Youssou N'Dour

小简介
熟悉Afropop的人，恐怕无人不知晓Youssou N'Dour。
他1959年生于塞内加尔首都达喀尔市(Darka)，自幼显露音乐天赋，12岁登台表演。1979年他自组乐团取名“Etoile de Darka”，1981年更名为“The Super Etoile”。1986年他应邀参与了Peter Gabriel的专集《So》的巡回演出，由此引起西方乐坛的注意而一发不可收拾，先后同Paul Simon，Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Tracy Chapman 以及 Brandford Marsalis 一同合作。1989年 Virgin发行了他第一张（国际）专辑《The Lion》。五年之后他的《The Guide (Wommat)》获格莱美“世界音乐”大奖提名，而其中与Neneh Cherry合作的单曲“7 Seconds” 更使他名噪一时，MTV Europe 还为之颁发了1994年度最佳单曲奖。1998年他参与作曲并演唱了世界杯主题曲 “La Cour des Grands”。他的专辑《埃及》(Egypt) 获得2005年度格莱美“世界音乐”大奖。
这些荣誉无疑是国际乐坛给他的褒奖，也是对他和其他非洲乐人对“mablax”流行乐的发展所做出的贡献表示认可。Mbalax是一种源于非洲经加勒比海(特别是古巴)后又返回西非的流行乐。“Mbalax” 在当地语 (Wolof) 中是“鼓之韵律”的意思(N'Dour语：“the rhythm of the drum”)。这里所说的鼓除了mbung mbung外，还有talmbeut, ndende, bougarabu, djembe, nder, tunge, gorong, tama，统称为sabars。非洲鼓素有“说话”、“叙述”之功能，可见其韵律之丰富，而这些节奏多变、韵律独特的鼓乐节奏恰恰就是mbalax的灵魂。Mbalax的节奏通常建立在欢快、舞蹈性节奏基础之上，却不局限于在鼓的演绎上，常常延伸至其他乐器的演奏中去。
N'Dour的嗓子音域极宽，带有浓郁的“男性”(masculine)张力，被公认为演绎mbalax的最佳代表。纽约时报赞誉他的嗓子富有弹性，是一具“有着预言家式的权威的武器”(“a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority”)。
N'Dour是一个具有强烈民族自豪感和社会责任感的艺术家，曾多次参加有关人道、反战、世界卫生、反饥饿等国际义演活动（如1999年的TeleFood Concert及2005年的“Live 8”音乐会）。2003年伊拉克战争爆发后，N'Dour毅然取消原定赴美23个城市的巡回演出。这位信奉伊斯兰教的乐人认为此时访美即意味着支持美国对伊拉克的战争。N'Dour始终认为自己是个现代的西非“游吟歌者”(griot)，有资格有责任以文化传承者的身份向自己的同胞和下一代传递民族的文化传统和价值观念。因而他的歌曲大都带有强烈的忧患意识，对种族歧视、世界和平、生态平衡有着深刻的关注。
by Craig HarrisSome of the most exciting sounds to come out of Africa in the late 80s and 1990s were produced by Senegal-born vocalist Youssou NDour. Although rooted in the traditional music of his homeland, NDour consistently sought new means of expression. In addition to recording as a soloist, NDour collaborated with a lengthy list of influential artists including Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Neneh Cherry, and Branford Marsalis. A native of the impoverished Media section of Dakar, NDour inherited his musical skills from his mother, a griot (oral historian) who taught him to sing as a child. A seasoned performer before his teens, NDour joined the popular group the Star Band of Dakar at the age of 19. Within two years, he had assumed leadership of the group, which he renamed Super Etoile De Dakar. With the band accompanying his four or five octave vocals, NDour helped to pioneer mbalax, an up-tempo blend of African, Caribbean, and pop rhythms. Performing for the first time in Europe in 1984, NDour and Super Etoile De Dakar made their North American debut the following year.NDours talents soon attracted the support of top-rated musicians. In 1986, his vocals were featured on Paul Simons Graceland and Peter Gabriels So. He subsequently toured around the world as opening act for Gabriel. His greatest exposure came when he agreed to be a co-headliner, along with Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, and Tracy Chapman, on the Amnesty International Human Rights Now! tour in 1988. The same year, he performed at the much-publicized birthday concert for South African activist (and president) Nelson Mandela at Wembley Stadium in London.NDour cemented his reputation, in 1989, when he released his first internationally distributed album, Set, which included a tune, Shaking the Tree, that he co-wrote with Gabriel. Upon signing with Spike Lees Columbia-distributed 40 Acres & a Mule label, NDour scored a Grammy nomination in 1991 with his first effort for the label, Eyes Open. He continued to seek new outlets for his creativity, including an African opera that premiered at the Paris Opera in July 1993. Recorded in Senegal, NDours album The Guide, released in 1994, included his hit duet with Swedish-born vocalist Neneh Cherry Seven Seconds. A steady stream of greatest-hits packages, reissues, singles, and even a few full-length records — including a handful on Nonesuch, 2002s Nothings in Vain, 2004s Egypt, and 2007s Rokku Mi Rokka — poured out during the late 90s and into the next century, watching NDour work with artists from Etoile de Dakar to Gabriel.