Immigrés / Bitim Rew – Youssou N’Dour & Super Étoile de Dakar, 1984

🇸🇳 🎤 🥁 🎹 🌍 In 1979, Youssou N’Dour left the Étoile de Dakar to embark on a solo career, accompanied by his new band, the Super Étoile de Dakar. The Senegalese singer was already a reference in mbalax, but in 1984, he reached new heights. He recorded in Paris for Jean-François Bizot’s Celluloid label the album Immigrés / Bitim Rew, which was released shortly thereafter. This marked the beginning of his international recognition. On this occasion, N’Dour toured the United States, sharing the stage with Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon. Across four tracks, Youssou N’Dour addresses society, family, political allegory, and pays tribute to Badara Samb, all to the rhythm of mbalax—a blend of traditional drums and the iconic DX7 keyboard of the era. The result is one of the most accomplished and defining albums of the Senegalese griot, serving as a springboard for one of Africa’s most significant artists of the following decades.