Alors on danse...
Music is a great way to connect with people all over the world, and many teachers use music in class for a brain break, as a sing-along, or maybe you do a little dance to get your students up and moving. Some classes may dig deeper and study lyrics as literature. Michelle Fournier, of Manie Musicale and a recent trip participant to Senegal, asked for my help in identifying some Senegalese songs that could be nominated for Manie Musicale 2025. I went down a rabbit hole of texting Senegalese friends and exploring YouTube. In Senegal, most musicians are singing in Wolof, the most widely spoken language throughout the country. Though French is the official language, it's hard to find songs in French. I did find a few in Wolof and French that you may enjoy for yourself or with your students. Please preview the videos and lyrics for your students and community. I'm sharing some results with you here. But first, here's Michelle talking about spending la Fête de la Musique June 2025 at Africulturban in Dakar, Senegal. So...1, 2, 3, on y va, on y va!
I couldn't resist sharing this song from my favorite Senegalese musician, Youssou N'dour. For two years, I had the great luck to live on the same little side street just a few doors down from his nightclub in Dakar, Senegal. We often heard his songs in the neighborhood and I even got to shake his hand during a show once. If you have the chance to see him while on tour in the USA, definitely go! I'm realizing that there are so many Youssou N'dour videos to share with you, and I'd like to write more about his fascinating background. He collaborated a lot in the 1980s with artists such as Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and Nineh Cherry. He ran for president of Senegal and PBS even filmed a documentary on his campaign. He was also the Ministère de la Culture and Tourism in Senegal for several years. Did you know he's a griot? I'll need to write a blog post just on Youssou N'dour at some point in the future.
While this song, Merci Enseignants, is mostly in Wolof, the images are great and the message is for you, teachers! Visit my teacher resources if you'd like a free lesson to go with the video.
Nope, not Adele. Not Lionel Richie. This is Youssou N'dour's Hello, in Wolof. The opening of the song with the different drums is common in Senegalese music and the clothing, especially the colorful boubous of the dancers in the streets, is evocative of many Senegalese celebrations and music.
What about some songs with more French language? Here's one by Didier Awadi, who often sings in French. This song covers so many themes and the lyrics are embedded in the images. Thanks to Matou for recommending this one! I hope you like it. Enjoy!
Finale, is largely in Wolof, by a very popular Senegalese group, Positive Black Soul. Focusing on the international game of soccer or football, the message centers around following the rules of the game (or life) and stand up to those who don't. Around 1:05 the lyrics are in French.
This next video is by VJ, a Senegalese artist recommended to me by a few different friends in Senegal as we looked for songs in French for Manie Musicale. This one is a love song, Dans tes bras. I think it would appeal to our students, and was released not too long ago.
This next song, Souvenirs, tells a story of childhood, growing up, daily life, family. Nix sings clearly and I think the lyrics would be interesting for French students. A few Dakar neighborhoods are mentioned, such as Colobane and Point E. Otherwise, the themes are fairly universal.
You can explore more Senegalese music via my YouTube playlist at https://www.vivelexperience.com/resources. Just have a lot of free time ready, as you will probably want to listen for hours!
Best,
Katy
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