Africa’s King of Mbalax in New York. OK, so I was hyped up for months to see one of Africa’s greatest gifts to the world - Youssou N’dour, perform The Grand African Ball at Nokia Theatre in New York City’s ‘crossroads of the world’ Times Square. I invted everyone I could think of. With past collaborations with the likes of Neneh Cherry, Wyclef Jean, Dido and a host of others, N’dour has taken on the world, crossing oceans from his native West African Senegal with his Warlof-style music Mbalax. Not one to enjoy the limelight alone, N’dour performance opened with New York-based up-and-coming acts like the Hip-Hop duo, as well as the sensational Reggae group Meta and the Cornerstones, whose blend of reggae music with a noticeable a touch of their Senegalese roots sent the crowd into a ‘skanking’ frenzy. For eight full hours in two New York nights, the 49 year-old Ndour gave the performance of a lifetime and displayed the energy of a teenager. If at all he was exhausted, it never showed. He maintained consistency of the super-charged atmosphere with renditions of past and new hits such as Ndobine, Ndakaru, and African Dream. For a moment in time, I needed to drop my lens and get lost in the music. For that ‘lost’ moment in time, I recalled it was Thanksgiving Day, and I said a prayer in thanks… ‘For the land I call home and from whence my roots are planted, I remain forever thankful. I would have it no other way’ In the U.S? Look out for Youssou N’dour in your city or in one close to yours on www.youssou.com

said oyiza 2007.11.23 at 12:59:12 PST