Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Legendary African Musician Youssou N'Dour Receives Honorary Degree at Berklee Valencia

09/07/2024

Legendary African Musician Youssou N'Dour Receives Honorary Degree at Berklee Valencia The Senegalese singer, songwriter, composer, actor, businessman, and politician Youssou N'Dour was honored at Berklee Valencias commencement ceremony on July 8.

By

Judit Borderia

July 9, 2024

Youssou NDour

Vicente Jim nez

Berklee Valencia's Executive Director Simone Pilon presented an honorary Doctor of Music degree to Senegalese singer, songwriter, composer, actor, businessman, and politician Youssou N'Dour on Monday, July 8, at the commencement ceremony for the master's degree programs at Berklee's campus in Valencia, Spain.

Through his music, philanthropy, and political activism, N'Dour has influenced generations of musicians, and is one of the most celebrated African musicians in history. This honor was presented to N'Dour to recognize his impact on the music of the late 20th and early 21st centuries and for bringing the music and traditions of Senegal to an international audience.

My career has always been guided by a clear philosophy; that of singing love, peace, and commitment. Each note, each word in my songs aims to convey a powerful and universal message. Love is the foundation of my songs, said NDour. My music is a call to collective consciousness, solidarity, and mutual understanding. I deeply believe that education is the pillar on which the future of our societies and respect for the environment relays. It is essential for the survival and well-being of future generations.

NDour closed his remarks to the class of 2024 by inviting them all to get involved in their own battles for a better world. Whether art, education, or any other path you choose; let's continue to sing for the love of singing, to preach for peace, and to fight for a future where everyone is respected and understood.

Known for blending traditional Senegalese mbalax with various global influences, including Cuban rumba, hip-hop, jazz, and soul, N'Dour is a legendary African musician. His powerful voice and innovative approach bring the ancient griot traditions of Senegal to a broader audience while addressing political and social issues across Africa to the wider world and emphasizing the importance of preserving African cultural identity in an interconnected world.

Youssou N'Dour's career and commitment to public and community service are an inspiration and embody the mission of Berklee, to provide transformative educational experiences that prepare students for purposeful lives and careers as creative leaders in a rapidly changing world. We are honored to have Youssou N'Dour join the Berklee family, said Pilon.

Born in Dakar, Senegal, in 1959, N'Dour joined the Star Band de Dakar, where he played a pivotal role in developing mbalax, at age 16. In 1977, he formed toile de Dakar, later known as Super toile de Dakar, further popularizing this traditional genre. His international career skyrocketed with his solo album, The Guide (Wommat), in 1994, leading to global recognition, and winning a Grammy in 2004 for his album Egypt. He also focused on initiatives in Senegal, establishing a recording studio, a record label, and a media organization, as well as creating a network of internet caf s.

NDours contributions extend beyond music to social change, including founding the microfinance organization Birima, and supporting various global causes, and serving as Senegal's minister for culture and tourism in 2012.

Throughout his career, he has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Japan Art Association's Praemium Imperiale for music in 2017. He has been honored at events such as the Danish Music Awards, Montreal's International Jazz Festival, the Edison Awards, La Mar de M sicas, the MOBO Awards, and Sweden's Polar Music Prize. His influence extends through his captivating music and his dedication to social and cultural advocacy.

At the commencement ceremony, 135 graduates from 37 countries received Master of Music degrees in contemporary performance (production concentration); music production, technology, and innovation; and scoring for film, television, and video games; and Master of Arts degrees in global entertainment and music business. This year as well, six students completed Berklee's post-master's program.

Berklee's honorary doctorate recipients are recognized for their impact on the global music and arts community and for demonstrating sustained professional excellence over the course of their career. Past recipients include Duke Ellington (the first, in 1971), Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Smokey Robinson, Loretta Lynn, Juan Luis Guerra, Annie Lennox, Paco de Lucia, Carole King, Willie Nelson, George Clinton, Rita Moreno, Lionel Richie, A. R. Rahman, Missy Elliott, Usher, and Gilberto Santa Rosa, among others. In the last five years the Valencia campus has awarded honorary doctorates to Imogen Heap, Lila Downs, Gilberto Gil, Alberto Iglesias, and Yvette Noel-Schure.

