On Thursday evening ONE volunteers Brian Thomas and Sarah Wonders had the opportunity to get involved with the 3 Rivers Film Festival in Pittsburgh at the premier of Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love. This music documentary, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, opens with Senegalese activist and musician Youssou N’dour singing his anthem to Africa, Wake Up, in which he calls on the continent to unify itself. We follow him on tour at home and abroad, witnessing the power and charisma behind the music – with highlights by N’Dour, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Moustapha Mbaye, Kabou Guèye and Fathi Salama.

At the height of his career, N’dour composed Egypt, a deeply spiritual album dedicated to a more tolerant view of his Islam faith. It was embraced by Western audiences (and won a Grammy) but ignited serious religious controversy in his homeland. This inspiring film continues the call for tolerance.

-Sarah Wonders, PA ONE Member

As part of their 31 in 31 series, Child Fund International recently highlighted recording artist and humanitarian Youssou N’Dour and his efforts in standing up with Senegal against malaria. Surround Sound: Senegal, a campaign by Malaria No More and Foundation Youssou Ndour, kicked off last June and recently held a Xeex Sibbiru (Fight Malaria) concert in Guediway, Senegal.

Creating a “360-degree malaria education and advocacy campaign” in the small West African country is no easy feat. The idea is to mix multiple communication channels with local marketers of entertainment, sport, faith, and business so everyone on every level is included in the education process. Step one: promote malaria prevention through song. Senegalese icon Youssou N’Dour crafted the song Xeex Sibbiru, or Fight Malaria in English, which challenges Senegalese to see the impacts of malaria and choose to take action against it. You can listen to the song on the Child Fund International blog here.

The USAID funded project has many other key contributors including Child Fund Senegal. The NGOs distribute the song at the community level to decision makers such as community leaders, mothers, grandmothers, and heads of households. The song is also broadcast on the radio and discussed in awareness raising sessions.
Surround Sound: Senegal involves community-based maternal and child health services as well as the President’s Malaria Initiative.

Find out more about how the Surround Sound campaign works within Senegal and how great work is being done in the prevention of malaria on the Malaria No More site here.

On Friday, hundreds of ONE members gathered in Washington, DC for a screening of “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love” at the Avalon Theater. The film provides a great look into the life of beloved African musician and ONE Policy board member Youssou N’Dour. There are great scenes that follow N’Dour though his touring as well as his personal life at home with his family. The crowd really enjoyed the film and after it was over were treated with a special Q&A session with the film’s director Chai Vasarhelyi.

Chai Vasarhelyi spent five years traveling with Youssou through dozens of countries to film for the documentary. The Q&A allowed people to get an even more personal glimpse into the making of the film and what it’s like to travel the world with such a respected musician and humanitarian. Along with his work with ONE, Youssou has been committed to the fight against poverty and social injustice for decades. In 1985, he organized a concert for the release of Nelson Mandela. He was a featured performer in the 1988 worldwide Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour. He started Project Joko to open internet cafés in Africa and to connect Senegalese communities around the world. He also performed at three of the Live 8 concerts in July 2005.

If you didn’t get to make it to the screening on Friday you can check out the trailer here and keep an eye out for “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love” as it makes its way to your city!

Tomorrow (Friday) night at the Avalon Theater there will be a special screening of “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love” with a question and answer session afterward with the film’s director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.

If you plan on attending, please remember to RSVP here. Trailer and details below:

What: “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love”
When: 8:15 PM on Friday, October 9, 2009
Where: Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20015

Atlanta ONE hosted a presentation of the Youssou N’Dour documentary “I Bring What I Love” this past Saturday night in Atlanta. “I Bring What I Love” presents a snapshot portrayal of Youssou N’Dour, an African pop musician from Senegal and his struggles surrounding the release of an album of religious music. While the album was lauded around the world, it wasn’t welcome among his own people. N’Dour stayed committed to his music though, and eventually the people came to embrace it.

Sarah Price, one of the producers of the film, stopped by the table before the screening to discuss how we could make sure everyone in the audience felt connected to ONE. After the screening, Sarah conducted a brief Q & A where she was peppered with questions from the crowd. She was eloquent, insightful, and encouraged everyone to make sure they became a part of ONE. I was happy to man the table and help people learn more about how they can play a role in ending extreme poverty. It was a convergence of the two things I feel most passionate about in life: fighting poverty and making movies that matter.

N’Dour’s religious commitment and fervor serve as a great reminder of how people of all faiths can find solidarity around the issues connected to extreme poverty. The documentary, which attracted a very diverse audience, provided the perfect opportunity to begin a dialogue with people around those issues. While many in the audience may have been divided by age, ethnicity or religious background, all could come together as ONE around the idea of ending the gross injustice of extreme poverty.

-Angela Harvey, Atlanta ONE member

Friday evening and Saturday afternoon ONE members gathered at theatres in San Francisco and Berkeley for the premiere screening of Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love. The film traces the journey of Senegalese artist Youssou N’Dour touring for his album Egypt. Vasarhelyi’s film highlights the contrast of the acceptance the album receives from Youssou’s home and neighboring countries as compared to western culture.

From the corners of the theatre I watched audiences cry and cheer, re-live and relate to Youssou’s story. After the film, we were privileged with a special Q&A session with Chai Vasarhelyi, Director and Producer of the film. I have included a small piece of video, as Vasarhelyi responds to a question regarding screenings in Senegal.

-Roscoe Mapps

MTV is streaming an exclusive online interview with artist and musician—and A-Lister—Youssou N’Dour. During the interview, N’Dour discusses Dambisa Moyo, Bono, Jeffrey Sachs, and a number of issues facing Africa today.

You can check out a clip here.

-Chris Scott

On Friday ONE co-hosted a premiere screening of ‘Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love’ in Los Angeles with the film’s director and producer Chai Vasarhelyi.

It was a very enjoyable event with over 200 in attendance for the amazing documentary on ONE policy board member and Senegalese artist Youssou N’Dour. It was great to view scenes of Youssou on Capitol Hill testifying about the importance of US assistance in the fight against malaria and on stage during Live 8.

Director Chai Vasarhelyi held a Q&A after the film. She shared her appreciation for ONE and told some great stories about the making of the film ad her travels through Africa.

ONE members in attendance gained great insight into Youssou’s life, faith, music, and his home country of Senegal. Some of the most captivating footage came as millions of Sufi Muslims of Western Africa traveled to Touba Senegal on pilgrimage.

All film goers received a cool ONE/Youssou t-shirt. Thanks to ONE volunteer Colleen for her help with our tabling efforts.

Check out http://www.ibringwhatilove.com/ to find out when the film will be showing in your home town. You won’t want to miss it.

-Matt Higginson

Tomorrow, July 3rd, ONE is proud to present “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love” a new film from one of Africa’s most celebrated musicians (and past A-Lister). The screening will be in West Hollywood, CA at 7:00 pm.

In his home country of Senegal, Youssou N’Dour is a powerful cultural icon and an important voice on social issues. Youssou is also a member of the ONE Policy Advisory Board, reflecting his deep commitment to the fight against poverty.

His new film I Bring What I Love is a music-infused cinematic journey about the power of one man’s voice to inspire change. The film chronicles N’Dour, a devout Sufi Muslim, as he releases a deeply personal and religious album called Egypt in the hope of promoting a more tolerant face of Islam. Director Chai Vasarhelyi follows N’Dour for over two years–filming in Africa, Europe, and America–to tell the story of how he faces these challenges and eventually wins over audiences both at home and abroad.

You can RSVP for the screening here. We hope to see you out!

-Kim Smith