Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour | |
|---|---|
N'Dour in 2009 | |
| Minister of Tourism of Senegal | |
| In office 5 April 2012 – September 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | Abdoul Mbaye |
| Preceded by | Thierno Lo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 October 1959 |
| Musical career | |
| Also known as | Youssou Madjiguène Ndour |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of | |
Youssou N'Dour (French: [jusu (ɛ)nduʁ]; Wolof: Yuusu Nduur [juːsu ⁿd̺uːɾ]; born 1 October 1959), also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour, is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and politician. N'Dour helped develop a style of popular Senegambian music known as mbalax, a genre that has sacred origins in the Serer music njuup tradition and ndut initiation ceremonies. From April 2012 to September 2013, he was Senegal's Minister of Tourism.
Rolling Stone described him in 2004 as "perhaps the most famous singer alive" in Senegal and much of Africa, and ranked him in 2023 at number 69 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. N'Dour is the subject of the award-winning films Return to Gorée (2007) directed by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud and Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love (2008) directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. In 2006, N'Dour portrayed Olaudah Equiano in the film Amazing Grace.