The Senegalese singer Youssou N'dour is, by most counts, the most famous African musician in the world. He has been making music since childhood, propelled to acclaim for his rich, distinctive voice. Born in Dakar, Senegal to a mechanic father and a griot mother, he often defines himself as a "modern griot".

While one is a griot by birth, not all griots are trained in the traditions. The griot caste is somewhat ambivalent, as it is traditionally a low status caste. Yet, most griots are enormously proud to be griots, and musicians like Youssou are greatly venerated.

Youssou says, "While I was growing up, neither my father nor my mother wanted me to do the traditional griot things, all the ceremonies and the learning. But at the same time I was confronted with these two different cultures. I was singing from when I was very young, and I learned the griot tradition from my siblings, who were also half-griot, and they showed me the traditional ways. I didn't apply it until later on in my life. So while it was part of my life, but I didn't use. The traditional griot experiences the griot life on a day to day basis. It's who he is, completely. The modern griot has that, but also everything else from life is equally important, and you mix the two. And that's who I am... The griot singing style is singing with your soul, and that's what I learned. I try to apply it to my own music. When I'm singing a song, I try to relate the story by respecting the ancient storylines, the references, and also the cautions about modern life."

As an international superstar with a voice reaching far and loud, he has taken the griots' role as moral and practical guides on a grand scale. For example, as a Unicef ambassador, he works against malaria, advising the use of mosquito-repellent nets. This is very much in keeping with another of the griots' important functions of broadcasting important information for the society's benefit. He has also worked with Amnesty International and Jubilee 2000. His song lyrics reflect a profound concern with society and helping others. When he is home in Senegal, people throng to him for advice and help.

His description of his sense of mission is an updated version of that of griots in West Africa for many centuries: "I have a mission to develop something, to bring people together, bring things together, to make things happen at home."