Youssou N'Dour explained

Youssou N'Dour
Office:	Minister of Tourism of Senegal
Primeminister:	Abdoul Mbaye
Term Start:	5 April 2012
Term End:	September 2013
Predecessor:	Thierno Lo
Birth Date:	1959 10, df=yes
Birth Place:	Dakar, Mali Federation
Module:	Embed: yes Youssou N'Dour Background: solo_singer Birth Name: Youssou N'Dour Alias: Youssou Ndour Birth Date: 1959 10, df=yes Origin: Dakar, Senegal Genre: Mbalax, world Years Active: 1970s–present Associated Acts: Star Band, Étoile de Dakar, Super Diamono

Youssou N'Dour (in French jusu (ɛ)nduʁ/, Wolof: Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour;^[1] born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, "perhaps the most famous singer alive" in Senegal and much of Africa^[2] and in 2023, the same publication ranked him at number 69 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.^[3] From April 2012 to September 2013, he was Senegal's Minister of Tourism.

N'Dour helped develop a style of popular Senegalese music known by all Senegambians (including the Wolof) as mbalax, a genre that has sacred origins in the Serer music njuup tradition and ndut initiation ceremonies.^{[4] [5]} He is the subject of the award-winning films Return to Gorée (2007) directed by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud and (2008) directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, which were released around the world.

In 2006, N'Dour was cast as Olaudah Equiano in the film Amazing Grace.^[6]

Early life

Ethnically,^[7] N'Dour is Serer, born to a Serer father and a Toucouleur mother.^[4] However, culturally, N'Dour is Wolof.^[8] He was born in Dakar.^[4] He started performing at age 12 and would later perform regularly with the Star Band, Dakar's most popular group during the 1970s.

Despite N'Dour's maternal connection to the traditional griot caste, he was not raised in that tradition, which he learned instead from his sibling. Although patrilineally from the noble N'Dour family, his parents' world-view encouraged a modern outlook, leaving him open to two cultures and thereby inspiring N'Dour's identity as a modern griot. As a Mouride disciple, taalibé in Wolof, a Muslim of the Mouride brotherhood, one of the large four Sufi orders in Senegambia, he often incorporated aspects of Islamic music and chants into his work.^{[9] [10]}

Music career

At the age of 15, Youssou N'Dour joined a band called Diamono and, in 1975, toured with the band in West Africa.^{[11] [12]}

In 1976 when N'Dour was 16 years old, he signed a contract to sing with Ibra Kasse's Star Band at Kasse's Miami club in Dakar where he would become a sensation.

In 1978, N'Dour would follow as several members of the Star Band left to form Étoile de Dakar, a band that made important contributions to Senegal's newly evolving musical style called mbalax which incorporated traditional Senegalese music into the Latin styles that had dominated Senegalese popular music.^[13] Although they quickly became one of the city's most popular bands,^[14] the group was short-lived due to internal problems. Étoile de Dakar split into two groups: Étoile 2000 and Super Étoile de Dakar. The latter group included N'Dour, guitarist Jimi Mbaye, bassist Habib Faye, and tama (talking drum) player Assane Thiam. Super Étoile de Dakar produced four albums on cassette in just a few months and eventually evolved into N'Dour's backing band.

By 1991, he had opened his own recording studio, and, by 1995, his own record label, Jololi.

N'Dour is one of the most celebrated African musicians in history. His mix of traditional Senegalese mbalax with eclectic influences ranging from Cuban rumba to hip hop, jazz, and soul has won him an international fan base of millions. In the West, N'Dour has collaborated with Peter Gabriel,^[15] Axelle Red,^[16] Sting,^[17] Alan Stivell,^[18] Bran Van 3000,^[19] Neneh Cherry,^[20] Wyclef Jean,^[17] Paul Simon,^[20] Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman, James Newton Howard, Branford Marsalis, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dido, Lou Reed, Bruce Cockburn, and others.

