Youssou N'Dour

小簡介
熟悉Afropop的人，恐怕無人不知曉Youssou N'Dour。
他1959年生于塞內(nèi)加爾首都達喀爾市(Darka)，自幼顯露音樂天賦，12歲登臺表演。1979年他自組樂團取名“Etoile de Darka”，1981年更名為“The Super Etoile”。1986年他應邀參與了Peter Gabriel的專集《So》的巡回演出，由此引起西方樂壇的注意而一發(fā)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發(fā)行了他第一張（國際）專輯《The Lion》。五年之后他的《The Guide (Wommat)》獲格萊美“世界音樂”大獎提名，而其中與Neneh Cherry合作的單曲“7 Seconds” 更使他名噪一時，MTV Europe 還為之頒發(fā)了1994年度最佳單曲獎。1998年他參與作曲并演唱了世界杯主題曲 “La Cour des Grands”。他的專輯《埃及》(Egypt) 獲得2005年度格萊美“世界音樂”大獎。
這些榮譽無疑是國際樂壇給他的褒獎，也是對他和其他非洲樂人對“mablax”流行樂的發(fā)展所做出的貢獻表示認可。Mbalax是一種源于非洲經(jīng)加勒比海(特別是古巴)后又返回西非的流行樂?！癕balax” 在當?shù)卣Z (Wolof) 中是“鼓之韻律”的意思(N'Dour語：“the rhythm of the drum”)。這里所說的鼓除了mbung mbung外，還有talmbeut, ndende, bougarabu, djembe, nder, tunge, gorong, tama，統(tǒng)稱為sabars。非洲鼓素有“說話”、“敘述”之功能，可見其韻律之豐富，而這些節(jié)奏多變、韻律獨特的鼓樂節(jié)奏恰恰就是mbalax的靈魂。Mbalax的節(jié)奏通常建立在歡快、舞蹈性節(jié)奏基礎之上，卻不局限于在鼓的演繹上，常常延伸至其他樂器的演奏中去。
N'Dour的嗓子音域極寬，帶有濃郁的“男性”(masculine)張力，被公認為演繹mbalax的最佳代表。紐約時報贊譽他的嗓子富有彈性，是一具“有著預言家式的權(quán)威的武器”(“a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority”)。
N'Dour是一個具有強烈民族自豪感和社會責任感的藝術家，曾多次參加有關人道、反戰(zhàn)、世界衛(wèi)生、反饑餓等國際義演活動（如1999年的TeleFood Concert及2005年的“Live 8”音樂會）。2003年伊拉克戰(zhàn)爭爆發(fā)后，N'Dour毅然取消原定赴美23個城市的巡回演出。這位信奉伊斯蘭教的樂人認為此時訪美即意味著支持美國對伊拉克的戰(zhàn)爭。N'Dour始終認為自己是個現(xiàn)代的西非“游吟歌者”(griot)，有資格有責任以文化傳承者的身份向自己的同胞和下一代傳遞民族的文化傳統(tǒng)和價值觀念。因而他的歌曲大都帶有強烈的憂患意識，對種族歧視、世界和平、生態(tài)平衡有著深刻的關注。
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.