Album Of The Day

Was a fun listen but not in a rush for a second go.

This is fine I didn’t dislike it but this could have been half the length

4 songs in an album means each song is a few minutes too long

I've enjoyed a lot of the "world music" genre we've been offered up on this list, and I was hoping Immigres would be one of those newfound gems for me - and it's good! African music seems to follow the pattern of having two measures that form the basis of the song, and these measures repeat themselves for 6-10 minutes. The trick is to introduce new melodies, instruments, shift the dynamics, etc. to give the song some life beyond a repetitive drone. Youssou N'Dour (or whoever his band leader is!) does an excellent job at this - these songs follow the format but they keep things fresh. Even track to track things vary quite a bit in the mood and tempo of the songs. Overall this was a nice album for a Friday afternoon. THREE STARS

Mën naa ko gas.

Solid unshowy good if not great

Lots of joy in the music here. cool in the way it incorporates electric guitars, interesting horns, jammy playing. Really showcasing that Senegal has some bangers. At least this guy does.

Not my thing at all but it was a fun listen. Something different.

3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/youssou-ndour-et-le-super-etoile-de-dakar/immigres-2/ As probably a lot of others, I know Youssou N'Dour primarily (only?) because of Seven Seconds, so I had no idea what to expect of this. While it's not something I'd play too often, I did appreciate it for what it does. The guitar playing in Pitche Mi is really great and the jazzy stuff doesn't even bother me too much. Not the biggest fan of the vocal style, however. Also it gets same-y quickly.

great vocalist of all time

I had been listening Youssou N'Dour contribute to Peter Gabriel compositions for years, but to my shame I had never gotten around to hearing one of his albums until today. Loved it. Had no idea what he was singing about, but that is fine, as I am rarely engaged with lyrics anyway. As a fellow percussionist, I found the vibe delightful. Need to check out more Sehel meets soul. Favorites: "Pitche Mi" and "Taaw", but I ended up adding the entire album to my library because I have a feeling the other 2 tracks are going to grow on me before long. All killer, no filler on this bad boy. I got a laugh out of the wikipedia entry, "...Though the album has been criticized for its use of synthesizers..." Dude, I love synths! And he used them well here. There is not a damn thing wrong with the use of synthesizers for anything!

I know the name from his work with Peter Gabriel and others in the late 80's and early 90's. 4 songs, 34 minutes. Short album. I am assuming this is included as it brought African music, rhythms and singing to a much wider audience. Influence, that makes sense. The horn jam in "Taaw" was a groove! The 12 minute vocal wore me out though, I was ready for it end. It's enjoyable, I didn't hate it, much better than most stuff I've been served up the last painful 10 days of 1001 listening. 3 stars for being cool, but I likely won't be back to hear it a second time.

Come on now

Lovely but didn’t capture me that much

I have not heard this one. I know i have heard Youssou N’Dour in some mixes but I don’t think he’s on any of the afrobeat comps i have. One thing that jumps out to me is the production isn’t that overly polished and shiny style that is on so many African records from the mid-80s through now. I really like 3 of the 4 songs here, but song #2 just doesn’t do it for me. That shouldn’t normally be reason to drop the rating a whole point but with only four songs, it is a quarter of the album.

Pleasant

mbalax is a folk dance genre originating from mainly the northwestern corners of africa. this album is said to bring the genre to a more worldwide audience. the album is composed of four long tracks, slightly varying in tone. it's mainly peppy and jaunty, and the percussion is very nonstandard and creative, which i think is a common staple of african dance. i didn't like the slower tracks as much, and while jazzy... feels scattered in a lot of places. it's an interesting listen if you wanna know more about the genre, but it's ultimately unremarkable.

definitely different… i thought it had some cool sounds but idk if id go out of my way to listen

it was nice and different fav song: Pitche Mi

Autorail is listed as a track on RYM, but for some reason it's not anywhere on Spotify. i had to dig hard to find a recording through Google searches, but i managed to find it Pitche mi - 5/5 Taaw - 5/5 Immigres (Bitim rew) - 5/5 Badou - 4/5 Autorail - 4/5 Average score: 4.6/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

01) Immigrés/Bitim Rew - 5,5 02) Pitche Mi - 6,0 03) Taaw - 5,5 04) Badou - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,63 (56/100) Current ranking: 723/851

I like the world music and African instrumental but I didn’t love it, couldn’t think of a song

Pleasant but not especially memorable.

Like so many of the (primarily West) African bands and albums in this collection, I don't have enough of a frame of reference to say much about the quality of the music or the lyrics (although I thought "Taaw" was the best track on the album), but I *will* say that I like it that the project editors chose a pre-superstar-status (and pre-Peter Gabriel/Tracy Chapman/Branford Marsalis/Paul Simon/etc) Youssou N'Dour album. If the "1001 Albums" entry is to be believed (and I don't see why not), this album was for Senegalese audiences and not at all aimed at a world music crowd. But also a seemingly random choice given that he's had over four decades of albums to choose from. Somewhat tangentially, I thought it was interesting too that he was Senegal's Minister of Tourism in 2012-2013 after a failed run for president.

