Youssou N'Dour: An Unlikely Politician

Using this idiosyncratic mixture of West African musical traditions as the basis for his work N’Dour went on to massive acclaim and popularity throughout Africa. He is widely recognised as one of the most influential recording artists in the world and as a pioneering figure in the rise in popularity and renown of West African music. His recent decision to enter the political field comes as something of an unwelcome surprise for Senegal’s political elite, who fear the destabilising potential of his popular support. In Senegal his influence already spreads far beyond the realm of popular music; N’Dour has his own TV channel and is known to be an astute businessman who has successfully invested in various industries, something which will no doubt work in his favour in the political sphere.

N’Dour’s purported reason for entering this sphere is to address the gross inequality in the country. As N’Dour said to a rally in Dakar: ‘For me, there are two Senegals. The Senegal of the have-nots and Senegal of the haves. My concern is the Senegal of the have-nots’. He is clearly not afraid of shaking up the political order in Senegal and, although he has not made his exact political ambitions clear, N’Dour is conceivably a rival to the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, who has been in power since 2000 and is hinting at staying on for an unprecedented third term. N’Dour could potentially muster enough popular support to rival Wade and if he does then he has the ability to shake up the political establishment in Senegal for good.