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.
Mame Bamba
Youssou N'Dour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did they hear you father Bamba
The man in me changes everytime I read you "Khassayids"
My strong faith in you makes me survive this crazy world
Now I can go anywhere, because I know you'll be there
We know your pain will always make us stronger
Mame Bamba
"Khassayid"
You are our rescuer
Every day, every night, every moment
They are singing and they are crying
You may be gone but your spirit will remain
Oh it will stay until the end of time
The lyrics of Youssou N'Dour's song Mame Bamba are a tribute to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, a Sufi saint and religious leader who lived in Senegal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the song, Youssou N'Dour addresses Bamba as "father," asking him if he can hear him and if others can hear him too. The lyrics also contain a reference to Bamba's "Khassayids," which are spiritual poems that he wrote and which are still recited by his followers today. N'Dour says that every time he reads one of these poems, it changes him and strengthens his faith.
N'Dour goes on to say that his faith in Bamba helps him to survive in a crazy world. He feels that Bamba is always with him, no matter where he goes, and that his pain and suffering have made him and his followers stronger. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Mame Bamba," which means "Mother Bamba," indicating the reverence and respect in which Bamba is held.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you hear me father Bamba
I am attempting to communicate with you, Father Bamba.
Did they hear you father Bamba
Have other people properly listened to your message, Father Bamba?
The man in me changes everytime I read you "Khassayids"
Each time I study your teachings, Father Bamba, I transform in some way.
My strong faith in you makes me survive this crazy world
I am able to persist in this chaotic world due to my unwavering faith in you, Father Bamba.
Now I can go anywhere, because I know you'll be there
I am free to travel anywhere since I believe your spirit will accompany me, Father Bamba.
We know your pain will always make us stronger
We understand that your suffering can provide us with more resilience, Father Bamba.
Mame Bamba
Mother Bamba
"Khassayid"
A religious teaching
You are our rescuer
You are our savior, Father Bamba.
Every day, every night, every moment
You are present in our lives constantly, Father Bamba.
They are singing and they are crying
People are performing music and shedding tears in your honor, Father Bamba.
You may be gone but your spirit will remain
Although you have passed away, your essence will stay with us, Father Bamba.
Oh it will stay until the end of time
It will continue to exist forever, Father Bamba.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOUBACAR N'DOUR, MAMADOU M'BAYE, THOMAS ROME, YOUSSOU N DOUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ali Lebeko
on Birima
Always soulful and heartthrobing performance