Youssour N’dour – candidate of choice?

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Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour has announced he is running in February's presidential elections, prompting us to take a look at an article we wrote about him on this site in September 2010. (See the article below). "I have listened... and I am responding favourably," Mr N'Dour said on his TV network. The musical legend will run against incumbent Abdoulaye Wade, who is seeking to run for a third term, joining an army of African politicians with the appetite to hang on to power indefinitely. "It is a supreme patriotic duty," Mr N'Dour said of his decision to
stand for election. "It's true, I haven't pursued higher education, but the presidency is a function and not a job.
"I have proved my competence, commitment, rigour and efficiency time and time again. I have studied at the school of the world. Travel teaches as much as books."

Below is the article we wrote about him in September 2010:

The undisputed King of Mbalax is the man from Senegal called Youssou N’Dour. He is King of Mbalax, the way Michael Jackson is, or used to be, King of Pop. And what on earth is Mbalax?

It is a genre of music, achieved by the fusion of Western jazz, rock and traditional sabar rhythms from the West African nation of Senegal. If you haven’t heard Youssou N’Dour’s music, well, you’ve missed a lot, because the velvety voice with which he sings soulful songs, accompanied by drums and exotic instruments that literally speak has an appeal beyond your everyday music.

More established and well-known musicians around the world have sought to sing with Youssou N’Dour - they include Bruce Springsteen, Dido, Tracy Chapman, Sting, Peter Gabriel, etc.

The Mbalax sound is in itself a “genre-defying” sort of music, and only Youssou N’Dour is able to project it – and he has been on the road with this music for decades, thus becoming one of Africa’s pre-imminent musical talents.

In his native Senegal, Youssou N’dour is immensely popular, and seen as a strong social icon. His popularity at present is at dizzying heights, thanks to a radio station he has been operating for seven years. As a result, the politicians in Senegal are not comfortable with him, especially the governmental authorities, fearing Youssou
N’Dour is habouring presidential ambitions.

A denial of this by Youssou N’Dour did not help, as his statement was interpreted as his first political lie. So when he applied for a license to add television to his existing radio station, the authorities in Dakar flatly denied it.

With the help of his teeming fans, Youssou N’Dour waged a successful campaign for two years to have the decision reversed. When the license was finally granted, it came with a caveat: the TV station, called TFM can show programmes with “cultural contents” only.

That means no real news and current affairs likely to be critical of government can be aired. The Senegalese government is afraid of Youssou N’Dour because his radio station is extremely popular and influential, and N’Dour has even made it known that he is looking to broadcast beyond the borders of Senegal. Programme editors at TFM are cautiously optimistic though that they can surreptitiously add general content on TFM and make it look “cultural.” They reckon everything, including unwelcomed criticisms can be broadcast under the “culture”
label.

Youssou himself is not perturbed and is brimming with confidence. He waited two long years to get the approval to open the TV station – and for him anything less than a nod for the TV license would have been so wrong. "In a world where more and more people are affected by the strength of images and the speed of information, it is a pleasure to say that the state of Senegal made the right decision on 11 May 2010, allowing the broadcast of TFM," proclaimed Youssou N’dour during the launching of TFM TV.

Of course, a gift for singing, accompanied by popularity does not mutate into skills for the murky world of politics. But if Youssou N’Dour became a politician, he could be a smart one.

After all, politics is often a lot of hot air, hype and a bit of showmanship, and Youssou N’dour has plenty of it. In the meantime, the Senegalese authorities continue to see Youssou N’Dour, not just as th King of Mbalax, but also as a man who is secretly turning himself into a presidential candidate of choice.