Grammy-winner Youssou N’Dour named Vice President of CISAC as global rights org marks 100 years

Grammy-winning Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour has been named Vice-President of CISAC.

The appointment, announced on Wednesday (June 3), takes effect at CISAC‘s annual General Assembly in Paris on Thursday (June 4).

The Paris event marks CISAC‘s 100th anniversary.

The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers represents more than 5 million creators through 227 member societies in 111 countries, according to the organization.

The confederation works to protect copyright, strengthen collective management systems and ensure that songwriters, composers, audiovisual creators, writers and visual artists are paid for the use of their work, according to CISAC.

CISAC has prioritized AI in its advocacy work, calling for creators to be able to license their works to AI tools, to be paid for those uses, and for AI developers to disclose the copyrighted material used to train their models.

“At a moment when music creators are navigating profound technological disruption and rapid changes in how value is generated and distributed, strong and globally respected voices such as Youssou N’Dour‘s are essential.”

Gadi Oron, CISAC

“At a moment when music creators are navigating profound technological disruption and rapid changes in how value is generated and distributed, strong and globally respected voices such as Youssou N’Dour‘s are essential,” said Gadi Oron, CISAC‘s Director General.

“His artistic stature and lifelong commitment to culture will help strengthen our advocacy for fair remuneration, transparency and robust copyright protections worldwide.”

Over a career spanning more than four decades, N’Dour has helped shape the global perception of African music, according to CISAC.

A Grammy Award winner for his album Egypt, he has released more than 20 albums and collaborated with artists including Peter Gabriel, Sting and Neneh Cherry.

His music blends Senegalese mbalax with pop, jazz and other influences, and he has performed at venues and festivals across Africa, Europe, North America and Asia.

N’Dour has also invested in the commercial infrastructure of the music business in West Africa, establishing studios, production facilities and media platforms in Dakar.

Those ventures have strengthened professional pathways for artists in a region where formal rights management systems and access to global distribution have historically faced structural challenges, according to CISAC.

N’Dour succeeds outgoing Vice-Presidents Yvonne Chaka Chaka, a South African singer and songwriter, and Arturo Márquez, a Mexican composer, whose terms conclude at the General Assembly.

During the General Assembly, N’Dour and Chaka Chaka will join a panel on AI and human creativity alongside CISAC Vice-President and Spanish screenwriter Ángeles González-Sinde, film composer Simon Franglen, visual artist Adelaide Damoah and songwriter Jacopo Ettorre.

CISAC‘s member societies collected €12.59 billion ($13.63 billion) in royalties for songwriters and music publishers worldwide in 2024, up 7.2% YoY, according to the organization’s Global Collections Report.

A study commissioned by CISAC has estimated that 24% of music creators’ revenues could be lost to generative AI by 2028.

CISAC was founded in Paris in 1926 and is marking its centenary at the General Assembly.

President and ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus is opening the event with a keynote address.

“A hundred years after our founding, the challenges remain strikingly similar: ensuring that those who create are properly recognized and remunerated for their work.”

Gadi Oron, CISAC

“This centenary milestone is a defining moment for CISAC and for creators worldwide.

“A hundred years after our founding, the challenges remain strikingly similar: ensuring that those who create are properly recognized and remunerated for their work,” Oron said.

N’Dour joins CISAC‘s leadership alongside Ulvaeus, who continues to lead the organization’s advocacy on behalf of creators worldwide.Music Business Worldwide