Youssou N'Dour brings 'Egypt' to U.S.

by Jim Harrington liveDaily Contributor

Senegalese vocalist Youssou N'Dour will support his Grammy-winning CD "Egypt" with a batch of U.S. dates this fall.

Youssou N'Dour

The singer, who is best known outside of Africa for his work on the Peter Gabriel hit "In Your Eyes," will first perform two nights, Oct. 25-26, at New York's Carnegie Hall. He then moves on to play six gigs in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest, before heading into California for three concerts. The vocalist finishes the short tour Nov. 13 at Tucson, AZ's Centennial Hall in Tucson, AZ.

"Egypt," N'Dour's 2004 CD that melded the rhythms and melodies of Senegal with the Egyptian and Arabian orchestral arrangements, was awarded a Grammy earlier this year for Best Contemporary World Music Album.

To re-create the sounds of "Egypt" on stage, N'Dour will be accompanied on this tour by both an orchestra and Fathy Salama, the singer's main collaborator on the CD.

Fans should note that N'Dour will not appear with the large "Egypt" ensemble during the first night at Carnegie Hall. For that show, the vocalist will be performing with his longtime band, Super Etoile.

N'Dour, a vocalist of remarkable range and poise, is known for his ability to take traditional Senegalese sounds and run them through a filter of genre-defying pop and rock music. The highly original result has helped the singer earn millions of fans around the globe.