Related Categories

News

Most Popular

What Exactly Is Dad Rock? 21 Songs that Explain the Totally Not Embarrassing Genre Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Metallica-obviously dad rock at this point. But the genre is bigger than you might guess. In this Fathers Day playlist, listen to songs from various generations that bring dad energy.

Latest

Jim McNeely and Miguel Zen n Named the 2024-2025 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholars in Jazz Studies The internationally renowned artists will instruct jazz composition students, lead ensembles, and teach master classes.

Emily McGuire B.F.A. '18 of Glendale, CA, found a new love for international dance, including belly dance, and has joined the Los Angeles Ballet Academy, teaching students of all ages.

Image by Chuck Espinoza

Alum Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 The
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/legendary-african-musician-yo...
See more stories from berklee

More from Berklee

14/01/2025

The Spring Signature Series Presents Kendrick Scott Berklee Ensemble

The Spring Signature Series Presents Kendrick Scott Berklee Ensemble The acclaimed percussionist has toured and collaborated with jazz legends Herbie Handcock...

08/01/2025

Berklee Announces First Emerging Artist Scholarship in Partnership with the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation

Berklee Announces First Emerging Artist Scholarship in Partnership with the Lati...

24/12/2024

The Best Playlists of 2024

The Best Playlists of 2024 The top playlists we created in 2024, from dad rock to dembow. By Tara Bellucci December 23, 2024 Image by Kelly Davidson Tak...

21/12/2024

Our Favorite Songs of 2024

Our Favorite Songs of 2024 Explore a playlist featuring some of the top songs of the year, as picked by members of the Berklee community. By Tara Bellucci De...

21/12/2024

Berklee Wrapped 2024: Our Top News and Stories

Berklee Wrapped 2024: Our Top News and Stories Take a look at some of our best stories of the year, including announcing our next president, hosting Andr 300...

21/12/2024

Alumna Allison de Groot Awarded 2024 Steve Martin Banjo Prize

Alumna Allison de Groot Awarded 2024 Steve Martin Banjo Prize De Groot, a former student of the American Roots Music Program, was recognized for her unique so...

20/12/2024

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Partners with Vistex

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Partners with Vistex The partnership will provide students with hands-on experience using the company's...

20/12/2024

Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2025 Warner Music Latina Scholarship

Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2025 Warner Music Latina Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and room and board for the 2025 fall semester...

19/12/2024

The Best Songs of 2024, According to Berklee

The Best Songs of 2024, According to Berklee Listen to a playlist of the top songs of the year, as chosen by the Berklee community. By Tara Bellucci Decemb...

18/12/2024

Berklee Professor Daedelus Talks Performing with Andr 3000

Berklee Professor Daedelus Talks Performing with Andr 3000 The Electronic Production and Design faculty member joined the superstar multi-hyphenate on stage ...

17/12/2024

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Celebrate 40th Anniversary in July 2025

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Celebrate 40th Anniversary in July 2025 Applications for the 2025 edition will open December 17, 2024. By Maddie Russell ...

17/12/2024

Berklee at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival Returns for Its Second Year

Berklee at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival Returns for Its Second Year The Berklee on the Road program will be held June 16-21, 2025, in Morocco. By Col...

16/12/2024

Grammy-Nominated Producer Alissia Benveniste Makes Magic, Inside and Outside the Studio

Grammy-Nominated Producer Alissia Benveniste Makes Magic, Inside and Outside the...

16/12/2024

Arooj Aftab Shines on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Arooj Aftab Shines on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert In her US television debut, the Grammy winner performed Raat Ki Rani, backed by a band that include...

14/12/2024

Too Many Jingle Bells on the Brain? Try Earworm Eraser

Too Many Jingle Bells on the Brain? Try Earworm Eraser 'Tis the season for incessant holiday music. If you need an escape, give this scientifically engine...

