Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Douris a Senegalese singer, percussionist, songwriter, composer, occasional actor, businessman and a politician. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, "perhaps the most famous singer alive" in Senegal and much of Africa. From April 2012 to October 2012, he was Senegal's Minister of Tourism and Culture, and from October 2012 to September 2013, he was Senegal's Minister of Tourism and Leisure...
NationalitySenegalese
ProfessionWorld Music Singer
Date of Birth1 October 1959
CountrySenegal
I look at my people, and I look at those who control them - the political elite. And the sad thing is that the elites are just not interested in the welfare of the people.
If we think about dignity, ... People from north to east and south really want to have dignity, and with these problems, malaria problems, people cannot go to work, kids do not go to school, and it is about dignity and the impact of this problem to our economy.
Senegal needs to free itself, to rediscover its democracy,
In Africa, there is much confusion.... Before, there was no radio, or other forms of communication.... Now, in Africa ... the government talks, people talk, the police talk, the people don't know anymore. They aren't free.
Western record companies haven't always dealt with African musicians in the best way. Giving them a lot of money and telling them they're going to be bigger than Phil Collins is the wrong way to do it!
The question of modernization is central to disturbances in the Middle East and in Africa. Everyone is after modernization, no matter where they come from. But you have to be careful about it, and more importantly, you have to have sense about it.
If you come from Africa with your economic poverty and your cultural riches, and you meet someone like Peter Gabriel or a person from a big record company, and they tell you that what you are doing is marvelous, that makes you feel powerful.
In politics, sometimes you have to lie, or you make a promise that you cannot keep.
I'm a modern Muslim. I pray, and if I have a question, I ask someone who is more educated in the religion than me.
I respect music, I do. I love it.
Malaria kills and its main victims are children and women. We can stop this scourge so people can live with dignity and go to work and school.
Islam has been badly used by a certain ideology.
When the slaves left Africa, they left us this music. They left us blues.
When I'm in Senegal, I can't just sit in isolation making music. People need my help. And the Senegalese people helped create my music. It comes from the country itself.