In 1994, a song sung in three languages, Wolof, English and French, spent 16 weeks at number one in France. At the time, no song had stayed there longer.
The song was “7 Seconds”, by Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour and the Swedish singer Neneh Cherry. It reached the top ten in many countries and won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song. For millions of listeners in Europe, it was the first time they heard N’Dour’s voice.
Mbalax
At home, N’Dour was already a star. He had spent the 1970s and 1980s developing mbalax, the dance music of Senegal and the Gambia, which combines the rhythms of Wolof and Serer drumming, especially the sabar drum, with guitars, keyboards and horns. His band, the Super Étoile de Dakar, became the most famous group in the country.
His voice, high, clear and able to leap across notes in the style of the griot praise-singers, became one of the best-known in Africa. International attention grew through the 1980s as he toured with Peter Gabriel and appeared on Gabriel’s hit “In Your Eyes”.
What “7 Seconds” is about
The song imagines the first seven seconds of a child’s life, before it learns about the divisions and prejudice of the world. Neneh Cherry sings in English; N’Dour sings in Wolof and French. The message, about innocence and racism, gave it an emotional weight beyond its gentle melody.
Grammy and global stage
N’Dour won a Grammy Award in 2005 for his album Egypt, a record of Sufi-inspired songs that celebrated his Muslim faith. He performed at major international events and campaigned on issues including debt relief and malaria.
From singer to minister
N’Dour also built a media business in Senegal, owning a newspaper, radio and television outlets. In 2012 he announced a run for president, but his candidacy was rejected by Senegal’s constitutional council. He backed Macky Sall, who won the election, and in April 2012 N’Dour was appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism. He served in government in different roles over the following years.
Why he matters
N’Dour showed that an African artist could build a global career while staying rooted at home, singing in his own language and keeping his band and business in Dakar. Senegal’s music scene grew around him.
Dakar nights
N’Dour never moved his base away from Dakar. For years he performed regularly at his own nightclub, Thiossane, where Senegalese audiences could see the international star playing long mbalax sets at close range. In 2013 he received the Polar Music Prize, the Swedish award often described as one of the most prestigious in music, recognising a career that had carried Senegal’s sound to every continent.
The song imagined a child’s first seven seconds. N’Dour has spent more than five decades making sure the world hears Senegal’s music for a good deal longer.
