Youssou N'Dour spoke with Al Jazeera about the many facet of his life and career, as musician, actor, activist, and UNICEF ambassador. The interview looks at his latest efforts, to combat malaria in Africa through the distribution of mosquito nets, and using the power of his music to spread that message and the one in Egypt, his 2004 album dedicated to Sufi Islam. I Bring What I Love, the film that documents the making of that album, opens in six more cities today.
Youssou N'Dour recently spoke with the Al Jazeera network about the many facet of his life and career, as musician, actor, activist, and UNICEF ambassador, among other things. The interview looks at Youssou's latest efforts to combat malaria in Africa through the distribution of mosquito nets, and using the power of his music to spread that message.
"When I got the numbers of people dying every year of malaria—especially children under five and pregnant women—I was shocked," N'Dour tells Al Jazeera's Kathleen McCaul. "One million people dying every year. I was shocked. I decided to bring my foundation and all my staff to do what we could do sensitise people to this."
He also discusses his motivation for recording Egypt, his 2004 Grammy-winning album dedicated to the Sufi Islam he practices in Senegal. "I decided, because I am a Muslim, to connect the sound of Egypt and the sound of Senegal," he says. "I think it is really important. Musically this is the first connection between Africans—we are doing collaborations between Africa and Europe or the US but forgetting Africans with Africans."
N'Dour concludes: "I am really proud of this album—I think it is something really positive. Islam is something people have to know better."
Read the complete interview at english.aljazeera.net.
---
I Bring What I Love, the film that documents the making of and reaction to Egypt, is opening in six more cities today, including three in California—San Francisco, Berkeley, and Monterey—as well as Atlanta; Montclair, New Jersey; and Roslyn, New York.
For fans in the Bay Area, the film's director, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, will be hosting Q&As at screenings throughout the weekend. Don't miss your chance to hear behind-the-scenes stories at San Francisco's Regal Stonestown at Friday and Saturday's 7 PM and 10 PM shows, and at Berkeley's Rialto Elmwood for the 2:30 PM Saturday matinee and the 7 PM Monday night showings. And if you're in Atlanta, be sure to catch Q&As with producer, Sarah Price, after the 7 PM screenings at the Regal Tara Theater Friday and Saturday.
I Bring What I Love continues its run in Montreal and Santa Fe this week and will make its way to Lake Park, Florida, on August 7 at the Mos'Art Theatre.
For more information, visit ibringwhatilove.com.
- Log in to post comments
