Youssou N’Dour
I Bring What I LoveYoussou N'Dour has been an international star for over twenty years. As Senegal celebrates 50 years of independence we talk to an artist who has become a spokesperson for Africa. (Photo: Youri Lenquette)
I Bring What I Love
Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
In 2004, Youssou N’Dour released his most ambitious artistic project. The album, Egypt, was a homage to the tolerance of Senegalese Islam and a musical encounter between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Recorded in Cairo with Fathy Salama’s orchestra, Egypt was acclaimed by the international media, but caused a storm in Senegal, with religious leaders heavily criticising it as an offensive ‘vulgarisation’ of the sacred. In I Bring What I Love, the American film-maker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi traces the story of this album. Shot over two years, the documentary follows Youssou as he tours the world. With interviews and footage from the recording sessions and concerts, the film covers the backlash in Senegal and the concerns of the N’Dour family. The course of events provides the dramatic arc to the film. Following the outcry comes a kind of redemption, as Youssou N’Dour is awarded a Grammy for the album and is celebrated as a hero on his return to Dakar. I Bring What I Love is a very fluid, well-paced film combining remarkable intimate moments – such as Youssou’s very moving visit to see his grandmother – with wider themes of faith, tolerance and the power of music.
Bertrand Bouard
Youssou N’Dour - I Bring What I Love soundtrack CD
is out now on Nonesuch
I Bring What I Love DVD
is out 06 April 2010 via Oscilloscope
I Bring What I Love - trailer
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