Had this album on repeat for a few hours--really enjoyed it--relaxed afrobeat music with smooth sounds throughout.

I liked this, but I especially loved Pitche Mi. The instrumentation of that song was just beautiful. It was almost hypnotic and was the highlight of the album for me.

Fairly forgettable. Production is eh- not a big fan of 10+ min songs

This is a genre I wish I liked more. It's upbeat, energetic, soulful. Something still eludes me about it, tho.

was not really my thing, Don't want to give it a 1 cause it wasn't terrible. Just not for me.

I've never listened to Youssou N'Dour before. I quite enjoyed this and I might add it to my list of albums to listen to again.

This up made me want to sip on a Pina Colada and watch the sun set into the ocean. I can't sit here and tell you this is my music of choice. Nor would I stop and listen if I ran across this on the radio. But this wasn't to bad and I'm sure I'd have no complaints if my toes were in the sand. I'm happy he kept is relatively short too. 2.5 for making me think of the ocean. 2.5

3 This is one of those albums that’s a bit hard for me to rate given that it’s not really the kind of thing I would describe as in my musical wheelhouse nor as something I’m likely to revisit again in the future if I’m being entirely honest, but I would still say I was able to develop an appreciation in my brief time with it here. While I certainly don’t know much about Senegalese culture, this is a powerful reminder that music is the universal language that connects us all, regardless of cultural, political, or geographic barriers. I have no idea what my man Youssou is saying on any given track, but the fun, celebratory atmosphere of this album shines clear nonetheless, and despite the long runtime of the tracks, I thought the four bundled here provided for a neat little compact experience. If this were closer to an hour, it likely would have worn thin, but 34 minutes felt like the perfect portion size for this newbie mbalax listener trying to dip his toes in the water. Youssou is a talented and passionate singer, the instrumentation is solid, the songwriting strong… I really have nothing to complain about here, it’s just that, at the same time, saying any of it spoke to me in a strong way would be a lie. Call me what you will, I’m just not someone super into “festive” music, though I’m also going to throw some blame at the 9 to 5 corporate culture in America - it’s a bit hard to put yourself in Youssou’s shoes when you’re listening to this in between Wednesday meetings. Still, the next time I have a party, maybe I will throw one of these songs on just to test the vibe. Or, better yet, maybe I need to give Senegal a visit - it sounds a lot better than America right now. Considering Youssou had a brief political stint as the country’s Minister of Tourism in the 2010s, sounds like homeboy would be a good contact for that.

04/02/2026 I have no issues with it, I just can't really get behind it. Spotify listeners: 1.4 million

Really good energy. Happy melodies!

I liked this one.

This was quite good. The beats and instrumentals were all wonderful and sometimes funky in a good way. I would own the album.

Chiming guitars shimmer over the polyrhythms in a pleasingly different paradigm from western rock. The kind of thing you just let wash over you during a morning's work or a summer afternoon.

Upbeat

"There's no series of African recordings ever released that's as consistently excellent or historically important as Earthworks!" Doesn’t make me want to listen to more African music. Fun but not amazing

The fact that this is one of the best things I've heard on this site lately should tell you what kind of luck I'm having with the bot recently. World Music is always interesting to me for a few reasons. The first reason, and I'm sure I've written this verbatim in another review, is that I have no idea what World Music is. Yes, I understand. It's a term for "Anything not made in the USA or UK", essentially, which is honestly kind of hilarious. I've never understood that though, because some of the World Music I've heard so far has just blatantly been Rock, Rap, etc. This is not one of those examples, but surely there's something better we can call it than just "World Music". If this was close enough to anything, I would maybe say Singer Songwriter. Don't know. This was a long tangent. I don't have a lot to say about this album. My favorite song was "Pitche Mi". I found this album surprisingly easy to listen to, and the fact that it's as good as it is in retrospect should make all the albums I've given low 3's, 2's and even a 1 recently feel incredibly bad about being as shit as they are. This was an incredibly African sounding album, and even though I don't speak whatever language this was, I was vibing with it. Loved all the drums and super smooth guitar playing. My least favorite aspect was the singer himself sadly. Wasn't obsessed with that, but I'm going to give it a bit of a pass, because, again, I don't speak the language and it really didn't bother me all that much. I was too busy focusing on the sick ass drum beats, which were honestly the highlight of the album. Despite "Pitche Mi" being my favorite, I thought that all 4 songs on this album were pretty good and easy to distinguish from each other. I really liked this one actually. A 3.4 out of 5.

Not what I would usually listen to but wow this surprised me. The beats, the soul and emotion you feel, the production???? This was a surprise and I do intend to come back to this in the future but I don’t think it quite cracks into the 5s (of which I intend to give out very few of anyways

Actually really liked this! The long songs were intimidating at first, but great music to work to.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Unfortunately I found it a bit boring.

not my thing but better than some of the things on this list

An album that sounds good and has a groove and that makes you want to bob your head and tap your feet. This is all we want. “Pitche mi” was particularly enjoyable. A good record.

