Dakar-Kingston

He is well aware of the political import of reggae, the music-genre directly linked to Rastafarianism:

"From Brazil to Australia and even in Bombay / Africans, Indians and the Portuguese / they love the one-drop in the roots of reggae..." sings Youssou N'Dour today.

Youssou N'Dour could have fallen into the trap of a flat tribute to Bob Marley, but instead he chose to take a look at himself in the reggae mirror. As a result there are new songs and new readings of past hits like the old "Pitche Me", taken from 'Immigrés' (1986).

With brass, percussion, bass and guitar lines all from Jamaican sources - the album was recorded at Kingston's Tuff Gong studios with Dean Fraser on saxophone, Michael Fletcher on "dancehall" bass and Earl "Chinna" Smith on guitar.