Youssou N'Dour

Washington, DC  | 7/23

This Senegalese singer-songwriter hasn't inspired a Broadway musical (yet). But the eclectic, supple-voiced tenor is arguably Africa's greatest contemporary musical export. A superstar in Africa and Europe who visits Washington every few years, N'Dour is known both for maintaining tradition and for synthesizing genres. He has paired with such Western stars as Peter Gabriel, Wyclef Jean and, inevitably, Sting. N'Dour has also recorded albums that meld his homeland's styles with those of other countries, including Mali and Egypt. (The latter is a masterwork, simply titled "Egypt," that fuses swirling Cairo orchestral-pop with Sufi lyrics of devotion.) The musician's new U.S. release, "Dakar-Kingston," pays tribute to Bob Marley and gives the reggae treatment to some of N'Dour's own songs. Although a Jamaican shuffle will no doubt underpin some of this show, N'Dour always returns to mbalax, the intricate Senegalese rhythm that inspires his best songs -- and his most soaring vocals.