ARTS

The Michigan Daily

Friday, October 27, 1989

Page 8

l Senegalese superstar
Singer N'Dour brings African music to the world

BY RACHEL KRINSKY
NOBODY can help moving; feet
tap, heads nod, and there's audible re-
lief when I get up and dance around
my room so that everybody else can,
too. This music doesn't want you to
sit still. Everyone struggles to place
the sound, and each time I put on the
tape I hear:
"It sounds a little like those guys
from Graceland... it's kind of like
reggae... a little like that cool Indian
music..."
In any case, it sure doesn't sound
like American top-40, and the beat is
something incredible. The rich, fluid
voice is that of singer Youssou
N'Dour (YOU-sue n-DOOR), and
the sound, which he pretty much
created, is called Mbalax. The truth
is, it doesn't sound very much like
anything else.
N'Dour comes from a family of
griots, the traditional line of musi-
cians who played for the rulers of
empires in West Africa. The drum
beats are influenced by, if not taken
directly from, traditional dance and
festival rhythms, and the melodies
and themes of his music borrow
from odes sung by the griots. "Kocc
Barma," for example, honors a le-
gendary wise man and advisor to the
king, while "Sama Doom" praises
N'Dour's daughter. The song
"Gafnde," for which the album is
named, praises the Lion, the symbol
of Senegal. (Actually, the song was
written for the soccer team, not the
country.)
I spent last year in Senegal, West
Africa, in the city of Dakar, where
Youssou N'Dour was born and has
always lived when not touring with
his band, the Super-Etoiles. And he
is a superstar, without a doubt. His
concerts are mobbed with fans, his
music plays everywhere: throughout
the market place, around the univer-
sity, in the nightclubs, you name it.

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9


Youssou N'Dour, a superstar in Africa, will teach you a few things if you
thought Talking Heads and Paul Simon came up with those great
rhythms all by themselves.

He is also a favorite in the rest of
Africa and in France.
Youssou has become popular in
America as well since his appearance
on Peter Gabriel's So tour and al-
bum, and most recently on Amnesty
International's "Human Rights
Now!" tour. The music has changed
a bit here with the use of top-of-the-
line technology and the addition of
some English phrases, but Youssou
continues to sing for the most part
in Wolof, his native language. On
The Lion, there are some definite
Gabriel cadences and harmonies, but


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they don't overwhelm N'Dour's own
style and spirit. I had been skeptical
before hearing the hit song "Shakin'
the Tree," but it is truly a blending
of styles. Youssou N'Dour has not,
been co-opted by the American mu-
sic scene. Rather, he is a fresh new
voice and sound that is welcomed by
America's quickly expanding interest
in "pancultural" music.
YOUSSOU N'DOUR comes to the
Power Center this Sunday at 7:30
p.m. Tickets are $16.50 at the
Michigan Union Ticket Office and
all Ticketmaster outlets.
n the
trl ht
Bob Marley's backing group The
Wailers bring their funky reggae
groove party thang to Rick's on
Sunday night. The group played on
some of our era's greatest albums,;
including the awesome Catch A Fire
and the cool Natty Dread. Bass
player Aston "Family Man" Barrett
was also a member of Lee "Scratch"
Perry's legendary studio group the
Upsetters. Here's your chance to
catch some of the finest session
players in Jamaica. Opening act is
Onyx. Showtime is 8 p.m; Tickets
are $15, available at Ticketmaster
outlets and the door.

Am

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;SENIOR PORTRAITS!

Today is the last day!
Located on the 2nd floor of
SORDER the UGLI...If you missed
- IT
{ TODAY! your appointment, please
come in on a walk in basis.
£. I Please call 764-9425 for more info.

Bring in this ad for 11ML P re1 orn
nH~ S a s ~ luE V 7 pexpires 11/2/89 * *.BEFO RER N 5PMNan
ARMAND ASSANTE
aefliin loe. G R O S S
-" But thcre's one
H O LLY H N T E R . r"J
about gettng serous
s "Aaintg ptntic It's the toughest course in medical school.
Sat Pww
A N) SSN
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EMU vs. U of M
at
YPSI ARBOR LANES
New Mixed League Now Forming! r
Brir g A Friend in and Bowl Every Other Sunday
To Beat Teams of Eastern Students


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BOR.
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Faculty

League Meeting Oct. 29t
Starts Nov. 5th
Ypsi Arbor Lanes
2985 Washtenaw

at 4:00pm
Ypsilanti
484-1110

L

WCSX 94.7 FM
WLCOMES.- -
NOV. 1, 8:00PM
HILL
AUDITORIUM

In choosing a graduate
school, the faculty you study
with should be your single
most important consideration.
Here are just a few senior
members of the Graduate
Faculty and courses they
teach.
Tulal Asad
Anthropology: "Contem-
porary Anthropological
Theories"
Robert Heilbroner
Economics: "History of
Economic Thought"
Agnes Heller
Philosophy: "The Political
Philosophy of Kant"
Eric Hobsbawm
Political Science:
"Revolution in History"
David Shapiro
Psychology: "Neurotic
Character"

Faculty and History
Founded in 1933 as the Univer-
sity in Exile, the Graduate
Faculty has become what is
arguably the leading U.S.
center for historically and
theoretically informed social
science studies.
Faculty and You
Cindy Mueller, Assistant
Director of Admissions will be
at the University of Michigan
on October 31 to answer your
questions about our faculty-
and your future. For a free
Bulletin describing our M.A.
and Ph.D. programs, call or
return the coupon.

__n _nvr~yMdclRs -R~ec otwse

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Graduate Faculty
of Political and Social Science
65 Fifth Ave., Greenwich village,
N.Y., N.Y. 10003/(212) 741-5710

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location vs. reputation, salary vs. growth potential- you'll find that one choice
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If you possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree in the biological sciences (lab
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