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.
Don't Walk Away
Youssou N'dour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Should be brought out now
If it is cold
We should cover ourselves
And if it is hot
We'll be cool enough
And if the child is suffering
We should find a way to heal the pain
And all we've seen
Let's melt the ground on which
We have been frozen in
Don't walk away from it
If we do, we'll pay for it
No one else to blame for it
Don't walk away
Divine and conquer
To keep people on different sides
Confrontation and all the lies
I'm just sitting here wondering why
Why don't we talk about it
Why does it scare us so
We all need a peaceful life
Come on now
We must share it
Don't walk away from it
If we do, we'll pay for it
No one else to blame for it
Don't walk away
Don't walk away from it
If we do, we'll pay for it
No one else to blame for it
Don't walk away
Don't walk
Don't walk away
Back
Back and forth
Hey
Hey
In the song "Don't Walk Away," Youssou N'dour sings about the importance of bringing out what we keep inside, whether it be something good or bad. He emphasizes that if we choose to ignore our inner feelings, we will ultimately suffer the consequences. The first verse points out that we should face our problems head-on and find ways to cope with them. He highlights the importance of acknowledging and managing discomfort, whether it be in weather or in life. He acknowledges that children too suffer from pain and it's our duty to help them cope with their pain.
In the second verse, N'dour touches on the idea that people are often divided, and we allow ourselves to be controlled by the idea of "divide and conquer." He urges people to talk to each other instead of being silent or telling lies. He believes that living peacefully is important and that it should be shared with others. The chorus reaffirms that one cannot simply walk away from problems; they need to be faced head-on; otherwise, we would suffer the consequences.
Overall, N'dour's message is simple - that we should acknowledge our feelings and communicate the problems rather than remain silent, and problems will only escalate if ignored. The song's theme is one of unity and encourages people to strive for peaceful coexistence by working together.
Line by Line Meaning
Because what we keep inside
We need to express ourselves and let our feelings be known.
Should be brought out now
It's time to release what we've been holding in.
If it is cold
When we face adversity,
We should cover ourselves
we need to take steps to protect ourselves.
And if it is hot
In moments of success or abundance,
We'll be cool enough
we can remain humble and grounded.
And if the child is suffering
When we see someone in pain,
We should find a way to heal the pain
we must take action to alleviate their suffering.
With everything we've heard
Considering all that we know,
And all we've seen
Based on our experiences,
Let's melt the ground on which
We need to break free from old patterns of behavior
We have been frozen in
that have kept us stuck and unproductive.
Don't walk away from it
We must confront these issues head-on,
If we do, we'll pay for it
or there will be negative consequences.
No one else to blame for it
We can't push responsibility onto others.
Divine and conquer
Those in power often use tactics of division and manipulation to maintain their control.
To keep people on different sides
They purposefully create conflicts that split communities and create chaos.
Confrontation and all the lies
Their tactics lead to increased tension and deception.
I'm just sitting here wondering why
Reflecting on these issues makes it clear...
Why don't we talk about it
...that it's time to have open and honest discussions.
Why does it scare us so
We must overcome our fear of addressing these uncomfortable topics.
We all need a peaceful life
Ultimately, our goal should be to live in harmony and peace.
Come on now
It's time to take action,
We must share it
and work together to create a better world.
Don't walk
Let's not turn away from this challenge,
Don't walk away
but instead, confront it head-on.
Back
We cannot let our progress be undone by old habits,
Back and forth
but must keep moving forward with conviction.
Hey
So let's get started!
Contributed by Jordyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Britney Crabapple
This song spoke to me as a child and even as a 32 yr old adult I feel it so much more inside. As a person that survived domestic abuse and sexual assault I withdrew from the world. This song reminded me I shouldn't walk away from the good that still has power in this life. The therapy of letting go and forgiving ourselves for staying in the danger took apart the trauma and dissolved the pain. Its possible to save ourselves and find love, love for ourselves and for others.
Bless music for its magical power.
Giovan95
I wasnt the biggest wild thornberrys series fan but I really love the film. It has a really good plot, characters, and music. I actually have the movie on DVD and always watch it from time to time
Papa Oumar Seck
Une symbiose des meilleures voix du monde euphorique
Lurdes Almeida
Who does love Thornberrys And miss old Nickelodeon 😍😢 ?!
Leopardeye
Luckily all the shows are on Paramount+. Recently realized that and have been rewatching eveeerythiiing.
Mohamed Sy
this song is beast with a sick beat
Snoop Eastwood
great song
Astou Ndiaye
j'arrive pas à arrêter d'écouter ce son!!!!!
Assane Fall
Youssou ndour le meilleur au monde a jamais et a jamais the best
Rokuwhitefox
This is such a great song, on such a great soundtrack.