The New York Times described his voice as an "arresting tenor, a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority".^[21] N'Dour's work absorbed the entire Senegalese musical spectrum, often filtered through the lens of genre-defying rock or pop music from outside Senegalese culture.

In July 1993, Africa Opera composed by N'Dour premiered at the Opéra Garnier for the French Festival Paris quartier d'été.^[22]

In 1994, N'Dour released his biggest international hit single, the trilingual "7 Seconds", a duet sung with Neneh Cherry.

He wrote and performed the official anthem of the 1998 FIFA World Cup with Axelle Red "La Cour des Grands (Do You Mind If I Play)".^[16]

Folk Roots magazine described him as the African Artist of the Century. He toured internationally for thirty years. He won his first American Grammy Award (best contemporary world music album) for his CD Egypt in 2005.^{[23] [24] [25]}

He is the proprietor of L'Observateur, one of the widest-circulation newspapers in Senegal, the radio station RFM (Radio Future Medias) and the TV channel TFM.

In 2002, N'Dour was honoured with a Prince Claus Award, under that year's theme "Languages and transcultural forms of expression".

In 2006, N'Dour played the role of the African-British abolitionist Olaudah Equiano in the movie Amazing Grace, which chronicled the efforts of William Wilberforce to end slavery in the British Empire.^[26]

In 2008, N'Dour offered one of his compositions, Bébé, for the French singer Cynthia Brown.

In 2011, N'Dour was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in music from Yale University.^[27]

In 2013, N'Dour won a share of Sweden's $150,000 Polar music prize for promoting understanding between faiths as well as for his music.^[28]

Activism

N'Dour was nominated as Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 16 October 2000.^[29]

In Senegal, N'Dour became a powerful cultural icon, actively involved in social issues. In 1985, he organized a concert for the release of Nelson Mandela. He was a featured performer in the 1988 worldwide Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour collaborating with Lou Reed on a version of the Peter Gabriel song "Biko" which was produced by Richard James Burgess and featured on the Amnesty International benefit album The Secret Policeman's Third Ball. He worked with the United Nations and UNICEF, and he started Project Joko to open internet cafés in Africa and to connect Senegalese communities around the world.

In 2003, N'Dour cancelled an upcoming American tour in order to publicly deny support for the upcoming American invasion of Iraq. In a public statement explaining his decision, N'Dour said:

It is my strong conviction that the responsibility for disarming Iraq should rest with the United Nations. As a matter of conscience I question the United States government's apparent intention to commence war in Iraq. I believe that coming to America at this time would be perceived in many parts of the world--rightly or wrongly--as support for this policy, and that, as a consequence, it is inappropriate to perform in the US at this juncture.^[30]

He performed in three of the Live 8 concerts (in Live 8 concert, London, Live 8 concert, Paris and at the Live 8 concert, Eden Project in Cornwall) on 2 July 2005, with Dido.^[31] He covered John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" for the 2007 CD . N'Dour appeared in a joint Spain-Senegal ad campaign to inform the African public about the dramatic consequences of illegal immigration.^[32] He participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions project in 2007.^[33]

In 2008, he joined the Fondation Chirac's honour committee.^[34] The same year, Youssou N'Dour's microfinance organization named Birima ("Birima" is also a song's title) was launched with the collaboration of United Colors of Benetton.

In 2009, he released his song "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)" under a Creative Commons license to help IntraHealth International in their IntraHealth Open campaign to bring open source health applications to Africa. The song was remixed by a variety of artists including Nas, Peter Buck of R.E.M., and Duncan Sheik to help raise money for the campaign.^[35]

N'Dour is a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which advocates for democratic reformation of the United Nations.^[36]

N'Dour is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.^[37]

