Re: Youssou N'Dour

[Hinrich Kuhls <kls@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This morning at the news-stand around the corner, a song of Youssou
N'Dour's latest CD in the air.
Me: "Nice music you're listening to."
The cashier, incidentally: "Yeah, that's Youssou singing!"

Youssou N'Dour is surely one of the most popular musicians over here in
Europe, too, well known to a rather broad audience.

Actually, Youssou  has never "left" his Sengalese roots and his Serer
lyrics. As for the "roots" I warmly recommend this CD: Yandé Coudou Sène
and Youssou N'Dour, Gainde. Voices from the Heart of Africa  - produced in
1995 by a Cologne radio station, distributed by the label World Network and
still obtainable from CD shops.

Thought I shuold share some paragraphs from the CD's booklet with you:

"This album, a German-Senegalese coproduction, represents the fulfilment of
a dream Youssou N'Dour has nurtured for many years. Together with musicians
of the Serer people, he goes back to his roots, presenting some new songs
und introducing us to the singer Yandé Coudou Sène, whom he has admired
since his childhood and who actually inspired his own wish to become a
singer. For this meeting of two generations, the diva of the Serer brought
her choir and her drummers from Fatick, while Youssou N'Dour invited
musicians from his band and other friends.

It's the first time that a CD recording has been made of the polyphonic
singing of the Serer, one of the many ancient traditions already slipping
into oblivion as Africa comes under increasing economic and cultural
pressure from outside. 'I can barely express my happiness at this
opportunity of proving that Serer culture is still alive,' said Yandé
Coudou Sène after the recording sessions. Youssou N'Dour experimented with
some forms we have not heard from him before. The highlight of the studio
sessions was undoubtedly their work together, in which their strong mutual
fascination inspired reciprocal praise songs. Instrumental pieces present
the country's polyrhythmic tradition. [...]

The Serer people is a small ethnic group (some 600.000 people or about 17%
of the Senegalese population) living near the Atlantic in Central Senegal,
whose livelyhood depends on agriculture and fishing. They originated in the
region of the Sahara, then still a forest, between the 10th and 7th century
BC. From there, they moved towards the Atlantic, settling in the area of
the ancient kingdom of Tekrur and moving further towards the coast. In the
course of the centuries, they developed their own methods of fertilising
the land to ensure good yields.

The most famous Serer is the poet nad philosopher Léopold Senghor. He was
the first African to teach at a French university. In 1945, he was elected
to the French National Assembly as member of parliament for Senegal, beame
a minister in the the cabinet of Edgar Faure in 1955 and the frist
president of Senegal following the country's independence. For Senghor
(according to H. Gravrand), 'the Serer in sub-Saharan Senegal, like the
Berber to the North, have retained the ancient status of a society of
Neolithic origin: a matriarchal system in which the earth takes precedence,
and above all with its animistic religion and the three fundamental values
of African art: the symbolic imagery, the polyphonic melodies and the
rhythm created from sequences that are never repeated.'

During his electoral campaign, Senghor asked Yandé Coudou Sène to perform
with her choir and drummers before he gave his speeches. Later, she joined
the president's retinue on his tours of the provinces and hier performances
welcomed all state guests of honour. She was the only person allowed to
interrupt Senghor's speeches spontaneously with one of her legendary songs
of praise. In addition, she took part, as she still does, in all major
ceremonies and in the cultural life of the Serer."

These are just words on Youssou N'Dour's roots. His music opens the door to
a continent of polyrhythm and exciting melodies.

Hinrich

At 11:38 11.11.00 -0500, Louis Proyect wrote:

>Excellent news. Youssou N'Dour's latest CD "Joko (The Links)" is a return
>to his Senegalese roots. Not only are the rhythms more authentically
>African, the lyrics are in Senegalese--a beautiful language. Most
>importantly, he is using "talking drums" once again, a critical ingredient
>for the Senegalese musical idiom. The CD is dedicated to the memory of
>Amadou Diallo "who died so young in the Bronx, and to all the recent
>African immigrants who, like their predecessors of many nationalities, have
>enriched America with their patience, with their moral example, with the
>investment of their labors and their verve." Here are the lyrics to one song:
>
>
>MISS
>
>Let me say it at least once before I die:
>Women are beautiful
>
>Women of Senegal: Know that we men are not your superiors
>Women of Senegal: We need to praise you
>Women of Senegal: No one would dare disrespect you
>Remember the Tuesday battle of Nder
>Remember women like Aline Sitoe Diatta and Yacine Boubou
>
>Let me say it at least once before I die:
>Women are beautiful
>
>Let me say it twice, then I can die: Women are beautiful
>And I love you all
>And I cherish you all
>
>Akhrou zaman means the end of this world
>People forget that things do not happen on their own
>The forces which move you are stronger than you are
>Whether they are visible or not
>The truth is that lies can not prevail
>I can't tell you more
>Because every person has his own conscience
>
>Women of Senegal: You remind me of the Signares of Gorée
>Yacine Boubou was a hero, so was Aline Sitoe Diatta
>Yacine Boubou was stronger than any man
>Women of Senegal: You are stronger than men
>
>
>
>Louis Proyect
>Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org/
>
>