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Youssou N'Dour leans against the balustrade of a colourfully painted terrace.
Copyright: Youri Lenquette

A daring innovator and staunch protector of the unique “Dakar overgroove”, N’Dour and his thirteen-piece Super Étoile powerhouse manage to fashion a sound that is both characteristically Senegalese and outward-looking – a contagious, exciting synthesis of musical languages.

A daring innovator and staunch protector of the unique “Dakar overgroove”, N’Dour and his thirteen-piece Super Étoile powerhouse manage to fashion a sound that is both characteristically Senegalese and outward-looking – a contagious, exciting synthesis of musical languages.

Youssou N’Dour, the West African star – a TIME 100 icon who first entered Americans’ ears through Peter Gabriel’s In Your Eyes – has stayed close to his roots throughout his decades-long career.  Senegalese traditions and griot storytelling are the enduring hallmarks of his artistic personality. His band, Super Étoile, has been lauded in The Village Voice as “the greatest band in the world”.

“A voice so extraordinary that the history of Africa seems locked inside it.”

Rolling Stone