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Youssou N'Dour
The Power of Culture
21/12/1998 -
Last weekend African music fans were given a special treat when the first edition of the DK/24 Festival - that's DK for Dakar, 24 for 24 hours of non-stop music! - kicked off at Dakar's gigantic Expo Fair. The festival proved to be a veritable marathon, a whole host of Senegalese artists following each other on stage to perform two exciting nights of non-stop music! Fans were treated to the most eclectic mix of sounds, enjoying everything from traditional m'balax to hard-hitting Senegalese-style rap!
In fact, the DK/24 Festival - the brainchild of Senegalese music star Youssou N'Dour and his brother Boubacar - is just the tip of the gigantic 'cultural' iceberg created by Senegal's most famous son.
Besides organising the DK/24 Festival, Youssou N'Dour has also been busy putting the finishing touches to his new album, "Finally" - an apt title for the album as international music fans have been impatiently awaiting the album's release for four years now! (The latest word is "Finally" will finally be released at the beginning of next year!). Meanwhile, Youssou has also been busy constructing his new hi-tech Xippi Studio (on the outskirts of Dakar) and setting up his own independent record label Jololi. The label, which will be distributed internationally through Delabel/Virgin, is aimed at helping to launch budding new talents from Senegal onto the world music scene. (What's more, to guarantee complete 'artistic independence' Youssou has also bought up a factory/studio to produce cassette copies and assure his own distribution on a local level!) And, as if all this were not enough, the supremely energetic Monsieur N'Dour has also been involved in setting up "Radio 7", a happening new station designed to broadcast his stable of budding new music stars. Youssou N'Dour has timed his new ventures just right, for the thriving Senegalese music scene is teeming with exciting new groups playing a wide range of styles (everything from traditional m'balax to hardcore Senegalese rap!)
The DK/24 Festival attracted a huge turn-out, most of them trendy teenage music fans sporting the latest hip hop look - baggy trousers, Tommy Hilfiger T-shirts and the latest Air-Pump trainers! This clan of local posses went wild when the four rappers from the group WA BMG 44 leapt on stage, belting out a series of snappy, hard-hitting rhymes (in Wolof) with as much rage and energy as the Wu Tang Clan. One of WA BMG 44's more hardcore members was even sporting hip-looking ski goggles - in spite of the fact that the ambient temperature was at least 25°C! Meanwhile, on the other stage Babacar Faye - faithful friend and percussionist to Youssou N'Dour since his teenage years - launched into a powerfully rhythmic set of sunny lyrics and upbeat sounds. Babacar, who also happens to be the first artist released on Youssou's new label, Jololi, hit just the right note with his happy innovative style, fusing traditional Senegalese rhythms with 'world', trip-hop and techno influences. Babacar's innovative sound and his melodic high voice augur well for the future of African music culture - and his refreshingly new style of Afrobeat will no doubt gain a whole new following of fans when his debut album, "Sing Sing", is released on Jololi in February '99. Babacar's uplifting set was followed by an excellent performance from Bidew Bou Bes - three 20-year-old rappers who brought the house down with their energetic Afro-rap and their sublime Boyz II Men-style harmonies (sung in their native Wolof, of course!) Following in the footsteps of Positive Black Soul and Daara J, this hip young trio represent the very best of the new talent bubbling up on Dakar's music scene. Needless to say, Bidew Bou Bes will be one of the headlining acts on Jololi's forthcoming rap compilation (destined to be released next spring!) But the highlight of the DK/24 Festival was, without any possible doubt, the grand finale - performed at almost 3a.m. by Youssou N'Dour himself. The 'world' music mega-star is renowned as a committed perfectionist and workaholic but Youssou's recent schedule is overawing even by his own impressive standards. Just two days earlier Youssou had been in Paris performing at a giant Amnesty International gig with fellow super-stars Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen. Immediately after the concert Youssou had flown back to Senegal and gone on to perform two more concerts before leaping back on stage for the grand finale of DK/24. Youssou did not disappoint the thousands of fans who had turned out to see him, making a suitably dramatic entrance by descending onto the stage in a giant hot-air balloon then stepping out to greet his audience in a gleaming white suit! Dakar's most cherished son then launched straight into a medley of his hits, his melodic high voice electrifying the crowd who sang along with his every word. (While music fans in Europe have to wait four years for Youssou to put out a new album, his fans back home are constantly in touch with his work. Each year just before the start of Ramadan, the singer traditionally releases a cassette of remixes of his old hits and a few bonus selections of previously unreleased material!)
In spite of the fact that Youssou had performed three major concerts in the past week, the Senegalese mega-star showed not the slightest sign of fatigue, dancing around the stage with apparently boundless energy and playing his audience with all the dexterity of a football star. Youssou is a much-loved figure in his homeland. Indeed, you just had to take a look at the hundreds of fans pressed against the security barriers at the front of the stage, to see the kind of passion he inspires. For many people in this country Youssou N'Dour is the second most popular person after the President of the Republic!
