{"id":103162,"date":"2020-04-10T15:34:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T14:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/yande-codou-sene-la-griotte-du-poete-president\/"},"modified":"2022-03-31T16:24:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T14:24:04","slug":"yande-codou-sene-the-griot-of-poet-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/yande-codou-sene-the-griot-of-poet-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Yand\u00e9 Codou S\u00e8ne: the griot of the poet-president"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is impossible to talk about Senghor, the first president of independent Senegal, without talking about his griot Yand\u00e9 Codou S\u00e8ne who made the Serer culture shine. Thanks to Youssou Ndour, she was made known to the whole world.<\/h4>\n

Yand\u00e9 Codou S\u00e8ne is an emblematic figure of Senegalese culture, particularly that of the Serer people, whose heritage she shared with L\u00e9opold Sedar Senghor, also from the Sine region. The latter, who became president of independent Senegal, put this woman with a deep and captivating voice in the spotlight. Throughout his reign, he was to be accompanied by this great lady, written in history as the “griotte de Senghor”. To recount the reign and the life of the poet-president, Senghor, without talking about Yand\u00e9 Codou S\u00e8ne is an almost impossible exercise. Their lives are linked. Both Yand\u00e9 and L\u00e9opold share a love for their region of origin. For the storyteller and writer Massamba Gueye, they are “two sides of the same coin”.<\/p>\n

Two inseparable<\/span> histories <\/span><\/h5>\n

Born in 1932 in Somb, in the great province of Sine-Saloum, Yand\u00e9 Codou S\u00e8ne was introduced to Serer singing by her mother at an early age. She acquired vocal knowledge, assimilated historical texts and astutely attended family ceremonies in her region where she began to show the promise her unique voice. Very quickly, her reputation spread beyond the borders of her region. Senghor, who met her at his brother’s house when he was only 16 years old and already a member of parliament, would consecrate her as a national icon when he reached the top of the State. Born into the Sine bourgeoisie, he grew up with Serer song and poetry. Having become a poet and a politician, Yand\u00e9 Codou Sene is the one who transported him back to his childhood kingdom. When Yand\u00e9 Codou sang, Senghor remembered his native Joal, his parents, his ancestors and his deep culture. This is why he made her his “official” griot. During the political tours, Yand\u00e9 Codou had to precede Senghor in each city, to welcome him by singing. To top it all off, she was the only person who had the right to interrupt the President’s speeches to spontaneously sing one of his legendary songs of praise. Senghor built a house for her and gave her a car, in addition to other priceless gifts. The singer moved the world by singing at the funeral of the President-poet in 2001.<\/p>\n

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After the father Senghor, the son Youssou<\/h5>\n

But despite her fame, the great lady didn’t record an album in her name until 1998, called Night Sky in Sine Saloum<\/em>. Like the famous singer Aminata Fall, she discovered the studio late in life. Three years earlier, in 1995, Youssou Ndour, aware of the heritage that Yand\u00e9 Codou represented, had decided to work to promote her to the world. They recorded the album Ga\u00efnd\u00e9<\/em> and another called Youssou N’Dour Presents Yand\u00e9 Codou S\u00e8ne<\/em>, both very well received by the critics. This was followed by tours all over Europe. But this time, the griot sings without the President (though with a future minister).<\/p>\n

Among her most beautiful hits is “Ga\u00efnd\u00e9” dedicated to the lion, emblem of the Senegalese nation, in which she sings of the bravery of the king of the forest: “The Lion does not feed on leaves. He slaughters his prey before devouring it,” <\/em>she sings. It is an invitation to work, patience and perseverance that she addresses to the youth of her country.<\/p>\n


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