Youssou N’Dour blasted the crowd with an African vibe in this blistering performance.

He and his huge entourage carried off their blend of world rhythms with aplomb.

Even to the uninitiated in world music, it was clear that there was a mighty talent on show.

He was quick to dispense with the one tune that everyone knows – an upbeat version of the 90s hit Seven Seconds.

This cleared the decks for the beat to really hit the fans and the standing area in front of the stage got busier and busier as people threw off their inhibitions to join the growing numbers of groovers bobbing along to the music.

With N’Dour you get more than a few songs – there is a performance, with choreographed wiggles, synchronised sashays and a lot of fun thrown in.

But Senegal’s answer to Robbie Williams has an extra advantage over most crooners who gyrate on stage – he can actually sing.

And sing he does, powerfully, along with a few well-timed bashes on his drum and some enjoyable audience participation.

Percussion is very important to the show and the blend of traditional bongos with electric guitar and keyboards works well.

Despite the array of musicians gathered around him N’Dour is definitely the master of it all.

As the show ends he dismisses them one by one, leaving just the keyboard player for a soulful finale.

He departs to adulation, with the array of rhythms still ringing in the ears.

This is partly because the Arts Centre is not a natural place for a giant row of amplifiers.

Due to a quirk of 1970s design, it has wonderful natural acoustics and no matter how cultural "world music" is, it requires a greater volume than regular visitors might have been used to.

Still, it is a versatile place and one can only hope that the students sitting their exams in the same hall in a few weeks can detect the lingering atmosphere created last night.