Immigres/Bitim Rew - 2.5/5 Pitche Mi - 3.5/5 Taaw - 2/5 Badou - 3/5

Good background music. I wonder if I understood the lyrics if it would have made a bigger impact on me.

nice

Nice change of pace to get some African music, not familiar with anything from Senegal, this was a reel blend of African beats and maybe a more North African Arabic feel. Really fun listen.

It was fine.

Good

Non ho sentito ma ho miscliccato

It's ok. I don't love it or hate it.

This sounded more current than it was.

This album was so new and different to me, that it motivated me to find out more about Youssou N'Dour and the music that he makes. The style of music on this album is called Mbalax. And if you are like me and you had never heard of Mbalax before. Imagine the combining of smooth rock guitar like Robert Plant, with horns and the Senegalese drum called the Sabar (which you will have heard before in most African cultural music). This coupled with Youssou's melodic and almost chanting vocals has a relaxing and captivating feel. I enjoyed listening to and my cursory education into, this totally new to me style of music. (2.500)

Ehhhh. Not bad, not for me.

This is a delightful surprise. I only knew of Youssou N'Dour from the Peter Gabriel song "Shaking the Tree." The music and the rhythms are excellent.

Solid.

this was a nice change up, i like it musically especially the second track but i almost thought it would have been better as an instrumental album

Very good.

The most different thing I've listened to so far on this list, good different for sure. Enriching but not something I'm going to come back to regularly sadly!

Interesante, me gustó mucho. 7/10

Worth listening to for sure, for uniqueness alone. Don't hear a lot of music out of Senegal, but this checks a lot of boxes.

Upbeat. Great for listening to when getting ready in the am

I had no clue who this guy was, but apparently, he shows up on both Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon's records. Four tracks of generally favorable wolof mbalax from Senegal; a good spin and some though some tracks overstay their welcome (8/10, 4/5 on this scale)

I've previously mentioned Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N'Dour appearing as a guest backing vocalist for Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes". In fact, he's one of the most notable artists from Senegal and Africa at large to crossover internationally, to the point of being his home country's Minister of Tourism for a brief time. Not only that, but Youssou is also credited with developing the musical style of mbalax, which is urban dance accompanied by polyrhythmic drumming on the traditional sabar instrument. It's a cultural bridge between the identity of the indigenous folks of the Greater Senegambia region and the urban panethnic identity that arose during colonialism, and that much is apparent on the album Immigrés. The heartfelt singing in the native tongue about immigrant pride and embracing cultural heritage, the languid guitar playing amidst the complex percussive rhythms, and the occasional horn embellishments made for such a comforting listen that could also be danced to. I can hear the earnest dedication to the songcraft in Youssou's delivery, and the harmonious chants and instrumentation surrounding him. It makes me wish that I could find the lyrics to "Taaw" and "Badou", as I feel like I'm missing context from the record. Not helping matters is that the grainy production could have been cleaned up a bit, and the keyboards sound buried in the mix. I understand that the percussion is the primary element of this music, and it is well done, but perhaps there could have been a better balance of all involved sounds. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Immigrés as another enriching cultural experience for my album journey. Youssor N'Dour deserved the notoriety he got from sharing his country's cultural roots.

chill

A pleasure to listen to but it didn’t quite grab me. I added “Pitche Mi” to my Generator playlist.

A pleasant, mostly unremarkable listen.

Great Songs: Good Songs: Immigrés / Bitim Rew, Pitche Mi, Taaw, Badou Mid Songs: Bad Songs:

interesting!

Was cool to hear this but I don’t think it will be one I come back to

yo se que esto es francés, pero quiero escuchar esto en un verano en italia

It was pretty decent, I like some of the tracks here and there. Nothing I’d go out of my way for again, but definitely an interesting listen, two stars.

Wasn't really notable but pleasant enough I suppose?

some nice tunes with some great riffs, im just not sure there enough to bring me back to this. i do kinda think that if this was in english it would be a lot more popular but as an ignorant english speaker this is less accessible to me 2.5

A beautiful blend of African and western musical styles and influences. Percussion firing on all cylinders. Super fun stuff

A N´Dour con 7 seconds junto a Neneh Cherry, todo un éxito merecido para ambos. Realmente ya les conocíamos de antes. A Cherry desde su Buffalo Stand y a Youssou desde la gira Amnistía Internacional Human Rights Now! Tour o So de Peter Gabriel aunque su mayor reconocimiento fue con Nothing's In Vain y The Guide (Wommat), pero su carrera viene de hace décadas. Este es su 6º álbum y refleja el sonido y colorido senegalés. Una delicia para los oídos de cualquiera. Es World Music, Earthworks que editó Virgin. Música Mbalax, junto con su banda Le Super Etoile de Dakar, que es una combinación de la música griot tradicional senegalesa y las influencias de los ritmos afrocubanos traídos desde el caribe al África Occidental durante los años 50 y 60. En los 70 esta mezcla se empapó de los ritmos de los bailes senegaleses, se incluyeron guitarras eléctricas y saxofones, solos de tama, aportaciones de la música religiosa sufí, y la influencia del rock y el jazz. Siendo niño, deslumbró a todos cantando en un funeral, a partir de ahí se dedicó a la música, Manu Dibango le abrió las puertas, Peter Gabriel quedó prendido de su voz... Paul Simon descubrió África. Pitche Mi es un temazo. Taaw una fiesta, Badou otra. Un placer como los discos de Baaba Maal, Orchestra Baobab...