13/12/2024

Berklee Honors Tina Davis, President of EMPIRE, at Annual Music Business Lecture Series

Berklee Honors Tina Davis, President of EMPIRE, at Annual Music Business Lecture...

12/12/2024

After Tragedy, Daniel Beilman Found a New Path in Music. The Recording Academy Took Notice.

After Tragedy, Daniel Beilman Found a New Path in Music. The Recording Academy T...

12/12/2024

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Earns Best of Recognitions in 2024

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Earns Best of Recognitions in 2024 Take a year-end look at the awards and distinctions earned by Boston Conservatory and its ac...

11/12/2024

Berklee's Music Business/Management Hosts Inaugural TEDx Event

Berklee's Music Business/Management Hosts Inaugural TEDx Event Molly Neuman, President of CD Baby, and William Tenney, founder of SunPop, were the special g...

11/12/2024

Music Supervisors Are Essential to Syching Music to Visual Media, and Demand is Rising

Music Supervisors Are Essential to Syching Music to Visual Media, and Demand is ...

11/12/2024

The Best Music Documentaries on Every Streaming Platform

The Best Music Documentaries on Every Streaming Platform Explore groundbreaking music documentaries streaming across Netflix, HBO Max, Disney , and more. From...

11/12/2024

Berklee Announces 2025 Spring Signature Series

Berklee Announces 2025 Spring Signature Series This season's lineup features a Fleetwood Mac tribute, a mambo big band celebration, a gospel music extrava...

10/12/2024

Why Country Music is Topping Charts and Filling Arenas

Why Country Music is Topping Charts and Filling Arenas Country has exploded in popularity as new artists-and fans-flood in. By Alexander Gelfand December 1...

10/12/2024

Krisha Marcanos Goals for Conservatorys Theater Division: Refine, Level Up, Focus

Krisha Marcanos Goals for Conservatorys Theater Division: Refine, Level Up, Focu...

10/12/2024

Yacht Rock: Smooth Sailing on Rocky Waters

Yacht Rock: Smooth Sailing on Rocky Waters Read about how the soft-rock genre has weathered the test of time, and listen to a playlist of some of the best yac...

09/12/2024

Jim Lucchese Talks About Being an Artists Advocate and How Hell Approach Berklee Presidency

Jim Lucchese Talks About Being an Artists Advocate and How Hell Approach Berklee...

09/12/2024

Berklees New Program in Morocco Explores an African Musical Tradition

Berklees New Program in Morocco Explores an African Musical Tradition The partnership with the Gnaoua and World Music Festival that helps musicians dig deeper i...

09/12/2024

Berklee Artists Perform at Boston Snowport Holiday Market

Berklee Artists Perform at Boston Snowport Holiday Market The performances are a result of a partnership between the Snowport, Mohegan Sun, and the Berklee Po...

07/12/2024

NPR's Best Songs of 2024 List Highlights Berklee Alumni

NPR's Best Songs of 2024 List Highlights Berklee Alumni Arooj Aftab, Adrianne Lenker, Tiny Habits, and more made the cut on NPR's roundup of this year...

03/12/2024

Applications Open for the Berklee Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant

Applications Open for the Berklee Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant The deadline for the grant application is December 6, 2024. By Colette Greenstein D...

20/11/2024

John Hollenbeck and Miguel Zenn Named the 2024-2025 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholars in Jazz Studies

John Hollenbeck and Miguel Zen n Named the 2024-2025 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholar...

16/11/2024

Berklee Global Partners with AES Dominicana Foundation and Ministry of Culture for Berklee in Santo Domingo

Berklee Global Partners with AES Dominicana Foundation and Ministry of Culture f...

16/11/2024

Berklee Alumni Win at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards

Berklee Alumni Win at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards Juan Luis Guerra '82 won four Latin Grammys, including two of the most prestigious awards: Record of th...

16/11/2024

Meet the Berklee Grads Shaping Latin Music's Future

Meet the Berklee Grads Shaping Latin Music's Future The Miami-based alumni-along with collaborator and Latin Grammy winner Ela Taubert-share their insight...

