Youssou N'Dour

Youssou N'Dour
N'Dour in Warsaw in 2009
Minister of Tourism of Senegal
In office
5 April 2012 – September 2013
Prime MinisterAbdoul Mbaye
Preceded byThierno Lo
Personal details
Born (1959-10-01) 1 October 1959 (age 64)
Dakar, Mali Federation
Musical career
Birth nameYoussou N'Dour
Also known asYoussou Ndour
Born (1959-10-01) 1 October 1959 (age 64)
OriginDakar, Senegal
GenresMbalax, world
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • percussionist
Years active1970s–present
Labels

Youssou N'Dour (French: [jusu (ɛ)nduʁ], Wolof: Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour;[2] born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, "perhaps the most famous singer alive" in Senegal and much of Africa[3] and in 2023, the same publication ranked him at number 69 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[4] 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, a genre that has sacred origins in the Serer[5][6] music njuup tradition and ndut initiation ceremonies.[5][6] He is the subject of the award-winning films 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 in the film Amazing Grace.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hardy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Xalima, Youssou « Madjiguéne » devenu l’ennemi des hommes sénégalais... (28 November 2019) [1]
  3. ^ "Youssou N'Dour". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  4. ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b Sturman, Janet, The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture, SAGE Publications (2019), p. 1926, ISBN 9781483317748. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  6. ^ a b Connolly, Sean, Senegal, Bradt Travel Guides (2009), p. 27, ISBN 9781784776206 [2] (Retrieved 13 July 2019)
  7. ^ "Olaudah Equiano (Youssou N'Dour) | guardian.co.uk Film". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2021.

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