Youssou N'Dour
Afropop
Youssou N’Dour, born in Dakar on 1 October 1959, is a Senegalese singer, songwriter and composer. He helped shape mbalax, the Senegalese pop style that blends…
Biography
Youssou N’Dour, born in Dakar on 1 October 1959, is a Senegalese singer, songwriter and composer. He helped shape mbalax, the Senegalese pop style that blends traditional Serer and Wolof rhythms with Afro-Cuban and Western sounds.
He started performing at 12, joined Ibra Kasse’s Star Band at 16 and then co-founded Étoile de Dakar, which became Super Étoile. His international work includes the 1994 album The Guide (Wommat) and its hit “7 Seconds” with Neneh Cherry. In 2004 Rolling Stone called him “perhaps the most famous singer alive” in Senegal and much of Africa.
He moved into politics in 2012 and served as Senegal’s Minister of Tourism from April 2012 to September 2013.
Latest Release
