Rwanda’s renowned cultural music star Jean Paul Samputa has attacked his fellow artists who have critisiced Senegalese world music icon Youssou Ndour who has announced to contest for presidency.
World music icon announced last week that he plans to run in Senegal’s presidential election next month, challenging an 85-year-old incumbent whose plans to seek a third term have sparked protests.
Ndour, who made the announcement on his private radio and TV stations, joins some 20 other candidates already running against President Abdoulaye Wade.
“I have heard the Alpha Blonde and others against his decision saying that Youssou Ndour will not have any more time to interact with his audience in music when he becomes a politician but that is his decision,” Samputu said by cell phone.
“I don’t think it is wise to harry criticising someone before knowing what really prompted him to go for presidency, it might be that deep in his cautious is convinced and has that gift of leadership, if he sees his country needs someone like him, he can go for presidential race,” Samputu added.
“I don’t see anything wrong with a musician running for presidency as long as is competent and can handle it, personally I cannot go for it because I feel I go closer and interact with my audience easier when a sing,” Rwanda’s cultural music icon said.
Samputu said that he was intending to fly to Senegal to talk to Youssou Ndour he calls his friend after meeting in New York and advising him in his music career.
“If you are a friend or a colleague, you need to advise that person. As a musician I respect and a friend I need to go there and ask how he really came up with this idea, if he has a firm basis then it means he really needs our support other than being against him or his choice,” Samputu said.
It has been reported that the Grammy-winning artist and the West African country’s most famous cultural export, his prospects with Senegalese voters remain unclear.
The election is less than two months away, and the incumbent president has been in power for more than a decade.
“For a very long time, many Senegalese of different backgrounds have called for my candidacy for the presidency next February,” Ndour said.
“I’ve listened, I’ve heard and I am responding favorably to their request. I am a candidate. It’s a supreme patriotic duty, the best I can give of myself. I am the alternative to the current leadership in place in the country.”
Ndour, 52, is well known in Senegal for his scathing critique of the country’s ruling party. He already owns a hugely popular private radio station that holds regular debates featuring government critics.
And he has a newspaper that routinely highlights corruption allegations involving the country’s ruling elite, including the president’s family.
Residents of Senegal’s capital expressed doubt that the musician would fare well at the polls or in office.
Youssou Ndour is not the first musician to run for the presidency, last year American pop star Whycliff Jean went back to his home country Haiti and also the incumbent president of Haiti Michel Martelly was pop star.
Actually some political analysts were suggesting that Youssou Ndour should run for presidency since Haitan president who was commonly known as Sweet Micky on stage is doing well.
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