Incredible African adventure

вайбово. сохранил. подойдет для дачи летом 100%

Good rhythm, and a nice way to get through morning emails and follow-ups.

Brilliant. Need to expand my knowledge of west African pop. I love Fela and Songhuy Blues but there must be so much more out there. Interesting vocals, almost like the call to prayer or something, sets it apart from Nigerian music

A great surprise

Much better than I thought it would be. This is a truly global album with influences from all over the world. Well worth the listen.

absolute bangers, spin it again jack

This record has a great groove to it from top to bottom, in no small part thanks to the musical influences that are indicative of the Mbalax style that Youssou spearheaded. I had never heard of Youssou N'Dour nor Mbalax prior to listening to this album, which is what I love about this project, being shown corners of the musical world I would never have otherwise reached into. The polyrhythmic grooves of traditional Western African drumming combined with the Funk/Latin Pop fills out a really enjoyable space, and worked really well in the background for me while I was out and about. Fav Track 3 - Taaw Best Three Track Run 1, 2, 3

Fun, sweet, interesting

This is what I come to this list for. An album I would never have discovered otherwise. I knew 7 Seconds (with Neneh Cherry) so I had some idea what to expect. He has such a soulful voice. I don't think it matters that I have no idea what the songs are about. Great listen.

Interesting drumming and singing - reminds me a bit of the Ethiopian music back then.

Very interesting album Song I like: Pitche Mi

I like the music. Very different variety from the rest of the albums so far. Like the quick, upbeat feel

Not something I think I would actively seek out, but the percussion was really interesting. Especially on the song Taaw. Glad I listened.

Not bad, but not my cup of tea. Well played though.

Album 17/1001. Listened 2/11/2026. I liked this much more than I expected. Loved the world beats, which isn't usually my thing. I'd play this to get through a workday or on a road trip or just hanging out.

Great album if you like world music. It has a powerful message.

banger

Album #46 Youssou N'Dour: Immigres Pretty cool album, definitely not one I ever would have listened to. The album is pretty short too, so it doesn’t outstay its welcome despite the song lengths being a bit long. Sort of falls into the same category as Vento de Maio for me, an enjoyable album, but since it’s in another language, it doesn’t have too much re-listen potential for me. While it’s on though, it is quite fun; the horns especially were good. I do wonder if there is a non-English album on this list that will truly captivate me; I feel like a lot of my enjoyment from music comes from the lyricism and being able to sing along, and since I’m a pathetic monoglot, I’m resigned to English albums. So though it isn’t bad, it’s gonna be in the 5 range for me, which isn’t a bad score per se, just means not much desire for a reslisten. Best Tracks: Immigres/ Bitim Rew, Badou, Pitche Mi Worst Track: Taaw Score out of 10: 5.5

Bloody brilliant

Yes, this was pretty good

What could I possibly say here. It is a very ethnic album. I guess it’s good? The best the continent has to offer? Still got some Caribbean vibes from it.

Good beats, vibes and instrumentation. The songs are a Little to long for my likening, tho.

didnt understand anything but the instrumental and production is sooooo nice

Dope

Its good. Interesting to have something african here. I listen to so much britanic and generic rock in a roll tha something like this is a releive.

I couldn't find this exact album on Apple Music. But this artist was entirely new for me and a sampling of songs certainly added variety to my usual listening. I'm not sure its something I'll think to seek out again in the future, however.

I could get with this genre more if the songs were shorter.

Better than expected

Pretty nice.

Fav track: pitche mi No skips. This album is energetic and a wonderful listen!

This album is better than when I saw Youssou N’Dour open for Peter Gabriel.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. The 1001 does a pretty good job with the world music selections, they generally are quite strong musically and interesting listens. This is a great example of that.

I feel like I’m sitting in a comfy chair in a coffee shop in the ‘90s. Anyone signing up for the open mic tonight?

Didn’t bowl me over but not at all bad. Just fine.

Not too bad.

I'm a little more familiar with music from Mali and the Ivory Coast, so it was interesting to hear something geographically so close still have something in it that's not quite the same. I liked it, but I might pick something from the other countries if I was feeling for a flavor of West Africa. Here's what I got when I looked up the difference between Senegalese and Malian music: Senegalese and Malian music, while sharing West African roots, differ in their prominent instruments, rhythmic focus, and vocal styles, with Senegal featuring strong Mbalax rhythms, sabar drums, and soulful singers like Youssou N'Dour, while Mali emphasizes the kora (harp-lute), ngoni (lute), balafon (xylophone), and Mande traditions, often with more vocal-centric or intricate kora playing compared to Senegal's complex rhythms, though both have thriving modern hip-hop scenes influenced by global sounds.

Once again an album that does not outstay it's welcome. Even if you did not like it it's short, it's the kind of music that I would imagine hearing at a block party someone put this on and the Aunties get up and dance.

Enjoyed it overall

There's no series of African recordings ever released that's as consistently excellent or historically important as Earthworks.

not terrible but not my style

quite a funky listen, enjoyed in the background

8.0/10

Good stuff here.