Political career

At the beginning of 2012, he announced plans to stand as a candidate in the 2012 Senegalese presidential election, competing against President Abdoulaye Wade.^{[38] [39]} However, he was disqualified from running in the election over the legitimacy of the signatures he had collected to endorse his campaign.^[40] N'Dour backed the opposition candidate Macky Sall, who defeated Wade in a second round of voting in March 2012. N'Dour was appointed as Minister of Culture and Tourism in April 2012 as part of the cabinet of new Prime Minister Abdoul Mbaye.^[41] The story of N'Dour's presidential campaign was filmed for the PBS TV program .^[42] Later his portfolio was modified and he was appointed as Minister of Tourism and Leisure. He was dismissed from that post on 2 September 2013, when a new government under Prime Minister Aminata Touré was appointed.^[43] N'Dour was instead appointed as Special Adviser to the President, with the rank of minister,^[44] and tasked with promoting the country abroad.^[45]

Awards and nominations

Award	Year	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
Brit Awards	1995	International Male Solo Artist	Himself		^[46]
Danish Music Awards	1995	Best International Song	"7 Seconds"		^[47]
Edison Award	1994	Best Pop International	The Guide (Wommat)		^[48]
Grammy Awards	1993	Best World Music Album	Eyes Open		^[49]
1995	The Guide (Wommat)
2001	Joko: The Link
2004	Best Contemporary World Music Album	Nothing's In Vain (Coono du Réér)
2005		Egypt
2009		Rokku Mi Rokka
Ivor Novello Awards	1995	International Hit of the Year	"7 Seconds"		^[50]
La Mar de Música Awards	2020	Festival Award	Himself		^[51]
Lunas del Auditorio	2004	Espectaculo Alternativo			^[52]
MOBO Awards	2000	Best World Music Act			^[53]
2001				^[54]
2003				^[55]
2004				^[56]
2005	Best African Act			^[57]
MTV Europe Music Awards	1994	Best Song	"7 Seconds"		^[58]
Montreal International Jazz Festival	2011	Antonio Carlos Jobim Award	Himself		^[59]
Polar Music Prize	2013	Polar Music Prize
Praemium Imperiale	2017	Music			^[60]
Victoires de la Musique	2001	World Music Album of the Year	Joko		^[61]
2011	Dakar – Kingston			^[62]
Urban Music Awards	2023	Artist of the Year (Africa)	Himself		^[63] Discography Early cassettes This numbered series of cassettes was released in Senegal between 1982 and 1988, and was credited to Youssou N'Dour & Le Super Etoile de Dakar.^[64] Vol 1 Tabaski Vol 2 Ndakarou Vol 3 Independence Vol 4 Banjoly N'Diaye Vol 5 Yarou Vol 6 Marguedy Vol 7 Daby Vol 8 Immigres Vol 9 Africa Vol 10 Ndobine Vol 11 Bekoor Vol 12 Jamm Vol 13 Kocc Barma Vol 14 Gainde Albums Ndiadiane Ndiaye (1982) Mouride (1982) Independance Vol. 3 (1982) Show	! A Abidjan (1983) Djamil Inédits 84-85 (1985) Immigrés (1985) Nelson Mandela (1985) The Lion (1989) Set (1990) Eyes Open (1992) The Guide (Wommat) (1994) Gainde – Voices from the Heart of Africa (1995) Djamil (1996) – anthology Lii (1996) St. Louis (1997) Special Fin D'annee Plus (1998) Le Grand Bal a Évry (1999) Rewmi (1999) Joko: From Village to Town (2000) Joko: The Link (2000) Le Grand Bal (2000) Ba Tay (2001) Le Grand Bal a Bercy (2001) Nothing's in Vain (Coono Du Réér) (2002) Kirikou Et La Sorciere (2004) Egypt (2004) Jigeen Gni (2005) – single Alsaama Day (2007) Rokku Mi Rokka (2007) – No. 30 in Rolling Stones Top 50 Albums of 2007.^[65] I Bring What I Love (2008) – film soundtrack Special Fin D'annee: Salagne-Salagne (2009) Dakar – Kingston (2010) Mbalakh Dafay Wakh (2011) Fatteliku (2014) Senegaal Rek (2016) Africa Rekk (2016) Seeni Valeurs (2017) Respect (2018) History (2019) Mbalax (2021) Compilation albums Diongoma (1983) Special Noël (1993) The Best Of Youssou N'Dour (1995) Euleuk Sibir with Omar Pene (You et Pene) (1996) Immigrés/Bitim Rew (1997) Inedits 84–85 (1997) Best of the 80's (1998) Hey You: The Essential Collection 1988–1990 (1998) Birth Of A Star (2001) Youssou N'Dour and His Friends (2002) The Rough Guide To Youssou N'Dour & Etoile de Dakar (2002) Céy You (2003) Le Grand Bal: Paris-Bercy (2003) 4.4.44 (2004) Bercy 2004 vol. 1 & 2 (2004) 7 Seconds: The Best Of Youssou N'Dour (Remastered) (2004) Bercy 2005 (2005) Le Grand Bal: Bercy 2008 (2008) From Senegal to the world (2012) Le Grand Bal: Bercy 2013 (2013) Africa Rekk (Réédition) (2017) Raxas Bercy 2017 (2017) Le Grand Show (2019) Collaborations 1986: So by Peter Gabriel – backing vocals on "In Your Eyes". 