Youssou N'Dour
Part of the 2009 Spring Season and Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas
Jun 5 at 8pm*
*This event is sold-out but Youssou N'Dour and his band will perform again on Saturday, June 6 following the New York premiere of Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love.
"…a voice of liquid gold…" —Time Magazine
An undisputed giant of world music, Senegalese artist and humanitarian Youssou N'Dour has raised Senegal’s exuberant mbalax style to global stature. Introduced to American audiences on seminal albums such as Paul Simon's Graceland and Peter Gabriel's So, N'Dour continues to influence virtually every realm of the international music scene, riding high on tumbling African rhythms and stratospheric vocals.
On June 5, N'Dour kicks off Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas with a concert on BAM’s Opera House stage, performing songs with his band The Super Etoile that draw on his Islamic beliefs, African heritage, and global experiences. The evening will begin with a traditional invocation by three vocalists. N'Dour's performance is also preceded by a short commissioned suite by Iraqi-American composer/musician Amir El Saffar, performed by a pan-Islamic ensemble. The ensemble will include Marina Alam, Dena El Saffar, and Dhafer Tawil, among others.
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Running time: approx 120min, no intermission
Subscription tickets: $20, 36, 44
(Full price: $25, 45, 55)
About Youssou N'Dour
Official homepage of the artist. More
The New York Times review of Youssou N'Dour's "Egypt"
"With audacity and grace," writes Jon Pareles, "Mr. N'Dour has made one of the most important albums of his long career." More
NPR interview of Youssou N'Dour
An audio portrait profiling Youssou's devotion to a unique Senegalese form of Islam and the album it inspired. More
What is "Mbalax"?
N'Dour pioneered this Senegalese musical genre, an amalgam of popular music from Dakar and traditional African idioms. More