Youssou N'Dour Live at the Ritz in New York, 1989

<p>In 1989, very few Americans had heard the extraordinary voice of the man destined to be named “Best African Artists of the 20^th Century.” Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour and his juggernaut <em>mbalax</em> band Le Super Etoile had played at The Ritz in New York three years earlier, and had recently been signed to Virgin Records. N’Dour’s own star was undoubtedly on the rise. But for many, this was an introduction to a whole new wave of West African popular music. <em>Afropop Worldwide </em>was on hand to record the show, and this program takes us back to the time when N’Dour was still firmly rooted in the mbalax tradition, his famed experiments with international styles just beginning. </p>