1989: Passion by Peter Gabriel – backing vocals on "A Different Drum", "Passion". 1990: Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats by Peter Gabriel – "Mercy Street" and "Shaking the Tree". 1990: Le mani e l'anima by Italian singer Claudio Baglioni – "Oltre" album. 2000: Album Solidays – song "Qui sait?" for the association Solidarité sida, with Anggun, Patrick Bruel, Stephan Eicher, Faudel, Peter Gabriel, Lââm, Lokua Kanza, Nourith, Axelle Red & Zucchero. 2003: Hit by Peter Gabriel – backing vocals on "In Your Eyes". 2005: Live 8: One Day, One Concert, One World DVD – N'Dour sings "7 Seconds" with Dido. 2005: Live 8 Paris DVD – N'Dour sings at the end of the concert "New Africa/Lima Weesu". 2006: An Other Cup by Yusuf – backing vocals on "The Beloved". 2007: Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur – N'Dour sings "Jealous Guy". 2008: Bord Ezanga Kombo by Koffi Olomide – N'Dour on "Festival". 2009: Les Amis Du Monde with the Lebanese diva Majida El Roumi for the Francophone Games Opening 2009 in Beirut. 2020: Twice as Tall by Burna Boy – on track 4^[66] 2020: L'Ours with Christophe Maé Singles Single Year Peak chart positions Album UK ^[67] AUS ^[68] FRA ^[69] BEL (WAL) ^[70] SWI ^[71] GER ^[72] US ^[73] US Alt Rock ^[74] "The Rubberband Man / Nelson Mandela" 1985 — — — — — — — — Nelson Mandela "Shango Affair" 1988 — — — — — — — — Black Mic Mac 2 OST "Shakin' the Tree" (with Peter Gabriel) 1989 61 — — — — — — 9 The Lion "The Lion / Gaïende" — — — — — — — — "Toxiques" 1990 — — — — — — — — Set "Africa Remembers" 1992 — — — — — — — — Eyes Open "7 Seconds" (with Neneh Cherry) 1994 3 3 1 — 1 3 98 — The Guide (Wommat) "Mame Bamba" — — — — — — — — "Undecided" 1995 53 145 — — — 92 — — "Chimes of Freedom" — — — — — — — — "How Come" (with Canibus) 1998 52 — — — — — — — Bulworth OST "La Cour Des Grands (A Ton Tour De Jouer)" (with Axelle Red) — — 16 31 — — — — official hymn of 1998 FIFA World Cup "My Hope Is in You" 1999 — — — — — — — — Joko - From Village to Town "Birima" 2000 — — — — — — — — "So Many Men" (with Pascal Obispo) 2002 — — 35 27 85 — — — Nothing's in Vain (Coono Du Réér) "#Senegaal rekk" (with Le Super Etoile) 2016 — — 189 — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. Films Amazing Grace (2006) As Olaudah Equiano. "A central figure in the abolitionist movement in Great Britain, Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745–97) wrote an eyewitness account of his life as a slave and of his work in the anti-slavery movement: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano." As a musician on the film's soundtrack. Retour à Gorée (2007) As himself, journeying from the island of Gorée to the USA and back, exploring the origins of jazz, which go back to the era of slave trade in Africa, through a concert performed by an international group of artists.^[75] ^[76] (2008) As himself, through the recording of the Egypt album and its repercussions. Released in the US on DVD by Oscilloscope Laboratories. External links – official site Youssou N'Dour at African Music Encyclopedia Youssou N'Dour interview at Afropop Worldwide, May 2004 Youssou N'Dour World Music Legends at GlobalRhythm.net Youssou N'Dour article Senegal Superstar Wins Grammy for "Egypt" at World Beat Planet, 16 February 2005 Youssou N'Dour article Youssou N'Dour, "Egypt" and Islam on National Public Radio Youssou N'Dour film Youssou N'Dour: I bring what I love at IMDb Youssou N'Dour role in the film Amazing Grace Youssou N'Dour video interview Visions of Youssou N'Dour on Stock Exchange of Visions Youssou N'Dour at IntraHealth Open, featuring N'Dour's track "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)"

