Search - Youssou N'Dour :: Best of 80's

You can make a strong case for the '80s being Youssou N'Dour's most fertile period. It was before the Senegalese singer became heavily involved with Peter Gabriel and before international superstardom when he was still creating his fiery mbalax rhythms for a domestic audience, letting the music rip without toning it down for Western listeners. So although there's no "Immigrés" on here, there's still a lot of marvelous music, most notably "Xarit," "Thiapathioly," and the remarkable "Njaajaan Njaay." While it's that eerie voice of N'Dour's that stuns, entering each song on an impossibly high note and then taking command, it's impossible not to be moved by his band, Super Etoile, who play as if their lives depend on it. For anyone who's come to N'Dour through his later releases, this is essential listening to understand the roots of his music. --Chris Nickson