His clarion voice “a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority” (New York Times), N’Dour gained early worldwide fame singing on Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” Now a giant of world music, he unites Senegalese, Afro-Cuban, and other musics in an exhilarating mix.
A supremely charismatic singer and expert percussionist, Youssou N’Dour conquered the world in the 1980s with his percussion-driven mbalax sound, a combination of West African polyrhythms, rock, and reggae. He rose to yet higher international prominence for his memorable work with Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel. Most recently, N’Dour was the subject of 2010’s I Bring What I Love, an acclaimed feature documentary about the uproar and celebration surrounding his recent Grammy-winning album, Egypt.
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Youssou N’Dour is one of the best-known singers in the world,. He has been credited with developing a form that blends traditional African praise-singing with musical styles from around the world. In this globetrotting documentary, he investigates a personal theory that the music of the African diaspora—including blues, jazz, gospel and rock—is all connected. Listening to Mardi Gras tunes, he remarks that he hears the music of Senegal, where he is from. N’Dour gathers a group of jazz musicians and gospel singers to adapt some of his own compositions and performs with them in various venues, including a triumphant outdoor performance on Gorée Island in Senegal. This portrait serves as a vibrant cultural document while also offering a joyous celebration of N’Dour’s potent and beautiful songs.
His clarion voice “a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority” (New York Times), N’Dour gained early worldwide fame singing on Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” Now a giant of world music, he unites Senegalese, Afro-Cuban, and other musics in an exhilarating mix.
A supremely charismatic singer and expert percussionist, Youssou N’Dour conquered the world in the 1980s with his percussion-driven mbalax sound, a combination of West African polyrhythms, rock, and reggae. He rose to yet higher international prominence for his memorable work with Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel. Most recently, N’Dour was the subject of 2010’s I Bring What I Love, an acclaimed feature documentary about the uproar and celebration surrounding his recent Grammy-winning album, Egypt.
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Youssou N’Dour is one of the best-known singers in the world,. He has been credited with developing a form that blends traditional African praise-singing with musical styles from around the world. In this globetrotting documentary, he investigates a personal theory that the music of the African diaspora—including blues, jazz, gospel and rock—is all connected. Listening to Mardi Gras tunes, he remarks that he hears the music of Senegal, where he is from. N’Dour gathers a group of jazz musicians and gospel singers to adapt some of his own compositions and performs with them in various venues, including a triumphant outdoor performance on Gorée Island in Senegal. This portrait serves as a vibrant cultural document while also offering a joyous celebration of N’Dour’s potent and beautiful songs.
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