Youssou Ndour's Grandmother

Senegalese singer Youssou Ndour, a Sufi Muslim with a soulful sound has a secret weapon beyond the spirit of Allah: his grandmother who died shortly after being filmed in the documentary “I Bring What I Love,” opening this Friday. Introduced at the Paris Theater last week, at a special screening hosted by Mike Nichols, Ndour said he has always kept his family private, but his grandmother allowed this young filmmaker Chai Vasarhelyi into her bedroom where the ancient archetypical figure, feeble and gnarled, lay enrobed and headdressed, clearly a powerful inspiration for Ndour's life and music. This cinematic journey is not your ordinary music film, although the concert footage alone should thrill audiences. Daring to perform on Ramadan, his album “Egypt” condemned as blasphemous, Youssou Ndour enraged religious elders in his country. This scandal could have been Salman Rushdie Satanic Verses redux, however the film follows Ndour for two critical years as he brings this potentially volatile issue around through the power of his art and intense confidence in his vision. The Plaza's Oak Room was packed for an after party: John Patrick Shanley, James Toback, Carol Kane, Christine Baranski, Dick Cavett, Daphne Merkin,Ben Gazara, Julie Taymor, and Philip Pettit were among the well-wishers. Legendary documentarian D. A. Pennebaker who has “Only the Strong Survive” and “Don't Look Back” among his music film credits, congratulated the radiant Chai telling her that he showed his first ever film at the Paris

Regina Weinreich

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura

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