Youssou N'Dour to Perform at the Louvre

Youssou N'Dour from Senegal performing in Warszawa, Poland
during the 5th Cross Culture Festival
13 December 2009
Photograph by Henryk Kotowski

Youssou N'Dour, world-renowned singer and recently appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism of Senegal, will appear in concert at the Louvre on September 29, 2012 in celebration of the reopening of the museum's Islamic Arts department. The Louvre is touting him as representing "another face of Islam, one of tolerance, dialogue and respect for others." As such, he is thought to be the perfect person to celebrate the opening of the department. N'Dour will perform in the Cour Napoléon, the grand courtyard that contains the glass pyramid erected by the American architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.

From 1993 until 2003, the museum's Islamic collection was housed in an area of the Richelieu wing that was renovated by African-American architect David Harmon as part of the Grand Louvre project executed by the Pei architectural firm. When the department reopens, all works will be located in the Cour Visconti of the Denon wing.

The Louvre is using this auspicious occasion to solicit donations to the museum in support of the concert. They are offering perks in return for various levels of contribution:

• your name posted at the entrance to the concert (5€ and higher)
• limited edition T-shirt (30€)
• free pass to the Louvre (50€)
• an invitation to the concert and a donor bracelet (100€ and higher)
  an invitation to the concert and a visit for 2 persons to the Islamic Arts department when the museum is closed (200€)
• an invitation to the concert, priority seating at the concert, and a visit for 2 persons to the Islamic Arts department when the museum is closed (300€)
• a viewing of the Mona Lisa prior to the concert (museum will be closed), exclusive seating on a balcony terrace for the concert, and a visit for 2 persons to the Islamic Arts department when the museum is closed (1000€)

If you pay French taxes, you benefit from a 66% reimbursement of your gift to the museum, so the perks become even more attractive!

The evening before the concert, N'Dour will greet the public in the museum auditorium at 6:30 PM (free entry) and then appear as a guest performer at a concert featuring Guinean songstress Namassa Dioubaté. N'Dour invited Dioubaté to be a part of the event because he wished to include a female voice that represents Africa and Islam.

Namassa Dioubaté
Screenshot from YouTube video
Born in Kankan, Guinea Conakry, Dioubaté is descendant from two prestigious families of Mandinka griots. She will perform with N'Dour at his concert on the 29th.

Tickets for the N'Dour concert are 35 euros. They will be on sale at the Louvre beginning on September 3rd. To purchase tickets now, visit the FNAC Web site (3 euro supplement).

Tickets for Namassa Dioubaté's concert are 14 euros. They will be on sale at the Louvre beginning on September 3rd.

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