16/11/2024

Spotifys New Creator Program Is Here to Take On YouTube

Spotifys New Creator Program Is Here to Take On YouTube Spotify for Creators will let podcasters monetize their videos without ads. By Tara Bellucci Novemb...

15/11/2024

Lost Music by Mozart and Chopin Discovered

Lost Music by Mozart and Chopin Discovered If you had new music from these legendary composers on your 2024 bingo card, you're in luck. By Bryan Parys ...

14/11/2024

The Best Tiny Desks by Berklee Artists (an Incomplete List)

The Best Tiny Desks by Berklee Artists (an Incomplete List) From Big Thief and Lizzy McAlpine to DOMi & JD Beck, Kenny Beats, Arooj Aftab, and more, Berklee a...

13/11/2024

Memphis Rapper Al Kapone Brings Blues Education to Berklee

Memphis Rapper Al Kapone Brings Blues Education to Berklee He was the featured guest at the 18th annual Business of Hip-Hop Music Symposium. By Colette Gree...

13/11/2024

Berklee to Hold Blue Ridge Benefit Concert for Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

Berklee to Hold Blue Ridge Benefit Concert for Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts The event, featuring headliners Langhorne Slim and Kashus Culpepper, takes plac...

09/11/2024

Berklees 2025 Alumni Grammy Nominees: See the Full List

Berklees 2025 Alumni Grammy Nominees: See the Full List Nominees include Alissia Benveniste, Miguel Zen n, Bill Frisell, Madi Diaz, Lalah Hathaway, and many o...

05/11/2024

Amplify Berklee Gala Raises $1.3 Million for Berklee City Music Scholarships

Amplify Berklee Gala Raises $1.3 Million for Berklee City Music Scholarships This year's event featured a dance party with DJ Jazzy Jeff and performances ...

05/11/2024

Remembering the Rare and Extraordinary Life of Quincy Jones

Remembering the Rare and Extraordinary Life of Quincy Jones With the passing of the legendary musician, composer, arranger, producer, and all-around media mog...

02/11/2024

Berklee's Signature Series Presents Singers Showcase: One Sweet Day-The Music of Mariah Carey

Berklee's Signature Series Presents Singers Showcase: One Sweet Day-The Musi...

02/11/2024

What If the Game of Thrones Theme Was Surf Rock? This TikToker Has the Answer

What If the Game of Thrones Theme Was Surf Rock? This TikToker Has the Answer Guitarist and TikTok user Cloudchord puts his spin on the epic theme music, orig...

02/11/2024

Mariah Carey Set the Standard for What a Christmas Album Could Be

Mariah Carey Set the Standard for What a Christmas Album Could Be The New York Times spoke with Berklees Maureen McMullan about Mariah Careys lasting impact o...

31/10/2024

Andr 3000 at Berklee: Respect Your Taste-Thats All You Got

Andr 3000 at Berklee: Respect Your Taste-Thats All You Got On tour for New Blue Sun, the iconic artist and his band sat down for a sprawling conversation on ...

31/10/2024

Reggaeton's Underdog Story' Told Through Daddy Yankee's Docuseries

Reggaeton's Underdog Story' Told Through Daddy Yankee's Docuseries Wayne Marshall discusses the importance of Reggaeton: The Sound that Conquered...

31/10/2024

Why Were Not Afraid to Love Scary Music (Plus 13 of the Best Horror Film Scores)

Why Were Not Afraid to Love Scary Music (Plus 13 of the Best Horror Film Scores) Faculty composer Ryan Page discusses the appeal of scary movies and what make...

30/10/2024

Billboard Names Berklee College of Music and Berklee Valencia to Its 2024 Top Music Business Schools List

Billboard Names Berklee College of Music and Berklee Valencia to Its 2024 Top Mu...

29/10/2024

Africana Studies Division to Induct Kid 'n Play into Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame

Africana Studies Division to Induct Kid 'n Play into Berklee's Hip-Hop H...