Youssou N’Dour is one of the best-known singers in the world. He has been credited with developing a form that blends traditional African praise-singing with musical styles from around the world. In this globetrotting documentary, he investigates a personal theory that the music of the African diaspora—including blues, jazz, spirituals, gospel and rock—is all connected. In New Orleans, listening to Mardi Gras tunes, he remarks that he hears the music of Dakar, Senegal, where he is from. N’Dour gathers a group of jazz musicians and gospel singers to adapt some of his own compositions and performs with them in various venues, including a triumphant outdoor performance on Gorée Island in Senegal, a former stronghold of the slave trade. Along the way, N’Dour and his band comment on key issues such as the musician as storyteller, the responsibility of artists as cultural activists and the relationship of music to history. Featuring 22 songs and appearances by poet Amiri Baraka, drummer Idris Muhammad, vocalist Pyeng Threadgill and Swiss pianist Marcel Genoud, this comprehensive portrait serves as a vibrant cultural document while also offering a joyous celebration of N’Dour’s potent and beautiful songs.

Written by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud. Photographed by Camille Cottagnoud. With Youssou N’Dour, Moncef Genoud. (108 min. In English and French with English subtitles. ArtMattan Productions.