- Title: USA: Youssou N Dour film celebrates his passions
- Date: 5th June 2009
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JUNE 4, 2009) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) SINGER AND MUSICIAN YOUSSOU N'DOUR SAYING: "Firstly, I would like the film to show all the cultural richness of my country. Then my family - with my grandparents, my mother - all of the family - the importance of family. I think my music in general, the attachment to my country, where I live but also to show my religion, the Muslim religion, which needs a certain presentation because there are people who don't understand, who misinterpret it in a bad way."
- Embargoed: 20th June 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA1EWQ1Q7PO96I3UTP7PNQK604
- Story Text: A new documentary about Senegalese musician and singer Youssou N'Dour attempts to show a different side of Islam and Africa.
He is a Grammy-winning international star respected around the world. He has performed with the likes of Bono, Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel but in his words, Youssou N'Dour is nothing more than a modern griot. His talents stem from a long tradition of storytellers called griots in West Africa.
A new documentary about the Senegalese singer and musician called "Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love" hopes to paint an alternative picture of Islam and Africa, two subjects the artist feels passionate about. According to N'Dour, they are widely misunderstood.
"Africa is not about only AIDS, war and poverty. It's about beauty also," he said.
The film was shot in 2004 around the release of N'Dour's album called "Egypt". The album represented a departure for the artist. It was the most personal and spiritual of his career and also his most down-tempo. N'Dour, a devout Sufi, was inspired by Umm Kulthum, an Egyptian singer who was popular in the 1950s and 60s. He listened to her music while growing up.
N'Dour's album was initially widely rejected in his own country, where it was deemed blasphemous. "When I went into a holy city like Touba with my work, the people thought I was going to perform my old music with dancing women in the mosque. That is what the press was reporting but it was not true. That is what caused people to be reticent towards my music," he said.
The album won N'Dour a Grammy Award. The international attention it received caused people in Senegal to reconsider their initial reaction to the album and he was able to win back his native audience through the music.
From playing with international superstars to performing spiritual songs in the holy city of Touba, N'Dour has inhabited many worlds. He says being around different types of people is enriching and creatively it is what he has always wanted to do.
"I have always believed that as a musician I have a certain amount of freedom, to do what I feel like doing - what I am passionate about. Many musicians are still prisoners of their fans - you have to stay in this style. I fought from the beginning not to be stuck in one style. That is very important and allows me to delve into the things that I want," N'Dour said.
"Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love" opens in New York on June 12 with more international openings to follow. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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