And back to Africa we go! More specifically, we're revisiting the country of Senegal, which also gave us the two Baaba Maal albums of the list that I've listened to already. Fortunately, I can't really say that having Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour on the list is redundant in any major way as the two artists have pretty different styles to their music. Youssou N'Dour is often cited as the most prolific artist in the mbalax scene, so that's neat. Immigrés does kind of lean into some "80s-isms" with its production, but I wouldn't really say that it's bad. With that said, the album was actually fairly enjoyable for me. I think Mr. N'Dour has a solid singing voice. The longer songs make for an interesting change of pace compared to other albums of the time. Based on the vague translations I could find, the writing seems respectable. Immigrés is just kind of a fun album. It's not, like, world-changing or anything, but it's a good time for sure. I don't have much more to say. I enjoyed it. High 3/5.

all his albums are good if somewhat predictable

This had me saying Taaw!

A music

Really nice but I am surprised it ended as abruptly as it did. Did not feel like a natural conclusion

cool

One of the first albums in this list that I don’t recall hearing before. Really enjoyable Afrobeat stylings from Mr N’Dour

= the Beatles

Wut.

Play 7 Seconds!

4 song album, Senegalese reggae / conga vibes, saxophone background. Interesting beats and production! Good discovery.

this was pretty damn awesome world music, got little elements of like everything and it's only problem is that it ended too soon

This was certainly a great listening experience; the elements of Senegalese music culture seemed to deliver music that was clearly derived straight from their hearts. His voice is great too.

Relaxed and chill. I like the instruments but not necessarily the voice

good

I really enjoyed this. I don’t listen to much African music, but this album is so joyous!

Didn't enjoy it, Didn't understand it, appreciated it.

It's got a cool sound to it (absolutely love that guitar) and some good grooves, but it's just missing something for me, unfortunately?

Afro pop music with complex percussion and rhythms.

This made a nice change, because it was just so different from anything else that has come up on this list so far, I've also never given any "world music" like this any serious attention, so it was a new experience for me. Vocals good, drums cool, some fun guitar and bass riffs and general musical playfulness with a nice variety of instruments popping up throughout. Parts feel a little self-indulgent - I don't think "Pitche Mi" needed to be over 9 minutes long, it got a bit boring and repetitive in the middle. Had the same feeling in "Badou" despite it being much shorter. I feel like there's a certain overlap here with jazz, in that it sounds like a jam session with a bunch of talented musicians, just with an African twist in terms of instruments. Slight downside is without being able to understand the lyrics I'm probably missing an important facet of this music. Did I enjoy the listen? Yes. Will I seek out more from N'Dour? Probably not. Straight 3.

Nah

Great Afro-fusion album with great solos

Haven't heard of him before but I've just found out he does backing vocals on some of my beloved Peter Gabriel songs. Now this is what this list needs instead of 10 different Elvis Costello albums. Refreshing to hear a style of music I'm not that familiar with 3/5

While not a genre I’d necessarily go to this was really nice. Great musicianship and although the songs were rather long each song brought in a cool new element.

A fun listening from arguable the king of World Music.

2.5 Fine, very much not my thing.

Really loved this. So cool and beautiful.

I made it all the way through. I can't comment on the lyrics, I haven't got a clue what he's trying to say! I didn't really enjoy the timbre and tone of his vocals either, I've heard better singers doing karaoke at the Fox & Goose on a Friday night. Musically I also find it quite jarring. All in all, not the best album I've heard ;-)

I've not listened to a whole album of his before. Know him from his work with Peter Gabriel so I expected his beautiful voice. Also really enjoyed the talking drum. The band was great, cool drums and understated guitar. A great listen but not sure I'll return to it

Oh, this is really cool - discovering this sort of thing is the reason I'm here. First track is so joyous, love the shifts in rhythm. I want to send this to all of my drummer friends - amazing!

Nice upbeat music. Perfect for getting you jazzed up for the day as you wearily brush your teeth.

👎🏻⭐️

Not sure I needed to listen to this and would’ve enjoyed more in not sub zero temperature on a miserable morning. But snuck a 3

It makes me wonder, how many musical gems are hidden in plain sight.

*Glad to have heard this *Had some interesting jazz components

Favourites: 1. Pitched Mi Least Favourite Taaw

Started listening at 11:50 This is the shortest album I have listened to in terms of content with only 4 songs but coming in at 34mins I can say not a single song overstays its welcome. The use of instruments to create such welcoming and energetic music is just amazing. While I might not understand the lyrics I can hear the passion throughout the songs. Language is not a barrier to music but shows just how the voice can be used to create and add to what is already giving through instruments. This is definitely an album I will keep coming back to and Youssou will be an artist I will continue to listen too

Album 1010 of 1089 Immigrés - Youssou N'Dour (1984) Rating : 1.5 / 5 I appreciate being exposed to music I wouldn’t normally come across in my everyday listening, and this album certainly fits that bill. There’s no denying the talent here - strong vocals, rich rhythms, and a deep cultural identity running through the music. That said, the album lost a lot of its pull for me fairly early on. By the second track, I felt like I had a good sense of what it was offering, and it never really shifted enough to pull me back in. While I can respect the craftsmanship and understand why this record holds significance for many listeners, it just didn’t connect with me on a personal level. Not something I’ll be reaching for again, but I’m still glad I gave it the time. That’s part of what this whole project is about - listening, learning, and moving on to the next one.

