N'Dour was born in Medina in Dakar, Senegal, in 1959 and started his music career singing in small clubs in Dakar in the Wolof language, which is predominantly spoken in Senegal and Gambia. He's most popular for his mbalax beat which gave him the title "Roi de Mbalax" (King of Mbalax), and is a household name in Senegal, Gambia and neighbouring countries in West Africa with a long list of hits from the early days in the 70s to date.
In 1979, he formed his own ensemble, the Etoile de Dakar. His early work with Etoile de Dakar was in the typical Latin style popular all over Africa during that time, but in the 1980s he developed a unique sound when he started his current group, Super Etoile de Dakar, featuring Jimi Mbaye on guitar, bassist Habib Faye, and tama (talking drum) player Assane Thiam.
N'Dour was introduced to the Western audience when Peter Gabriel had him appear on his 'So' album (in 1986) and theb took N'Dour and The Super Etoile de Dakar on the road with him in a subsequent world tour. N'Dour has also collaborated with a lengthy list of influential artists including Paul Simon, Neneh Cherry, and Branford Marsalis.
He is endowed with remarkable range and poise, a composer, bandleader, and producer with a prodigious musical intelligence. The New York Times most recently described his voice as an "arresting tenor, a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority". N'Dour absorbs the entire Senegalese musical spectrum in his work, often filtering this through the lens of genre-defying rock or pop music from outside Senegalese culture.
Youssou N´Dour is currently the new minister of Culture of Senegal as a reward for his campaign against the former president of Senegal Abdoulaye Wade who was defeated by Macky Sall in February 2012.
Leaving
Youssou N'Dour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dem fan
Den ndax lan
Baya ko mom
Dem nguir xee bou barri bi
Dem ndax teen boh neex bi
Teh rapp rek noom noo siy naan
Nach bi lakkatouma taw bi barrewoul
Dem ngir daffa wara nekk gorr done
Goorgoorlau
Dem dem
Dem fan
Dem ndax lan
Liberte bi
Si espace bou lendeum bi
Sama beut yi guissa tounou
Garap yi nga xamenteni noo ma souxat
Su beut setiee barap yi bow
Dem ngir Keur gui daf may nirou lou lendeum
Dem nguir daffa warranekk goor done
Goorgoorlau
Damay dem
Chi alla bi
Damay dem Chi dex goumak gui
Ne damay dem waw seeti sama nawleyee
Damay dem si ban bou ritax bi
Damay dem ba reewu bitty
Ne damay dem waw setti samambokkyee
Go-go
Won ma sa yarii ma wax la ki nga donoy
Won ma sa mbokk ma wax ko fi ngay diaar
Hey what do you need ?
He he yaw lilaneex
Won ma sa yarii ma wax la ki nga donoy
Won ma sa mbokk ma wax ko fi ngay diaar
He defa li la neexoy hey yaw lila soop
Sammkatou mboott moo xam ba ciy
Sooxaoy ni meneuh kott noom daal amounou
Mbaam hey defal li la nexx oo
Hey what do you want ?
Ho ho ho ho ...
The song "Leaving" by Youssou N'Dour is primarily about leaving behind the things that no longer serve you and embracing freedom. The lyrics are in Wolof, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania. The song begins by saying "they say" (Dem dem) and "they think" (Dem fan), setting up a contrast between society's expectations and one's own desires. The first verse focuses on leaving a place (likely a rural village) that is trying to hold the singer back. The singer refers to leaving "the enclosed place" (Baya ko mom) and "the small place" (teen boh neex bi) for something greater. The second verse describes leaving behind material possessions and societal expectations in order to find true liberation. The singer desires a place where their own values and beliefs can be expressed freely without the influence of others.
The chorus (Dem dem, dem fan) repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the idea of society's pressures versus one's own desires. The phrase "goorgoorlau" is repeated at the end of each verse; it is a Wolof term for "children of the future" or "the next generation." The reference to the next generation suggests that the singer is looking toward the future and creating a better world for those who come after them.
Overall, "Leaving" is a song about rejecting societal expectations and embracing freedom. The two verses describe leaving behind physical and mental ties to old ways of life in order to move toward a more authentic and liberated existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Dem dem
As you know
Dem fan
It's like this
Den ndax lan
You might ask why
Baya ko mom
Listen to me
Dem nguir xee bou barri bi
As for me, I have a lot to do
Dem ndax teen boh neex bi
But if I leave now
Teh rapp rek noom noo siy naan
My roots will still be here
Nach bi lakkatouma taw bi barrewoul
I cannot take away the past
Dem ngir bokk bone menou fee am
I still have a lot to learn
Dem ngir daffa wara nekk gorr done
But I will come back and finish
Goorgoorlau
I am leaving
Liberte bi
Freedom is what I seek
Si espace bou lendeum bi
In a free and boundless space
Sama beut yi guissa tounou
I will find my way there
Garap yi nga xamenteni noo ma souxat
I will not let anyone put me down
Su beut setiee barap yi bow
I will create my own path
Dem ngir Keur gui daf may nirou lou lendeum
I will build my house in a free land
Damay dem
Listen to me
Chi alla bi
I have faith
Damay dem Chi dex goumak gui
Listen to me, I have a story to tell
Ne damay dem waw seeti sama nawleyee
And listen to me, I will tell it my way
Damay dem si ban bou ritax bi
Listen to me, I have a message
Damay dem ba reewu bitty
Listen to me, I am telling the truth
Ne damay dem waw setti samambokkyee
And listen to me, I will tell it with rhythm
Go-go
Let's go
Won ma sa yarii ma wax la ki nga donoy
You ask me what I want, and I tell you the truth
Won ma sa mbokk ma wax ko fi ngay diaar
You give me advice and I accept it
He defa li la neexoy hey yaw lila soop
I am here to help, listen to me
Sammkatou mboott moo xam ba ciy
I have the wisdom to know
Sooxaoy ni meneuh kott noom daal amounou
I can bring light to the darkness
Mbaam hey defal li la nexx oo
So listen to me, I have something to say
Hey what do you want ?
What do you need?
Ho ho ho ho ...
Laughter
Contributed by Caroline T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ali Lebeko
on Birima
Always soulful and heartthrobing performance