To mark his 67th birthday, celebrated on October 1st, Le Soleil newspaper has delved into its archives to revisit key moments in Youssou Ndour’s career. Among these turning points, the newspaper documents his dramatic resignation from the band Étoile de Dakar in November 1981.
On Wednesday, 18th November, 1981, the then 22-year-old Youssou Ndour gathered his bandmates to announce his decision to leave the group. The news came as a genuine surprise, even though “relations between Youssou Ndour and El Hadj Faye (Samina) had soured.
Youssou visited the offices of Le Soleil to make his departure official and announce the formation of his own band.
In its edition from 21st and 22nd November, 1981, the national daily published his statement: “My name now imposes duties upon me that I cannot shirk — particularly regarding family, but also concerning the promotion of Senegalese music. I will fight with all my might to succeed, and I will not turn down any help, provided it is sincere.”
These words take on special resonance when viewed in light of the career he has built since then.
By late November 1981, surrounded by loyal associates such as Assane Thiam, Mbaye Dieye Faye, and Jimi Mbaye (who had switched from bass to guitar), Youssou Ndour launched his new band with the album Tabaski Ndakarou. It was in early 1982 that the band definitively adopted the name Super Étoile de Dakar, releasing four cult-status cassettes in its very first year of existence.
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