Some enjoy music like an art gallery. They want to appreciate discrete works for their expression, power, composition, etc. Others enjoy it like watching clouds in the sky; a flow, constantly shifting and morphing and wonderous. I’m drawn to the former. This, like all of the African music on this list, caters to the latter. It’s good; but it just doesn’t deliver the experience I seek.

Cool - backyard BBQ vibes

Better when he doesn’t sing, but not unenjoyable. And it would feel wrong giving OutKast a higher score than this.

Might have been a 3 if I could understand it.

Soporific

Didn't mind it at all

Ciekawe, jak to muzyka “światowa” inne, ale zbyt krótkie, aby się w to wgryźć. 6.5/10 równane w dół.

Most of these records I’ve at least previously heard of. At the very least the artist is familiar to me. Not this one and holy moly this was great!

Excellent Afro beats

Hey Mr. Music Reviewer! Why is this album so influential? Well, young one, the kick drum sounds really good.

vibrant, sunny music - an uplifting listen on this cold, gloomy December day

Wonderful.

I really wasn’t sure about this one. Once it started I really got into it. Definitely see why he’s so big in west Africa. It’s so short too, definitely something I’d listen to again.

fresco

Soulful, melodic, energetic, rhythmic, good music.

Good African stuff

Nice to see some appreciation for the African music scene. Pretty catchy

Great African album. I enjoyed this a lot. Not much else to say. My African music literacy is pretty weak, so I can't describe it better than "I liked the rhythms"

I couldn't really get on with this album. Despite it only being about 35 minutes long, I was counting down the minutes until it ended.

Well, this certainly isn't my standard fare but the whole point of this project is to expand one's horizons, right? This is fun. Parts of it reminded me of the soundtrack to the Sims vacation expansion pack. Good vibes, great percussion, very cool vocals. A fun listen.

Two

First side is lovely, ‘Pitche Mi’ is the highlight for me, but it tails off on the flip side

i can respect it, but i can't sincerely love it

A really enjoyable listen. N'Dour has an effortlessly bright, sunny voice that soars over all the complex rhythms and melodies. There are many instances where this almost sounds more Middle Eastern than African, though I'm not knowledgeable enough to understand the music theory and history distinguishing the two. I assume they are intertwined due to the Muslim community in Western Africa. I'd listen to this again, as perhaps it is more suited for the summer than winter.

I remember him singing with Peter Gabriel back in the day. Grateful that this list gives me a chance to hear a number of full albums of African artists that show up as supporting casts for various western artists like that - this one was very listenable.

Really enjoyable

6/10

You just can't help but like this album. 4 stars or B+.

This is not for me. Did not enjoy. At least it was only 30 minutes long.

I like the African music I hear. Is all African music great, or have I just happened to only be exposed to the good stuff? And is the stuff I like actually the good stuff, or was it somehow diluted for Americans?

Extremely tame, in my opinion. Nothing new or exciting that made this an enjoyable listen.

That is what I'm talking about, 3.5

I liked it. Short. Great "world" sound.

👏MORE 👏WORLD 👏LESS 👏U2

Cool funky but african

Good stuff...

This has got percussion up the wazoo!

A great little album. Super smooth and fun.

fun, energetic, and makes you feel a little bit lighter

This shit cool as hell. Very surprised I've never never heard of him considering his status, also pleasantly surprised to see such a distinctly non English/Spanish speaking album on here. Not sure if I'd call the genre here Tishoumaren but, at the behest of sounding like I'm generalising West Africa's music scenes, if you liked this check out Mdou Moctar as well, active band from Niger pushing this sound in a psychedelic rock direction. Highlights: Pitche Mi & Taaw

The French word for immigrant tied with the African artist intrigued me so I tried to do some reading on this. This album was made while Youssou was passing through Paris. With references to missing home, not trusting local authorities and stress of responsibility. He later used his success from music to open Internet Cafe's in his home country. Awesome guy. It's a really interesting taste of another culture of music. Youssou's voice is great and the instrumentation makes me feel warm and comfy. It's refreshing with how clear the drums are, I tend to find drums get mixed into the background in Western music. You can hear hear the fuzz of the tape between songs which really brings home how handmade the album is. I'll give this a 4 but I probably will never listen to it again. It's really cool tho

Bloody hell I loved this. Ended up listening to it three times in succession. When I get an album like this I am glad I’m doing this list as there is absolutely zero chance I would’ve heard it otherwise. Top Track - Taaw

Not my thing

Track One - Immigres/Bitim Rew: I really liked this track. The instrumentation and use of percussion was great. The overall vibe was very joyful, and I liked it a lot. Track Two - Pitche Mi: Already feeling a much cooler, more mellow vibe in this track and I really like it. This more mellow vibe continued throughout the song and I really enjoyed it. Track Three - Taaw: This track is already bringing back that more upbeat vibe and I like the contrast from the last track. I like that I can hear the different rhythms the different instruments are following. I also like the incorporation of the other instruments. I liked that although it was more upbeat like the first track it was still very distinct stylistically Track Four - Badou: I really liked this track. Overall Thoughts: I really enjoyed this album. I liked how even in just four songs there was so much diversity in the different styles, tones, and tempos of the pieces. I really liked being able to hear all the different rhythms made by the different instruments. I honestly kinda wished the album was longer, but it was a good, solid roughly half an hour listen

Not a bad listen, but I won’t be revisiting.

