Youssou N'Dour was born in Dakar, Senegal on October 1, 1959. He began playing and performing music in his early teens, and a few years later, found himself joining The Star Band, one of Senegal's most popular musical ensembles. Youssou N'Dour went on to form his own group, Etoile de Dakar, and his rise to international superstardom went on from there.
Youssou N'Dour - Peter Gabriel's Discovery: Youssou N'Dour's first major album, Immigres, was recorded in 1983 and spoke to the issue of cultural identity for Senegalese people who had immigrated to other countries. Somehow, this record got into the hands of rocker Peter Gabriel, and the timing was right: Gabriel's band Genesis had recently broken up, and he was embarking on a ground-breaking solo career and looking for exciting new collaborators. N'Dour fit the bill perfectly. Youssou N'Dour - On the World Stage: Touring with Peter Gabriel allowed Youssou N'Dour to catch the ears of many other musicians from all genres of music, including Sting, and raised his profile in the international music community. His fame never made him forget his roots, though, and he continued to produce albums that were specifically catered to his fellow Senegalese citizens and emigres, alongside more groundbreaking records that fused Western rock and pop styles with his native mbalax. Youssou N'Dour - Hits and Awards: Youssou N'Dour has won many awards over the years, and even scored a hit single in the United States with 1994's "Seven Seconds," a duet with Neneh Cherry. In 2005, he won a Grammy Award for his album Egypt, and Rolling Stone magazine named his 2007 album, Rokku Mi Rokka, as one of the Top 50 Albums of the Year. Youssou N'Dour - The Sound: Youssou N'Dour plays mbalax, which is essentially Senegalese pop music. N'Dour is primarily a singer and percussionist, and he uses African, Afro-Caribbean, and Western pop music in his compositions. His musical explorations have influenced nearly every living Senegalese musician, and most modern African musicians outside of Senegal as well. Youssou N'Dour - In the Movies: Youssou N'Dour has long been a popular composer for movies that are set in Africa or which feature African immigrants, but he made his big acting debut in the 2007 feature film Amazing Grace, a movie about the slave trade in the British Empire. Youssou N'Dour - Trivia: In his youth, Youssou N'Dour was a promising soccer player who intended to make a career as an athlete, but after a severe broken leg left him unable to play at his best, he decided to refocus his efforts entirely on music. Youssou N'Dour Starter CDs: Immigres - 1988 (Compare Prices) Egypt - 2005 (Compare Prices) 7 Seconds: The Best of Youssou N'Dour - (Compare Prices)
Source: http://worldmusic.about.com/od/bandsartistsaz/p/YoussouNDour.htm
