Top 10 most powerful African celebrities – See who is number 1! (With Pictures)

2. Youssou N’dour – Senegal

In 2004, the Rolling Stone Magazine referred to the Senegal’s most coveted musician as “perhaps the most famous singer alive.” That’s highly unlikely, particularly in a contemporary music scenery dominated by the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Justin Bieber.

But N’dour, 59, is arguably Africa’s most electrifying and mesmerizing entertainer. He helped popularize Mbalax, an inimitable genre of music which blends western sounds like Pop and rock with sabar, the traditional dance music of the Senegalese. During the course of his career, N’dour has toured with stars like Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Chapman and Dido and has been the subject of two award-winning films- Retour à Gorée and Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love.