Youssou N'Dour

The first words that come to mind when I think of Youssou N’Dour are: neex and king. Youssou N’Dour is positively neex (really good in Wolof). He is also the king of music in Senegal in a way that Michael Jackson never could be. Just thinking of Youssou, conjures up images of life at its best- happiness, laughter, dancing. Some of my best memories of Senegal are accompanied by a Youssou N’Dour song playing in the background. If there’s one thing to be said about Youssou, it’s that he knows how to throw a party. And while not only is he a great musician and the richest person in Senegal, he is true to his roots and cares about his people. Often he accompanies the president of Senegal on important affairs of the state. At least once a week I saw Youssou doing some kind of benefit concert, raising awareness to an issue, or donating money to some cause. One of the largest efforts I experienced first-hand was “Africa Live- Roll Back Malaria” a two-day concert with profits going to fight malaria in Senegal, spearheaded by Youssou N’Dour himself.

Song listened to while writing this:
Dem Dem- Youssou N’Dour