Senegal presidential election

Senegal goes to the polls for a controversial presidential election that should have seen world music star Youssou N'Dour as a serious contender for the position.

Abdoulaye Wade is seeking a third term in office, and there were violent scenes in the country, one of Africa's most peaceful nations, when the country's top legal body allowed his candidacy to go forward but turned down the candidacy of Youssou N'Dour, saying that N'Dour lacked the necessary 10,000 signatures of support.

Wade wants a third term despite the constitution limiting the terms a president can serve to two. However, his argument was that the law that set this limit came into effect after he first came to power in 2000.

Opposition parties have vowed to make the country ungovernable, raising the spectre of further unrest.

I've heard Senegal described as the most musical country of the most musical continent on earth.

Whatever the outcome of the vote, hopefully Senegal will continue to be a source of inspiration and one of the high water marks of African culture.

Youssou N'dour stands for president of Sénégal

With the news that Youssou N'dour is standing for president of Sénégal, I thought it worth a mention and a video of the song Seven Seconds, one of the rare instances of an African artist making a breakthrough internationally with a song.

It was in the top three in the UK 1994, and reached number one in France, as well as top three in a number of other European countries. The song lyrics are in Wolof, French and English.

N'dour has had a long career and is one of Africa's best-known musicians, and has collaborated with western musicians including Peter Gabriel and Alan Stivell and was awarded a Grammy award in 2005.

N'dour had recently announced he intended to stop performing, and it's now clear that this was so he could focus on fighting current president Abdoulaye Wade, 85, in the election

Annoucing his intention, N'dour said: "I've travelled the world and been seen by people all over the world and I think I have the ability to govern Senegal. I am the alternative."

He added: "For a long time, men and women have demonstrated their optimism, dreaming of a new Senegal. They have, in various ways, called for my candidacy...I listened I heard."

Wade has been in power in the west African country for 11 years, and is seeking is third term in office.

Whether N'dour, who is not only well-known for his music in Sénégal but also for his businesses including a TV station, can succeed is far from certain, but it would be quite an achievement for the singer to make it to his country's highest office.