AA / Ankara / Alex Sinhan Bogmis
The famous Senegalese singer-songwriter, musician and composer, Youssou Ndour, took the stage in Türkiye for the first time. The “king of mbalax” gave a concert on Monday at the Concert Hall of the Turkish Presidency Symphony Orchestra (CSO ADA) in Ankara as part of the Culture Route Festival organized by the Ministry of Culture and tourism.
For about two hours, “the darling of Medina” thrilled the public who sang hits like “birama”, “Africa”, or even “7 seconds”.
For Rebecca Ewang, of Cameroonian nationality, admirer of Youssou Ndour, attending a moment of communion is a “blessing”.
“The show was a spiritual experience for me. It’s a joy to see these people we knew growing up, living legends. It was electric, his energy and that of his orchestra was just contagious,” said she indicated.
At 63, the native of Dakar has been one of the leading figures of Senegalese culture for several decades, thanks in particular to the clever mix of local sounds and sophisticated technology.
In front of the press earlier Monday, he welcomed the progress of relations between his country Senegal and Türkiye under the leadership of Presidents Macky Sall and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also addressed his gratitude to the Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, whose Maison de l’Afrique set up in Ankara serves as a tool for promoting the know-how of African craftsmen in Türkiye.
According to the Senegalese artist whose fame crosses the African continent, supporting the craft and art sectors helps to promote development, particularly for African actors.
The Culture Route Festival is held in Ankara from September 16 to October 23 by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Many activities are simultaneously organized in several major cities of Türkiye in order to present the cultural, architectural and historical heritage of the country to the local and international public.
The previous edition has welcomed major international figures, notably the internationally renowned Malian singer and musician, Salif Keita, who performed in Ankara on June 4.
Only part of the dispatches, which Anadolu Agency broadcasts to its subscribers via the Internal Broadcasting System (HAS), is broadcast on the AA website, in a summarized manner. Please contact us to subscribe.