Étoile de Dakar were a leading music group of Senegal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Youssou N'Dour was one of the singers in the band and the band was a major part of N'Dour's rise to stardom in Senegal.
The group was formed in 1978 by Badou Ndiaye and several other members of the Star Band after a dispute with Ibra Kasse, the band leader of the Star Band and the owner of the Miami nightclub in Dakar where the Star Band performed. The Star Band was one of Dakar's best known nightclub house bands of the 1960s and 1970s. After Kasse fired one of the members of the Star Band, several other members quit in support of the musician, joining forces to create Étoile de Dakar. Singer El Hadji Faye who previously sang for the Star Band but left because he did not get along with Ibra Kasse, was recruited at the outset. Later singer Mar Seck, from No. 1 de Dakar, was brought into the band.
Étoile de Dakar played an important part in the evolution of Senegalese popular music, helping incorporate elements of traditional Senegalese music into the popular Latin-influenced dance styles that dominated, creating a style that became known as Mbalax.