Youssou N'Dour in Paris

Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer and songwriter, born in Dakar in 1959, whose music is rooted in the dance rhythms of mbalax. He led Étoile de Dakar and later Super Étoile, and is widely known for “7 Seconds,” his duet with Neneh Cherry, as well as albums including Immigrés and Egypt. At Wembley Stadium in 1988, he performed at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute, then joined Amnesty International’s Human Rights Now! tour later that year. The tour placed him on the same concert program as Peter Gabriel, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Tracy Chapman. In 2005, he also performed at the Live 8 concert at the Eden Project. He performs with a full band, using the sabar-driven arrangements associated with Super Étoile.