October 10, 2001
Contact: Susan Gwynne
(805) 893-2098
e-mail: gwynne-s@sa.ucsb.edu
Youssou N’Dour cancels USA tour,
including UCSB Arts & Lectures performance
Summary Facts:
- Youssou N’Dour cancels USA tour
- Concert scheduled for Tuesday, October 16 at UCSB Campbell Hall cancelled
- Ticketed patrons have three options: exchange, refund, donation
- Information: UCSB Arts & Lectures at 893-3535
Youssou N’Dour and his band Le Super Étoile have cancelled their upcoming 20 city, U.S. tour including their concert scheduled for Tuesday, October 16 at 8 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall. In a statement N’Dour said: “ We had hoped to respond positively to the call of the American president, the mayor of New York and other leaders by coming to the United States to perform. This would have been an opportunity for us to show solidarity with Americans over the loss of innocent life on September 11, and, as artists, to be part of a creative, nonviolent response to the challenges of these times. Unfortunately the sheer weight of the current conflict upon the day-to-day life of the international performing arts world has been too heavy to permit us to do so at this precise moment. We do hope to be able to reschedule the cancelled dates with all our presenters as soon as possible once new indications in the industry emerge.”
Ticket holders should contact Arts & Lectures to receive a form that will guide them through their three options. They may exchange their N’Dour tickets for one of three Arts & Lectures world music concerts; they may donate the value of the tickets to Arts & Lectures; they may request a refund. The three events possible for exchange are: Shujaat Khan and Zakir Hussain on Wednesday, November 7 at 8 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall; Baaba Maal on Sunday, February 3, 2001 at 7 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall; Burhan Öçal and the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble on Monday, April 8, 2001 at 8 pm in UCSB Campbell Hall.
The November 7 concert features sitar player Shujaat Khan, who is among the top-ranking North Indian classical musicians of his generation. He is today’s leading proponent of the Imdadkhani gharana tradition. Khan will be joined by tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain who has revolutionized Indian percussion, while playing with George Harrison, Ravi Shankar and others.
The February 3 concert presents the dazzling sophistication and verve of Baaba Maal. This spectacular Afro-pop singer from Senegal blends traditional African sounds and contemporary influences. Backed by an acoustic band, Maal will deliver a powerful, intimate performance that conveys not only the pure, vital energy of African music but also his laid-back intensity and ingenious grooves.
The April 8 concert features Turkish multi-instrumentalist and singer Burhan Öçal and his ensemble, who play Gypsy roots music with jubilant virtuosity and unusual imagination. Öçal, a peerless finger drum musician, can be counted on for breathtaking solos. The Istanbul Oriental Ensemble preserves the endangered musical heritage of the storied region between the Aegean and Black Seas.
Ticket holders have until November 13 to request an exchange or refund. Check refunds will be made about 3-4 weeks after they are requested. For ease of processing ticket holders must fill out the special exchange/donation/refund form available from Arts & Lectures; they also must return their original N’Dour tickets with the form.
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures.
For tickets or more information,
call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535.
Editor: For photos, please call
Susan Gwynne at (805) 893-2098.