, One Concert, One World'' DVD – N'Dour sings "7 Seconds" with
Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...
. * 2005: ''Live 8 Paris'' DVD – N'Dour sings at the end of the concert "New Africa/Lima Weesu". * 2006: '' An Other Cup'' by
Yusuf Yusuf ( ') is a male name meaning " God increases" (in piety, power and influence).From the Hebrew יהוה להוסיף ''YHWH Lhosif'' meaning " YHWH will increase/add". It is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew name Yosef and the English na ...
– backing vocals on "The Beloved". * 2007: ''Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur'' – N'Dour sings "Jealous Guy". * 2008: ''Bord Ezanga Kombo'' by Koffi Olomide – N'Dour on "Festival". * 2009: Les Amis Du Monde with the Lebanese diva Majida El Roumi for the Francophone Games Opening 2009 in Beirut. * 2020: '' Twice as Tall'' by Burna Boy – 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 wa ...


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

! scope="col" style="width:3.5em; font-size:90%;", SWI
! 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
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
)
, 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
Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a numb ...
)
, rowspan="2", 1994 , 3 , , 3 , , 1 , , 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) , rowspan="2", 1998 , 52 , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , , — , '' Bulworth OST'' , - ! scope="row", "La Cour Des Grands (A Ton Tour De Jouer)" (with
Axelle Red Fabienne Demal (born 15 February 1968), better known by her stage name Axelle Red, is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 albums, including ''Sans plus attendre'', ''À Tâtons'', ''Toujours Moi'' and ''Jardin Secret''. She is best ...
)
, — , , — , , 16 , , 31 , , — , , — , , — , , — , official hymn of
1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 1 ...
, - ! 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) , 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

''
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...
'' (2006) :*As
Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (; c. 1745 – 31 March 1797), known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (), was a writer and abolitionist. According to his memoir, he was from the village of Essaka in present day southern Nigeria. Enslaved as a child in ...
. "A central figure in the
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
movement in Great Britain, Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745–97) wrote an eyewitness account of his life as a
slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
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'' (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 Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...
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 ''
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
'' album and its repercussions. :*Released in the US on DVD by Oscilloscope Laboratories.


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 * 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) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
*
Youssou N'Dour
film ''Youssou N'Dour: I bring what I love'' at
IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

Youssou N'Dour
role in the fil
Amazing GraceYoussou N'Dour
video interview ''Visions of Youssou N'Dour'' on Stock Exchange of Visions
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 Musicians from Dakar Wolof-language singers English-language singers from Senegal French-language singers of Senegal Grammy Award winners MTV Europe Music Award winners Senegalese Muslims Senegalese world music musicians Culture ministers of Senegal Tourism ministers of Senegal Male songwriters 20th-century Senegalese male singers