Youssou N’Dour is an international music icon in the genre of ‘Afropop’ or ‘World beat.’ He is a singer, composer and drummer whose style of music had been named Mbalax. N’Dour’s particular brand of Mbalax has become popular and widespread that he is often credited with inventing the genre. Although Ronnie Graham has stated in his book on contemporary African music that Mbalax is a generic Senegalese music characterised by a percussion base and featuring an improvised solo on the sabar drum, Mbalax has also been described as modern Senegalese rock.
N’Dour was born on October 1, 1959, in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, on the West coast of Africa. Historically, Senegal is a part of the French speaking nations. N’Dour grew up in a traditional African community within the Medina section of the city; the place has continued to offer great inspiration to his music. He once stated in an interview: “Dakar is to me a living poem, a place of unbridled energy, remarkable ambition and legendary artistic flair. I know of no other city on earth where people do so much with so little.”
Graham described Senegalese pop music of the late 1980s as “a sophisticated blend of the old and the new,” with the old being primarily Cuban-influenced melodies and rhythms that dominated Senegalese music prior to the 1970s. The development of local styles was seriously hindered by the French philosophy of exporting their own culture; and local idioms, instruments, and traditions did not begin to appear in urban contemporary music until the 1970s, after Senegal had achieved independence. The tama, a small talking drum, was introduced in the 1970s and became a popular lead instrument.
N’Dour calls his music “African storytelling on the wings of 21st-century instrumentation,” according to Vanity Fair. N’Dour’s Mbalax features a rhythmic dance band consisting as many as 14 members, including multiple percussionists, guitarists, saxophonists, and backing vocalists. As N’Dour achieved greater recognition and acceptance among Western audiences in Europe and the United States during the late 1980s, he began to use more traditional African and Arabic sounds in his music. Although fluent in French, Arabic, and his native Wolof, his English is not very good. Thus, he is at his best each time he presents an appealing and authentic brand of African pop with his unique rhythms and vocalisations sung in Wolof, one of Senegal’s major native languages.
N’Dour’s father was a mechanic who discouraged him from a musical career. His mother, however, was a griot in the community. A griot is a historian and storyteller within the community.
N’Dour’s mother was a respected elder who kept the oral tradition of the community’s history alive through traditional songs and moral teachings.
With his mother’s encouragement, N’Dour would sing at kassak, a party to celebrate circumcision. As N’Dour described his work then, “Sometimes on one street, there would be four or five kassaks going on at the same time. They would start in the evening and I would go to one and sing two numbers, then on to the next.? Sometimes, I used to sing at 10 kassaks a night.
Gradually, my friends and others encourage me and gave me confidence, because they liked my songs.”
By the age of 14, N’Dour was performing in front of large audiences and had earned the nickname, “Le Petit Prince de Dakar,” or “The Little Prince of Dakar.” As a teenager, he joined the Star Band, the best known Senegalese pop band of the time, recording with them and performing in clubs in Dakar. By the time he was 20, he left the Star Band to form his own group, Etoile de Dakar (Star of Dakar). They recorded three albums in Dakar and had a hit with their first single, ‘Xalis (Money).’ Then they relocated to Paris and reformed as the Super Etoile de Dakar (Superstar of Dakar).
From his base in Paris, N’Dour and the Super Etoile began to win over Western audiences to the sound of Mbalax. The Super Etoile consisted of 14 members, probably the largest aggregation N’Dour would ever perform with. The group used traditional Wolof and African rhythms behind N’Dour’s unique tenor. N’Dour sang and continues to sing in Wolof, his vocal style often compared to Islamic chanting reminiscent of mosques and temples.
By the mid-1980s, the group was ready for a major international breakthrough. They had toured the United States, Great Britain, and Holland, in addition to playing at N’Dour’s nightclub in Dakar, the Thiosanne. Remembering his audiences in Dakar and his friends from the Medina, N’Dour made it a point to return there. A song he wrote, “Medina,” celebrates his old neighborhood and his old friends, who according to him, “are still my friends today and are the people I have around me.” As his career progressed, N’Dour remained in touch with his roots and made his home base in Dakar. He told Time in 2001 that living in Dakar “gives me a certain inspiration; it allows me to keep my passion for music alive.” Below are his achievements at a glance:
Singer at ceremonial parties throughout childhood; Star Band, recording/performing group and member (1970s); Etoile de Dakar (Star of Dakar), member (1979-84); Super Etoile de Dakar (Superstar of Dakar), member (1984); Joko, Senegalese internet training company, founder (2001).
He is also an Ambassador to the United Nations, UNICEF and International Bureau of Work.
Awards: Best African Artist, 1996; Roots, Best African Artist of the Century, 2000; Critics Award, BBC Radio 3, 2005; Grammy Award, for Best Contemporary World Music Album, 2005, for Egypt.