A Taste of Senegalese Music

We wanted to check out the music scene for which Senegal, and particularly Dakar is famous for ad had visited the premier live music venue, Just 4 U, on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately our timing was off and we arrived to find Ussou N'Dour (world-renowned) setting up for that night. We listened to the rehearsal over a couple of beers and met various people including his brother-in-law, but nothing was going to start before 10pm and we had to get back for the last water taxi to our boat. Not wanting to miss out we decided, on Thursday, to launch our dinghy and try again. Dressed-up and arriving at 9pm we hoped to have dinner and watch the concert only to find the entrance mobbed with people. We were told it was his last night and it sold out at 8am that morning! A doorman finally promised he'd get us in if we returned at midnight so we walked around the corner for a delicious Thai meal. Returning, we found it even busier and our doorman apologised but could do nothing. Nic saved the day by managing to buy a couple of tickets off a tout at a good price. We were in and it was well worth the effort. The club was packed with glamorously dressed Senegalese and the atmosphere was fantastic. Ussou N'Dour was joined for cameo performances by a variety of singers and musicians, all well-known to the audience. We returned to Irony at 3am, relieved to find our dinghy still tied to the wooden jetty! A great night out.

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