Mouais+

Immigres certainly did get my butt shaking, even if yet again, I had no idea what he was saying. I also don't know how this differs from the other World music I have listened to. I'm shockingly ignorant. Like most music I am ignorant to, I have no idea when I would listen to this one again. Fun listen. Can't argue against it and it was fun to work while listening to the album. The problem is I don't like doing work and won't listen to this at any other time.

a very charming album, good for the brain

It's OK, I don't understand it, but I didn't hate it.

You could absolutely fuck to this.

Bangers all around. We need to encourage more 30 minute albums. I'll definitely come back to this one

I love it! I don't listen to very much music not in English on my own but I've loved all the international albums on this list so far. Very awesome to me

Solid african beat. Did it seem really short? 3/5

Jazzy and repetitive. Long jam sessions, for the most part, almost too long for my taste. N'Dour was made more known following his participation in Paul Simon's Graceland album. Best part of this album was actually reading the artist wiki then the wiki of The Gambia. Damn colonialism in all of its forms. Listened before? N Saved some tracks(s)? N Favorite tracks? Taaw ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Liked it well enough

No idea what's happening, but I'm enjoying the percussion and saxes! Deezer was missing the first track, but I was able to find a full playlist on YouTube. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Taaw ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Really liked it.

Interesting music but as with any foreign language album it is hard for me to get anything from the vocals. If I understood the lyrics perhaps it would be 5 stars.

I liked this less than I expected

Wtf is this…

Different but enjoyed every minute of it. Put me in a happy mood. Would have listed for longer.

I grew up in the Caribbean on a steady diet of Merengue, Salsa, Son, Cha Cha Cha, Ska, and Reggae—those rhythms are in my blood. They’ve always made my feet move, and African music has the same irresistible pull. Youssou N’Dour’s Immigrés captures that spirit perfectly. This album is fantastic—magical, vibrant, and endlessly enjoyable. I loved it from the first track to the last. If I could give it 1000%, I would. An easy 5/5.

Very fun listen with a lot of unique percussion driving the album. Woupd love to dive more into Sengalese music since it is so different from my western-accustomed ears. Entertaining and interesting

Not really my thing

2- Stars (4/15)

It is quite funny that this album got recommend right after Paul Simon's 'Graceland', an album which borrows a lot of elements from African music. Thankfully, this one is a purely African album, coming from Senegal instead of South Africa. Now, about the album: I've never heard anything like this, so being a totally new sound, I found it to be quite interesting. First track is super good. It is very very charming and high-spirited, so it was super fun to listen to with all the rhythm changes and unusual way of singing. For the rest of the album, I don't think the songs match the same energy as the first one, with the second and third ones feeling a bit too long. Still a very good album with a very unique sound.

I don’t usually mind world music but this didn’t really resonate with me. Still enjoyable in part but not on par with Fela Kuti

Meh

Enjoyable listen, but not a standout.

This was fine, but didn't feel like anything special.

tribal. energy. rhythm. chants.

I like it. Repetitive but not boring. I'm not very familiar with the genre. With these exotic artists I always wonder if they really are the best or just the ones with the most friends in US/European music biz.

This is the kind of music I'm looking for in a list like this -- music that most in the audience likely wouldn't experience otherwise. This was rather entertaining and I was sad when it finished in just under 35 minutes.

Not for me. 1/5

It's ok. I can appreciate the musicianship, and it's got some energy to it. I don't like his voice though, I find it quite jarring. I'm also just not a fan of this type of music. 2.5 rounded up.

DOPE

7/10 Favourite: Pitche mi Least Favourite: Badou

Nice enough on in the background, made me feel a bit warmer! Nothing particularly standout for me

I didn’t feel any particular way about this album.

Great listen, really enjoyed it! Loved the drums!

I've listened to a bunch of the Star Band's stuff and i'm generally a really big fan, and of senegalese music in general!

fröhlich!

Ist mir etwas zu unruhig.

Eh

Very pleasant on the commute. Simpsons: No

Not really my thing but it was over quickly enough

Let’s have a few beer out in the garden on a summer night and just enjoy.

A musician from Africa being able to record his own album was a real luxury in this time. I've listened to quite a bit of music from this region from this era and this album does not disappoint. The atmosphere here is great, very joyful and danceable. The songs are long but don't overstay their welcome whatsoever, I'd say it's too short of an album if anything. Just a fun album from an underrepresented area of the world.

Thank goodness this was short. It definitely wasn't sweet to my ears. 1 star. I was constantly imagining cats being tortured as I listened to this album.

