Youssou N’Dour - The Sufi album

Keeping the Faith in Fez

Fez 

14/06/2004 - 

Following the success of his “Grand bal”stadium show with the Super Etoile in Paris on 22 May, Youssou N’Dour steps centre stage again this month with his eagerly-awaited new album, Egypte. On his new opus the Senegalese star asserts his identity as a Sufi Muslim, paying tribute to African Islam. Youssou took to the stage at the Festival of Sacred World Music in Fez, Morocco (28 May - 5 June) to perform his original new repertoire. RFI Musique hooked up with him.

The Festival of Sacred World Music, an annual event held in the Moroccan city of Fez, is one of Africa’s longest-running festivals - and one which has attracted a prestigious turn-out of guest stars over the years. While the main staple of the festival is religious music, the stage in Fez has always been open to groups and singers committed to the cause of world peace. This year’s line-up includes Sapho (a singer renowned for her support for the Palestinian cause) and Myriam Makeba (the legendary symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa). Following the opening night, devoted to the three great monotheistic religions with a joint concert by Françoise Atlan, Montserrat Figueras and Aïcha Redouane, festival-goers were treated to a series of devotional Islamic songs taken from mbalax star Youssou N’Dour’s latest album, Egypte.

"I’m a practising Muslim,” proclaimed Youssou, kicking off his Allah Egypte tour on the main stage at Bab Makina, “and I didn’t wait for this album to come along to start living my faith. Playing in Fez is a very symbolic act for me, because this is the city where Tijanism originated. And it was thanks to this brotherhood that Islam first came to Senegal.” Traditionally, the Tidianes have always been great music-lovers and music plays an important role in their spiritual ceremonies. Youssou, whose mother is a Tidiane and whose father is a Mouride, was introduced to these ceremonies at a early age. "Islam has been very good to me over the years,” he says, “I followed the Mouride teachings of Sheikh Amadou Bamba (who was deported to Gabon for eight years under French colonisation and whose work is honoured on the album). It was Sheikh Amadou Bamba who taught me the values of humility, the respect for my fellowman and the full range of human emotions. I’m really moved by gospel, the songs of marabouts, the atmosphere of Sufi villages and the voice of Umm Kalthumm. I’m a very emotive Muslim when it comes to sound. And with this album I think I’ve found the music that corresponds to these particular sensations."

On stage at Bab Makina, Youssou is in the mood for thanksgiving, thanking the audience, God, the Mourides and the Tidianes and chanting out a string of saints’ names and generally restoring the tarnished image of Islam. And he does not forget to pay his respects to Viviane Wade, First Lady of Senegal and a fervent Youssou fan, embracing her warmly after the show. The high priest of Dakar, dressed in his elegant white robes, put on a magnificent performance at Fez, surrounded by 22 musicians (15 from Egypt and 7 from Senegal). This was Fez fusion at its very best, the sound of African instruments like the balafon, the djembe and Abdoulaye Cissoko’s kora, redoubling their efforts to compete with the violins, ‘uds, flutes, rattles and pounding derbouka of the Egyptian orchestra conducted by Fathy Salama.

While both groups of musicians were involved in the recording of Youssou’s album, this was the first time they had actually performed together on stage. And they had only had three days together to accord their instruments. (The presence of open scores on music stands on stage at Bab Makina confirmed the difficulty of the enterprise). One of the most haunting moments of Youssou’s appearance in Morocco was when he broke into a rendition of Touba (the holy city of the Mourides in Senegal), just as the local muezzin sounded their call to prayer in Fez. This perfect moment of grace and spiritual communion proved a poignant contrast to the vulgar ringing of mobile phones and the incessant hiss and crackle of the security staff’s walkie talkies. Impervious to these and other ambient sounds, Youssou continued singing his devotional songs loud and clear. And when he finally bowed off the stage at Fez, he trailed a special aura in his wake, leaving the crowd with a positive and positively laidback image of Islam.

Youssou N’Dour Egypte (Nonesuch/Warner) 2004
The Spirit Of Fès (Le chant du Monde/Harmonia Mundi) 2004
L’esprit de Fès, A book celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Fez Festival (Editions du Rocher) 2004

Laurence  Aloir

Translation : Julie  Street