Notes and References

1. Xalima, Youssou « Madjiguéne » devenu l’ennemi des hommes sénégalais... (28 November 2019) https://xalimasn.com/youssou-madjiguene-devenu-lennemi-des-hommes-senegalais/
2. Youssou N'Dour. Rolling Stone. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930220906/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/youssoundour/biography. 30 September 2007.
3. January 1, 2023. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. July 13, 2023. Rolling Stone. en-US.
4. Sturman, Janet, The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture, SAGE Publications (2019), p. 1926, . Retrieved 13 July 2019.
5. Connolly, Sean, Senegal, Bradt Travel Guides (2009), p. 27, https://books.google.com/books?id=WcaGDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27 (Retrieved 13 July 2019)
6. Web site: Olaudah Equiano (Youssou N'Dour) guardian.co.uk Film. 28 April 2021. The Guardian.
7. In the Senegambia region as well as many African cultures, a person's ethnicity is determined by their father's line or surname. N'Dour and its variation Ndure or Ndour is a typical Serer surname. See - Mwakikagile, Godfrey, The Gambia and Its People: Ethnic Identities and Cultural Integration in Africa, New Africa Press (2010), p. 136, 141.
8. News: La musique me portait, c'était ma seule langue . fr . 12 August 2005. Le Monde.fr .
9. News: 2009-06-16 . Youssou N'Dour film explores music and Islam . en . Reuters . 2022-07-16.
10. News: A song and a prayer . Mark. Hudson. . 23 May 2004.
11. Hardy, Phil, The Da Capo Companion to 20th-century Popular Music, Da Capo Press (1995), p. 682,
12. [Kwame Anthony Appiah|Appiah, Anthony]
13. Hudson, Mark, essay in liner notes of "Once Upon a Time in Senegal", Etoile de Dakar, Sterns Music 2010, p. 14
14. News: Etoile de Dakar featuring Youssou N'Dour: Once Upon a Time in Senegal . London . The Guardian . Robin . Denselow . 6 May 2010.
15. Web site: Llewellyn Smith . Caspar . Soundtrack of my life: Youssou N'Dour . Guardian.co.uk . 15 June 2008 . 4 January 2012 . London.
16. News: Perrone . Pierre . Music: The song remains the game . The Independent. Independent.co.uk . 29 May 1998 . 4 January 2012 . London.
17. News: Hudson . Mark . Supernatural superstar . Telegraph.co.uk . 12 December 2002 . 4 January 2012 . London.
18. Web site: Scotland News – Listings: Critics' choice . TimesOnline.co.uk . 11 January 2004 .
19. News: Gill . Andy . Album: Bran van 3000 . Independent.co.uk . 14 June 2001 . London.
20. News: Cumming . Tim . Youssou N'Dour and the Fathi Salama Orchestra, Barbican, London . https://web.archive.org/web/20091114070002/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/youssou-ndour-and-the-fathi-salama-orchestra-barbican-london-542612.html . dead . 14 November 2009 . Independent.co.uk . 21 October 2004 .
21. News: Powers . Ann . African Drumbeats That Shout Out in Celebration . NYTimes.com . 23 November 2000 .
22. Web site: Youssou N'Dour. Polar Music Prize. 5 October 2019.
23. Web site: 23 November 2020. Youssou N'Dour. 28 April 2021. GRAMMY.com. en.
24. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - Profile, Youssou N'Dour. 28 April 2021. BBC.
25. Web site: BBC World Service - Focus on Africa, Youssou N'Dour on politics, culture and music. 28 April 2021. BBC.
26. Web site: Moss . Stephen . I'm bringing a message . Guardian.co.uk . 21 March 2007 . London.
27. Web site: University confers 2,907 degrees at 310th Commencement . David . Burt . Max . de La Bruyère . The Daily Yale News . 23 May 2011 . 3 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111112184929/http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/may/23/university-confers-2907-degrees-310th-commencement/ . 12 November 2011 . dead .
28. News: Youssou N'Dour's work for harmony lands Swedish music prize . Reuters . 7 May 2013 . Alistair . Scrutton.
29. Web site: Youssou N'Dour. Food and Agriculture Organization. 16 September 2009.
30. Web site: Facing Mecca. Christgau. Robert. 2004-06-08. The Village Voice. 2018-12-08.
31. News: Dido, Youssou and the three-gig dash . The Observer. Guardian.co.uk . 3 July 2005 . London.
32. Web site: Elkin. Mike. 20 September 2007. Spanish TV ads seek to deter boat people. 28 April 2021. The Guardian. en.
33. Web site: Youssou n'Dour the Africa's Music Maestro . ThisDayOnline.com . 13 June 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101120100124/http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=146029 . 20 November 2010 .
34. Web site: Honor Committee. Fondationchirac.eu. 5 October 2019.
35. Web site: Open Initiative . IntraHealth . 4 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120111194158/http://www.intrahealth.org/section/open . 11 January 2012 . dead .
36. News: Statements. Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. 28 September 2017. en-US.
37. Web site: Artists - Artists Against Racism. artistsagainstracism.org. en-US. 25 June 2018.
38. Web site: Message Nouvel an : Youssou Ndour confirme sa candidature à la Présidentielle 2012 . Seneweb . fr . 2 January 2012 . 3 January 2012 .
39. Web site: Course à la présidentielle : Youssou Ndour sur la ligne de départ . Charles Gaïky . Diene . . fr . 3 January 2012 .
40. News: Senegal clashes erupt as court clears Wade poll bid. 28 January 2012. BBC News.
41. News: Senegal musician Youssou Ndour given ministerial post . BBC News. 5 April 2012.
42. Web site: Youssou N'Dour: Shakin' the Tree | Sound Tracks. Pbs.org. 5 October 2019.
43. http://www.africa1.com/spip.php?article35590 "Sénégal : un nouveau gouvernement formé, sans le chanteur Youssou Ndour"
44. http://www.dakaractu.com/C-est-officiel-Youssou-N-dour-nomme-Conseiller-special-avec-rang-de-ministre_a51674.html "C’est officiel : Youssou N'dour nommé Conseiller spécial, avec rang de ministre"
45. Benjamin Roger, "Yasmina Khadra, Youssou N’Dour, George Weah… Ces personnalités qui rêvaient d’être président", Jeune Afrique, 8 November 2013 .
46. Web site: History. BRIT Awards. 1 October 2021.
47. http://ifpi.dk/dma/index.php?pk_menu=27
48. https://www.edisons.nl/pop/edities/1994/ "POP 1994"