Youssou's set finally drew to a close just before dawn and the audience trooped out of the DK/24 Festival looking tired but completely exhilarated. Organisers of the first DK/24 can pride themselves on having achieved a tremendous success and they can now look forward to laying plans for a second edition of the festival in 1999. Meanwhile, it's hats off to Youssou N'Dour whose boundless drive and energy will no doubt keep Dakar's music scene pulsating for many years to come!
Besides organising the DK/24 Festival, Youssou N'Dour has also been busy putting the finishing touches to his new album, "Finally" - an apt title for the album as international music fans have been impatiently awaiting the album's release for four years now! (The latest word is "Finally" will finally be released at the beginning of next year!). Meanwhile, Youssou has also been busy constructing his new hi-tech Xippi Studio (on the outskirts of Dakar) and setting up his own independent record label Jololi. The label, which will be distributed internationally through Delabel/Virgin, is aimed at helping to launch budding new talents from Senegal onto the world music scene. (What's more, to guarantee complete 'artistic independence' Youssou has also bought up a factory/studio to produce cassette copies and assure his own distribution on a local level!) And, as if all this were not enough, the supremely energetic Monsieur N'Dour has also been involved in setting up "Radio 7", a happening new station designed to broadcast his stable of budding new music stars. Youssou N'Dour has timed his new ventures just right, for the thriving Senegalese music scene is teeming with exciting new groups playing a wide range of styles (everything from traditional m'balax to hardcore Senegalese rap!)
The DK/24 Festival attracted a huge turn-out, most of them trendy teenage music fans sporting the latest hip hop look - baggy trousers, Tommy Hilfiger T-shirts and the latest Air-Pump trainers! This clan of local posses went wild when the four rappers from the group WA BMG 44 leapt on stage, belting out a series of snappy, hard-hitting rhymes (in Wolof) with as much rage and energy as the Wu Tang Clan. One of WA BMG 44's more hardcore members was even sporting hip-looking ski goggles - in spite of the fact that the ambient temperature was at least 25°C! Meanwhile, on the other stage Babacar Faye - faithful friend and percussionist to Youssou N'Dour since his teenage years - launched into a powerfully rhythmic set of sunny lyrics and upbeat sounds. Babacar, who also happens to be the first artist released on Youssou's new label, Jololi, hit just the right note with his happy innovative style, fusing traditional Senegalese rhythms with 'world', trip-hop and techno influences. Babacar's innovative sound and his melodic high voice augur well for the future of African music culture - and his refreshingly new style of Afrobeat will no doubt gain a whole new following of fans when his debut album, "Sing Sing", is released on Jololi in February '99. Babacar's uplifting set was followed by an excellent performance from Bidew Bou Bes - three 20-year-old rappers who brought the house down with their energetic Afro-rap and their sublime Boyz II Men-style harmonies (sung in their native Wolof, of course!) Following in the footsteps of Positive Black Soul and Daara J, this hip young trio represent the very best of the new talent bubbling up on Dakar's music scene. Needless to say, Bidew Bou Bes will be one of the headlining acts on Jololi's forthcoming rap compilation (destined to be released next spring!) But the highlight of the DK/24 Festival was, without any possible doubt, the grand finale - performed at almost 3a.m. by Youssou N'Dour himself. The 'world' music mega-star is renowned as a committed perfectionist and workaholic but Youssou's recent schedule is overawing even by his own impressive standards. Just two days earlier Youssou had been in Paris performing at a giant Amnesty International gig with fellow super-stars Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen. Immediately after the concert Youssou had flown back to Senegal and gone on to perform two more concerts before leaping back on stage for the grand finale of DK/24. Youssou did not disappoint the thousands of fans who had turned out to see him, making a suitably dramatic entrance by descending onto the stage in a giant hot-air balloon then stepping out to greet his audience in a gleaming white suit! Dakar's most cherished son then launched straight into a medley of his hits, his melodic high voice electrifying the crowd who sang along with his every word. (While music fans in Europe have to wait four years for Youssou to put out a new album, his fans back home are constantly in touch with his work. Each year just before the start of Ramadan, the singer traditionally releases a cassette of remixes of his old hits and a few bonus selections of previously unreleased material!)
In spite of the fact that Youssou had performed three major concerts in the past week, the Senegalese mega-star showed not the slightest sign of fatigue, dancing around the stage with apparently boundless energy and playing his audience with all the dexterity of a football star. Youssou is a much-loved figure in his homeland. Indeed, you just had to take a look at the hundreds of fans pressed against the security barriers at the front of the stage, to see the kind of passion he inspires. For many people in this country Youssou N'Dour is the second most popular person after the President of the Republic!
Youssou's set finally drew to a close just before dawn and the audience trooped out of the DK/24 Festival looking tired but completely exhilarated. Organisers of the first DK/24 can pride themselves on having achieved a tremendous success and they can now look forward to laying plans for a second edition of the festival in 1999. Meanwhile, it's hats off to Youssou N'Dour whose boundless drive and energy will no doubt keep Dakar's music scene pulsating for many years to come!
Gérard Bar-David
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