Music

The most anticipated music event of the year
Hailed by Rolling Stone as among Africa’s “most beloved artists”, Senegalese-born Youssou N’Dour and his group, the Super Étoile de Dakar, present the stunning opening show for this year’s World Cultures Festival. N’Dour’s authentic sound has not only blown away one continent but won him a devoted fan base in Europe, the USA, and across the world. For his Hong Kong concert, the celebrated musician has handpicked a number of top singers and dancers from Africa to perform with his ensemble – a sterling line-up not to be missed!

N’Dour’s soaring voice has been described by The New York Times as “sweet, lithe and resolute” and lauded by Peter Gabriel, world-renowned singer and co-founder of the WOMAD festival, as “liquid gold… like the sun breaking through the clouds”. By fusing traditional Senegalese music with jazz, soul, Latin, rock and other styles, N’Dour initiatedmbalax, a unique Afropop genre featuring intricate, rhythmic patterns that captivated the Western music scene. Over the decades, N’Dour has also collaborated with numerous international artists including Peter Gabriel, Neneh Cherry, Sting, Lou Reed, Branford Marsalis and Spike Lee.
Singer and entertainer, poet, politician and oral historian rolled into one, N’Dour is an active social campaigner and a stirring voice for positive change, with his powerful songs transcending geographical, religious and cultural frontiers. As N’Dour’s commendation for the 2013 Polar Music Prize noted, “his voice encompasses an entire continent’s history and future, blood and love, dreams and power”.