Description
Book SynopsisThis book is about Senegalese Pop star Youssou Ndour, also known as the king of mbalax music. The word mbalax was the name given to a specific drumming beat. Today, it is used to name a musical genre played by Wolof and Serer percussionists to entertain people at almost every family event such as naming and wedding ceremonies, storytelling, dances, and others, generally held by Senegalese women. Almost all social and family events are, or can be, musicalized in Senegal: there is music for every social gathering and mbalax is the music genre that most often accompanies such events. Mbalax music groups mix sabar instruments, which include the cóol, làmb, ndënd, mbë?-mbë?, ndeer, tu?une, and tama, also known as talking drum, with modern elements such as electric and bass guitars, trumpets and keyboards.
Ndour has substantially contributed to the popularity of mbalax music throughout the wo
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations – Preface – Acknowledgments – List of Abbreviations – Introduction – Youssou Ndour, the Child of Medina – The Genesis of a New Musical Genre: The Mbalax – Themes and Hits of Youssou Ndour’s Song Repertoire – Youssou Ndour: A Griot Sufi Poet? – The Years of Glory and International Recognition – Youssou Ndour Beyond Music – References – Conclusion – Testimonies – Selected Songs with English Translations.