Immigrés feels like a street festival captured on record. The drums are the star of the show, and the bass and kick drum act like the anchor, pulling together all these disparate elements into a single, propulsive groove. Youssou N’Dour’s high-pitched vocals function as an instrument of their own, joining the rhythm rather than simply floating above it. The repetition is hypnotic, especially on the closing track, “Badou,” which felt less like a song and more like a chanting ritual building to a bigger finish. I couldn’t understand a word (except maybe catching “Senegal” in the opening track), but the rhythm was its own language.

4.5 This was very close to get a 5 ! Very nice vibe and melodies.

3.5. The second and third tracks were my favourites here.

It kinda goes

Fora ali isto dosadno. Ne mogu ništa puno reći, baš mi je meh. 2/5, 3.5/10

Enjoyable enough but I'm not finding it that engaging. Could probably chop some cool horn samples from it

Quite good.

Never listened to something like this before, love the instruments used, each song has its own skeleton and you can tell they’re different which I find hard in songs in other languages personally. I wouldn’t listen to this as a daily but something cool to come back to at certain events.

I'm not entirely sure what's going on. But you know what I'm so glad it's not another obscure 70s rock band I'm giving it four stars.

Really not my thing. Might be better live, but not too listen to on an album.

Youssou N‘Dour war sicher eine Entdeckung. Aber dieses Album ist von arg viel Fusion mit Mainstream-Musikgeschmack und entsprechenden elektronischen Schwafel-Sounds geprägt. Is no good !

Hm, hat mich jetzt nicht so angesprochen. Halt viel afrikanisches Klimm-Bimm.....

Leider etwas wenig Infos um die Signifikanz des Albums zu verstehen und warum es bei den 1001 dabei ist. Finde es aber nicht unangenehm zu hören. 3 Sterne mit Sternchen

7/10 - some good African music, lovely to have on in the house

Felt the Arabic-african sound.

A very fun album. I love all of the percussion and horns. One of my favorite African albums so far! High 4.

Very nice, greatings to Dakar

An excellent live show consisting of a dedicated audience who's on board with 7+ minute jam tracks, happy to let the band show off and bring a mutual connection to everyone present.

An initial ear-opening first spin gave way to closer listening and repeat visits, driven by harmonies and musical passages that lodged themselves in my limbic system from that very first exposure: all tell-tale signs that a brand-new listen just turned into a brand-new 5-star.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 94 World beats are my new jam 🌎🎶 Admittedly I am nowhere near cultured enough to truly appreciate this art form of music, however thanks to David Byrne & Talking Heads I have an accessible reference point! The arrangement style is firmly rooted in the Senegalese genre mbalax, which blends traditional rhythms (notably the sabar drum) with modern instrumentation. The album’s title and many of its themes address migration, diaspora, identity, and belonging—especially aimed at Senegalese living abroad. 🎧 Classic Track: The album flows as one continuous mix of energetic beats 🎧 Personal Favorite: Taaw The percussive elements (sabar, tama, etc.) are lively and central, giving the album a compelling groove. Youssou’s voice is expressive, full of character, and delivers both emotional content and musical power. The album respects its Senegalese roots yet integrates synths, guitars, and horns in ways that make it accessible internationally. For example, the synthesisers (Yamaha DX7) are used but not to dominate the traditional elements. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Happy Youssou ☺️ With only four tracks (~34 minutes) the album doesn’t overstay its welcome, but still makes a strong impact. It’s more than dance music—there are socially reflective songs (e.g., on migration, diaspora, responsibility). I’m not sure how often I would revisit it, however you’re interested in world music, African pop, or want to explore the roots of one of Senegal’s greatest musical voices, it’s both enjoyable on a surface level (the grooves, rhythms, voice) and rewarding on a deeper level (themes of migration, identity, diaspora).

Cool rhythms

saindo do atraso. tirei o dia pra escutar tudo que n deu tempo achei esse aqui mto bom, pegadinha muito boa

eh bem interessante memo. guitarrinha fortíssima. senegal manda muito, hein divertidíssimo, passou rapidão, gostosim demais!!

Fun, punchy, short, fantastic.

Groovy!

Lovely stuff, great to hear his solo stuff as only previously knew from collaboration with Neneh Cherry.

Not my kind of music.

OK, I tried, but World Music is generally not for me. 2/5

It was interesting but definately not for me.

Just not my taste in music

Interesting. Ended up skipping ahead on most songs.

It's good world music

Immigres/Bitim Rew was fun, Pitche Mi is very chill, with a nice jazzy vibe, and after I was ready to give this album 4 stars. Taaw started to grate a little, and by the time I got to Badou I was kind of over it, so I think smaller doses of this album at a time would have been easier. 3.3/5

Full wall of sound, cool droning, with lilting almost yearning sound queues. Though I didn’t understand the lyrics, I got the meaning through the sound.

Intensely pleasant.

Although only 4 songs, the album takes me on a journey with many stops along the way to taste and experience a range of human emotions. I love the eclecticism of instruments, beats, and voices throughout the album. I certainly detect his influence in some of Peter Gabriel's music of this era as well.

Immigrés

Youssou N'Dour

Reviews (page 3 of 7)