Interview with Youssou N’Dour
How did you work with Aurelio Martínez?
There was no hard and fast plan. You get more out of taking tea together and chatting. Aurelio talked to me a lot when he came to my home, in Dakar, to my family. But then, you don’t learn to sing – you have to be inspired.
What do you think your protégé learned from coming to Dakar?
In Honduras Aurelio is a well-known singer, and very busy. He needed to experience Africa first-hand, to really be here, to take the time to see it. He’s an African from Central America. Where he comes from, the tradition is intact. He represents a facet of the Black world we’re not very familiar with here. And he learned that our musicians can play his music too.
What was the main thing you wanted to convey to him?
He lacked confidence at an international level because Honduras has fewer links with the outside world than Senegal, which is five hours from Paris by plane. I’ve always wanted to break down barriers, and we tried to do that together.
You invited Aurelio to share the stage with you, first in Dakar and then in Europe, at the Vienne Jazz Festival in France, for example. How did you choose these occasions?
It happened quite naturally – we were giving a concert in Vienne, where the venue [a Roman amphitheatre] was magnificent, and so was the atmosphere. He played solo first and then my musicians just spontaneously got up onto the stage to accompany him. I think he was very pleased. Near the end of my concert, I asked him to join me in singing Sama Gammu. He improvised, experimenting with his voice for several minutes – it was fantastic! Aurelio is an artist who knows how to hold an audience, and knowing how to touch people is a gift.
What have you learned from him?
He has really made me want to go and play in Honduras, as soon as the political situation permits [President Manuel Zelaya was deposed in a military coup d’état on 28 June 2009], and then it will be his turn to introduce me to his audience!