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Youssou N'Dour has two sides to his career. There's the hard-driving mbalax style that he created by fusing calypso, Latin and pop to traditional Senegalese music. Then there's the (some would say overproduced) world-beat pop that recalls the later work of Peter Gabriel. Falling into the latter category,
7 Seconds is a 16-track collection that draws from two Columbia albums from the early 1990s and a French import of 2000 (
Joko (From The Village To Town)) as well as two cuts from a 1994 live-for-radio recording. The most interesting tidbit, however, is N'Dour's near straight reading of the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," which came out as Japanese-only single in 1996. The duet with Neneh Cherry on "7 Seconds" shows how good of Western pop singer N'Dour is, but he also does well on the soul classic "Don't Look Back," which features Wyclef Jean. This is definitely a strong argument for revaluating N'Dour's poppier material.
--Tad Hendrickson
7 Seconds: The Best of Youssou N'Dour,Youssou N'Dour,Sony,Africa,African,Afro-Pop,Int'l & World Music,Mbalax,Pop,Senegal,Worldbeat
Average customer rating:
- Yucko.
- AWSOME!
- Great voice, music to enjoy time and again
- Fantastic combo of traditional Senegalese mbalax and pop
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7 Seconds: The Best of Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
 General
| Africa
| International
| Styles
| Music
Senegal & Gambia
| Africa
| International
| Styles
| Music
General
| International
| Styles
| Music
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ASIN: B0001FGBIE
Release Date: 2004-03-02 |
Tracks:
- New Africa
- Undecided
- Mouvement
- Seven Seconds
- Yo Le Le
- Without A Smile
- Please Wait
- Country Boy
- Birima
- Ob La Di Ob La Da
- Old Man
- No More
- Set (Live)
- Oh Boy (Live)
- Don't Look Back
- Things Unspoken
Customer Reviews:
Yucko........2005-01-01
If you enjoy this sort of florid, over-ripe, overproduced pop, then I suppose this is a very generous collection, what with the rarities and live tracks and all. It's not for me, though. I do not like it, Sam I Am. There are other Youssou N'Dour albums I'd recommend first.
AWSOME!.......2004-05-30
I found out about Yousou N'Dour while doing a report on the country "senegal"(where he was born). I wrote about him for famous people and he sounded cool so i got his cd. I was BLOWN AWAY. Even though i cant understand the words, the beats are awsome and they will get you up dancing!!! THIS IS A MUST IN THE COLLECTION!
Great voice, music to enjoy time and again.......2004-04-27
Basically I am a Western pop fan , having listened to mainly chart tunes and commercially released albums sung in English, by Australian, British, North American and European artists and amassed a very big collection of such recordings. I bought this album then as a departure from my usual field of knowledge and was richly rewarded with some very good music. I do not have the words to describe Youssou N'Dour's style accurately, as I know little about Senegalese music, yet anyone with ears can hear how terrific a singer he is. In 1994, I loved his magical duet 7 Seconds (performed with Neneh Cherry), and I rate it as one of the best songs of the 90's. That is the most familiar cut here, but most listeners will recognise the old Peter Tosh song Don't Look Back (done in a smooth soulful style), and of course the bouncy Beatles song Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, which Mr. N'Dour has some fun with. I liked the Fulani chant Yo Le Le best - this has a groovy beat . A bonus feature here for Western music fans unfamiliar with the Wolof language is a translation included for most song lyrics in the CD's booklet. This is a very welcome feature of this set, and adds to one's understanding and enjoyment of these songs. As a result of my enjoyment of this album, I intend to listen to more music in this style.
Fantastic combo of traditional Senegalese mbalax and pop.......2004-03-24
Having seen Youssou perform live - brilliantly - very recently, I was compelled to own a piece of his discography. This album is perfect for the new Youssou fan, and serves as a great introduction to the broad range of his work. From the pop-influenced work with Peter Gabriel to the divine soul of the memorable '7 Seconds' with Neneh Cherry, the album traverses the traditional Senegalese sound with Western influences. The most joyful and moving songs will have you jumping.'New Africa' pays homage to his home continent, and the live recordings of 'Set' and 'Oh Boy' bring the exuberance to the fore. The amusing bonus of 'Ob-La-Di' will leave you with a smile. An excellent album for those who like his poppier side, with less emphasis on his mbalax and Super Etoile de Dakar background.
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