Keeper of the Story:
Youssou N’Dour
Put aside every preconceived notion you have of the griot. Release any visions held in your mind of singers, poets, truth-tellers dressed in brightly colored garb singing and dancing to drum rhythms in an African village somewhere—some non-descript mythic reduction of a vast continent. Instead, imagine the strength and power of a griot and their ability to share stories that help us collectively understand who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going. Griots defy and dismantle binaries as they work as keepers of stories, deliverers of daily news that spans art, culture, faith and politics. The griot embodies elements of the sacred and simultaneously balances the complexities and nuances of daily life.
Here, at the intersection of the sacred and the secular lives Youssou N’Dour—a Sufi Muslim, Senegalese musical phenom, activist, actor and subject of the acclaimed film “I Bring What I Love.”
Considered one of the most influential people making music today, N’Dour personifies the modern-day griot. Youssou descends from a matrilineal line of griots, women who always believed he should sing and carry the tradition forward. While N’Dour lived with the support of the women in his family, the tensions that come with growing up in a devout Muslim household in a country where ninety-four percent of the population practices Islam informed and impacted his youth. While exploring his burgeoning creativity, N’Dour had to contend with resisting his father’s dreams that he would complete school and enter a respectable profession.
As a teenager, N’Dour became obsessed with music and frequently ran away to Gambia to explore his artistry and party. The film, “I Bring What I Love,” documents N’Dour’s early experiences in Gambia playing at night clubs like the Open Air and even selling his shoes to get back to Gambia when his father sent the police to bring him home to Senegal. Perhaps, this young artist had to taste the flavors of worlds beyond the safety of his community to begin to carve out his spot in it.
Trailer for “I Bring What I Love”
N’Dour went on to become one of the most beloved musicians in the world. His collaborations with internationally known artists such as Peter Gabriel and later Neneh Cherry catapulted N’Dour to superstardom throughout Africa and Europe. Before 2004, N’Dour was known mostly as a pop singer. He eventually began to use his international platform to illuminate issues impacting Senegal and other African countries. His work on Malaria prevention has brought him to the United Nations to discuss innovative approaches to combating the disease that kills one million people yearly.
The rocky and tenuous road of the griot became more complicated as N’Dour embarked on his most controversial album to date- Egypt. During Ramadan, N’Dour received the message to make an album that honors Sufism and the rise of Islam in Senegal. He could not resist the opportunity to answer the calling. The album, an homage to Senegal’s holy cities and religious leaders, is a collaboration with Fathy Salama and the Cairo Orchestra and features sacred Sufi chants, liturgical poetry and the blending of west African, Egyptian and Arabic instrumentation and rhythms.
The events of 9/11 along with increased Islamophobia forced N’Dour to deter the release of the album for close to five years. Upon its release, N’Dour was criticized for releasing a religious album because of the large success he garnered previously as a secular musician. In one concert filmed for “I Bring What I Love,” N’Dour sings, “If you love me, I love you. If you hate me, I still love you.” His ability to walk the path of the griot even as the bitter taste of hate swirled around him, reveals his deep understanding and responsibility of the truth-teller. The griot must deliver the news regardless of who finds it palatable. The truth-teller must deliver the news even when his core beliefs and identity are questioned.
N’Dour’s ability to blend the sacred and the secular exemplifies the potential of music as a means of transformation, increased tolerance and liberation. The album allowed him to sing about his religious beliefs while educating and uniting communities through music. To bring liturgical music to the masses, convincing them to their liquor for the duration of a concert reveals music’s power. Although Egypt is not his best selling album, it did however earn N’Dour a Grammy and tested his ability to speak across difference and unite communities of diverse faith and cultures.
Learn more about Youssou N’Dour here: http://www.youssou.com/
Words by Ebony Noelle Golden