Youssou N'Dour

Few vocalists anywhere in the world carry the influence and beauty of Senegal's Youssou N'Dour, a free-thinking artist at the heart of Africa's emergence as a commercial force throughout the rest of the world; and once described by Rolling Stone magazine as "perhaps the most famous singer alive." Born in Dakar, he began performing at the age of 12 and was soon playing percussion with the Star Band - Dakar's most popular group of the early 1970s - before switching to Orchestre Baobab. He then formed his own band Etoile de Dakar playing in an irresistibly rhythmic Latin style, which gradually embraced more modern rock influences as he linked up with guitarist Jimi Mbaye, bassist Habib Faye and talking drum player Assane Thiam in Super Etoile de Dakar. N'Dour's unique voice, clear-thinking vision and willingness to mix traditional Senegalese mbalax music with electric instrumentation, contemporary rock, Latin samba, hip hop, jazz (and even pop) led to collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Wyclef Jean, Paul Simon, Branford Marsalis and Neneh Cherry (on the 1994 hit single 7 Seconds). These helped cement his reputation as a major international star, while he has made nearly 30 albums and been a popular touring act for 30 years. He's also been the subject of two films and himself made an impact as a movie actor, playing a slavery abolitionist in Amazing Grace.