Follow-up on Senegalese Popular Music

Recap from African Traditional Music (with emphasis on Ewe drumming):

• Know Elements of Traditional African Music
• The Atsia Suit (CD 1, Track 1) will appear on your Listening Identification for the next exam. Review the Listening Guide.
• Video Examples of Ewe drumming: Example 1 & Example 2

Senegalese Popular Music: Youssou N'Dour & Didier Awadi

Youssou N'Dour

Here are the questions we discussed pre-1989 N'Dour, including the JSTOR article, "Key to N'Dour: Roots of the Senegalese Star."

• Why is Youssou N’Dour popular in Senegal?
• What were the general complaints of some Senegambians about Youssou N’Dour?
• What values does N’Dour uphold?
• What role does bootlegging (selling of illegal copies) play in this music-culture?
• What are the similarities between N’Dour’s music and that of the Ewe people (from your guest lecture and assigned reading)? (Note: avoid obvious answers, such as “the same continent”)

Vocabulary to Know:

• Kora
• Tama
• Wolof
• Gewel

I Bring What I Love and the controversy over N'Dour's Egypt album.
(Note: As asked in class, you can rent or buy the documentary through Amazon Video on Demand.)

Senegalese Rap: Didier Awadi

Vocabulary

• Rap

Relevant Videos

• Positive Black Soul (Didier Awadi through Senegalese Hip Hop)
• African-American Rap/Hip Hop Influences: Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash