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.
Telephone
Youssou N'Dour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thioféle dé, sou amoul beugueneté dotoul ame
Beugeuneté sou amoul, kharito dotoul ame
Kharito sou amoul,, khole yépeu dal di wowe
Kholeyi dé sou wowé yeurmandé dal di diekh
Yeurmandé sou amoul seîtané dal di téwe
Séîtané sou gnewé, askane wi dal di tasse
Ndékété, safara, dina dioure diangoro
Gueudj naniou langue lôlé
Di wakh, di kholaneté hé hé hé
Sétalma lilé hé
Guisseulema lilé hé hé hé
Sétalma lilé hé
Guissalema lilé hé hé hé
Haannn... ana penche ma, ana sabar ya, ana tama dia
Yegueléléne, yeguelélno, yegueléléno
Bou ndieukone, wakhtane thi penche...
Diébané tamaka dane def, sabaraka dane def, wouy...
The lyrics of Youssou N'Dour's song Téléphone speak of the power of communication and the importance of being able to connect with others. The words are in Wolof, a language spoken in Senegal, and they convey a sense of urgency and longing for connection. The first verse speaks of the frustration of not being able to reach someone on the phone, and the desire to be able to speak to them. The second verse talks about the different ways in which we communicate, both verbally and non-verbally, and the need to understand each other. The final verse speaks of the different emotions that we experience in our lives, and how communication can help us to express them.
Overall, the song is a powerful message about the importance of communication in our lives. It reminds us that we are all connected, and that we need to be able to reach out to each other in order to truly understand and be understood. The lyrics are delivered in Youssou N'Dour's beautiful voice, accompanied by the rhythms of the drums and the guitar. Together, these elements create a powerful and moving song that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human.
Line by Line Meaning
Mineuneté sou amoul, thioféle dé dotoulame
I seek refuge in my soul, for the world is full of doctors
Thioféle dé, sou amoul beugueneté dotoul ame
Doctors are around me, but I seek solace within myself
Beugeuneté sou amoul, kharito dotoul ame
I find peace within myself, despite the chaos around me
Kharito sou amoul,, khole yépeu dal di wowe
My inner peace is like a fortress, protecting me from outside forces
Kholeyi dé sou wowé yeurmandé dal di diekh
This fortress is built on the foundation of faith
Yeurmandé sou amoul seîtané dal di téwe
Faith protects me from the devil's temptations
Séîtané sou gnewé, askane wi dal di tasse
The devil wants to mislead me, but I will not be deceived
Ndékété, safara, dina dioure diangoro
Journeys, travel, and daily life can be difficult
Lî doyna waré, doyna ware
But I will persevere, I will endure
Gueudj naniou langue lôlé
Despite my struggles, my spirit is unbreakable
Di wakh, di kholaneté hé hé hé
I am steadfast, I am resilient
Sétalma lilé hé
Stand up and fight
Guissulema lilé hé hé hé
Defend yourself with courage and strength
Haannn... ana penche ma, ana sabar ya, ana tama dia
I am leaning, I am patient, I am persevering
Yegueléléne, yeguelélno, yegueléléno
We will stand, we will rise, we will fight
Bou ndieukone, wakhtane thi penche...
No matter what happens, we will persevere
Diébané tamaka dane def, sabaraka dane def, wouy...
We will remain steadfast in our faith and our strength
Writer(s): Max Calo, Kabou Gueye, Youssou N'dour
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@modouthiam5438
Bi téléphone yi baré bataye
Takhe na ba gnome gui gueuneu diégué
Wâyé ite takhna ba dôtou gnou meneu guissé
Manni wakhtane langandô thia guene
Bayyi téléphone bi diakkâre lô
Bou téléphone takh ba dôtou gnou meneu wakhtane
Guisse touma, guisse touma, guisse touma sa kaname
Lima beugue deugue deugue dendadôke yawe nga wakh
Guisse touma, guisse touma, guisse touma sa kaname
Lima beugue deugue deugue dendadôke yawe nga wakh
Li doyna wâre, doyna wâre
Gueudj nagnou langue lôle
Di wakhe di khôlaneté, hé hé hé
Diotayou penche wâye amatoule
Gnoune gnépa bokondo fougnouye khôle
Télévision takhe ba dôtou gnou meneu wakhtane
Guisse touma, guisse touma, guisse touma sa kaname
Lima beugue deugue deugue dila dégue dila khôle
Guisse touma, guisse touma, guisse touma sa kaname
Lima beugue deugue deugue dila dégue dila khôle
Ndékété dé safara dé dina dioure diangoro
Deuk bi dé, dina moudj, namaneté doutoul ame
Namaneté, sou amoul guissanté wagnékou
Guissaneté sou amoul, mineuneté doutoul ame
Mineuneté sou amoul, thioféle dé dotoulame
Thioféle dé, sou amoul beugueneté dotoul ame
Beugeuneté sou amoul, kharito dotoul ame
Kharito sou amoul, , khole yépeu dal di wowe
Kholeyi dé sou wowé yeurmandé dal di diekh
Yeurmandé sou amoul seîtané dal di téwe
Séîtané sou gnewé, askane wi dal di tasse
Ndékété, safara, dina dioure diangoro
Lî doyna waré, doyna ware
Gueudj naniou langue lôlé
Di wakh, di kholaneté hé hé hé
Sétalma lilé hé
Guisseulema lilé hé hé hé
Sétalma lilé hé
Guissalema lilé hé hé hé
Haannn... ana penche ma, ana sabar ya, ana tama dia
Yegueléléne, yeguelélno, yegueléléno
Bou ndieukone, wakhtane thi penche...
@moussasy2740
Le téléphone portable est très puissant !
Très puissant qu’il a :
tué le téléphone fixe…
tué la télévision…
tué l’ordinateur…
tué l’horloge…
tué la caméra…
tué la radio…
tué la lampe de poche…
tué le miroir…
tué le journal, les magazines et les livres…
tué le jeu vidéo…
tué le portefeuille…
tué le calendrier de bureau…
tué la carte bancaire…
Et le pire, c’est qu’il a également
tué de nombreux couples (mariages)…
tué de nombreuses familles…
Et petit à petit il est entrain de
tuer nos yeux
tuer notre colonne cervicale
tuer notre santé mentale.
Et essayant d’anéantir la prochaine génération.
Et si nous ne nous surveillons pas, il tuera nos âmes.
Pensons-y !
@khadijacamara4372
Même en 2023 Ce morceau est toujours d'actualité 😢❤on s'éloigne de jour en jour sans s'en rendre compte 😪
@ndeya429
😢 mais c'est un vrai chanteur, celui qui enseigne et prédit l'avenir 🙃❤️
@sagnsesenegaltv
Comme tay dh 😢
@oumarba7395
Ki est la 2024😢❤
@Thegrindneverstops4l
Ce song même en 2060 restera toujours une masterclass de la musique sénégalaise père youssou sera jamais égalé quel chanteur quel visionnaire❤️❤️❤️
@kingbing4669
parfaitement d'accord avec toi
@khadysoukhokonate9958
Kou beugue Youssou madjiguéne wanél sa bopp magnini tokk wawkay Youssou ngay am fofou artist international lagni lal
@daoudatabara8529
''Bu telefon tax ba doo tu ñu mënë waxtaan''
Il avait tout vu venir. 👌🏽👌🏽
@kheuchmtv4857
j'ai écouté le son les larmes aux yeux, a sa sortie y'avait meme pas les smartphones ou y'en avait pas bcp. il a prédit se qui se passe actuellemnt dans les foyers avec les resaux sociaux tout le monde a les larmes aux yeux.
@julessow
Qui écoute ça en 2021