49. Web site: Youssou N'Dour. Grammy.com. 23 November 2020.
50. Web site: Archive | The Ivors | The Ivors Academy | Champions of Music Creators. The Ivors Academy. 1 October 2021.
51. Web site: Senegalese Singer Youssou N'Dour Wins the 2020 La Mar de Música Award. World Music Central. 5 March 2020.
52. Web site: Lunas del Auditorio. Lunas del Auditorio. 1 October 2021.
53. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/955993.stm
54. Web site: Mobos 2001: The winners. 4 October 2001. News.bbc.co.uk.
55. Web site: Mobo Awards 2003: The nominees. 1 September 2003. News.bbc.co.uk.
56. Web site: Mobo Awards 2004: The nominees. 24 August 2004. News.bbc.co.uk.
57. Web site: Mobo awards 2005: The winners. 22 September 2005. News.bbc.co.uk.
58. Web site: 1994 MTV Europe Music Awards - Nominees & Winners. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/eUAHXOIZHV8. 2021-12-11 . live. YouTube. 2 December 2018.
59. Web site: YOoussou N'Dour Wins Antonio Carlos Jobim Award. Bernard. Perusse. The Montreal Gazette. International Music Network. 4 May 2011.
60. Web site: Music Youssou N'Dour. Praemium Imperiale. 2017.
61. Web site: Les Victoires de La Musique - Palmarès 2001. Francetv.fr.
62. Web site: Les Victoires de La Musique - Palmarès 2011. Francetv.fr.
63. Web site: Drake, Beyonce, Stormzy, Chris Brown, DJ Khaled and Central Cee all make the shortlist of nominees for this year's 19th anniversary of the Urban Music Awards.. U. M. A.. Team. 23 January 2023. Urban Music Awards. 20 May 2023.
64. Jacot Music . Youssou N'Dour & Le Super Etoile de Dakar (advertisement) . . January 1990 . 79/80 . 62.
65. CHRISTGAU, ROBERT; FRICKE, DAVID; HOARD, CHRISTIAN; SHEFFIELD, ROB, "The Top 50 Albums of 2007" RollingStone.com, 17 December 2007
66. Web site: Alake . Motolani . Burna Boy releases new album, 'Twice As Tall' . Pulse Nigeria . 14 August 2020 . 14 August 2020.
67. Book: Roberts, David. 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited . London. 1-904994-10-5. 388.
68. Australian chart peaks:
    • Top 50 peaks: Web site: australian-charts.com > Youssou N'Dour in Australian Charts. Hung Medien. 29 July 2016.
    • "Undecided": Web site: Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 14 July 2015. Imgur.com. 29 July 2016.
69. Web site: Youssou N'Dour - French Chart . lescharts.com . 27 October 2015.
70. Web site: Youssou N'Dour - Walloon Chart . ultratop.be . 27 October 2015.
71. Web site: Youssou N'Dour - Swiss Chart . hitparade.ch . 27 October 2015.
72. Web site: Youssou N'Dour - German Chart . germancharts.de . 27 October 2015.
73. Web site: Youssou N'Dour – US Billboard Hot 100 Chart . Billboard . 23 October 2015.
74. Web site: Youssou N'Dour - US Alternative Songs . Billboard . 10 August 2015.
75. News: Regnier. Isabelle. "Retour à Gorée" : la force de la musique des esclaves noirs au détriment de la vérité historique. 14 March 2012. Le Monde. 1 April 2008. fr.
76. Curiel, Jonathan, "Return to Gorée" (review), San Francisco Chronicle, 19 September 2008.