Islamic Events
Muslim Singer Performs in New York City
Youssou N’Dour is a 49 year old musician from Africa who has been criticized by the Muslim community for allegedly mixing secular music with religious themes. His intention is to prove that Islam is not all about fear and sadness. He wants to show the world that Islam is a religion where people can dance and even enjoy themselves.
Youssou N’Dour has performed with popular western musicians like Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Sting. His 2004 album Egypt was boycotted for two years in his home country of Senegal. Muslims accused him of desecrating Islam by mixing it with popular secular culture. There were even false rumors spread that he used naked women in his videos.
He performed at “Muslim Voices: Arts and Ideas Festival” in Brooklyn. There were performers from 23 different countries. The program included Arabic cinema, Indonesian dance and African music; there were also other films and other forms of visual art.
Youssou N’Dour has filmed a documentary that follows his struggles after the release of his album “Egypt”. The album won a Grammy in 2005 and N’Dour played sold out venues. Although in his native West Africa stores returned copies of the album and radio stations refused to play the new music. Later he won over his detractors and even went on to be an official UNICEF goodwill ambassador. He is working to stop malaria in Africa and helps distribute mosquito nets to families. His goal for his documentary is to break the perception that Islam is what extremists do.
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