A ké e
Benguè ni ki Wom wé
Benguè wo ki inoum matam
A kee ee
Norè ni binènè gwé
Norè gwo ki bi nè
humm hhmmmm
A koo eh
Benguè ni ki korock yé
Benguè yo ki i nenéss kwem
A koo eh
Nyouss Issi hon malep
Yani ehh hoń a nyouss wè
hmmmm/ hmmmmmm
____________
Brother
Look at his fields
Do you see what a great harvest it is
Brother
Taste the fruits from the orchard
Do you feel how delicious they are?
Hmmm
Brother
Look at his fields
Do you see how generous he is with plants?
Brother
Give your tiny bit of earth something to drink
Tomorrow it will nourish you
Hmmm
Nsan mbaï
Ngueda koba
A teraga ndiki mbaï
A teraga ndiki mbaï
Nsan mbaï ngueda koba
A teraga ndiki mbaï
Nsan mbaï a bé a tarak ndik mbaï
Nyan mbaï ngueda koba
A teraga ndiki bonguè
A teraga ndiki bo
A teraga ndiki bo
Nyan mbaï ngueda koba
A kohleguè ndik bonguè
Nyan mbaï / biniigana gwo ni gwo
Hum hum
Hum hum
Sogol nyè bolè
Ni Benguèguè ban Tele
Ni Benguèguè ban Tele
Biniigana gwess gwoo
Sogol nyè bolè
Ni Benguèguè ban tele
Tele
Mahindi mo ni mo
__________
Once upon a time
The chief of the family used to protect the village
Once upon a time,
He used to watch over the kids
Once upon a time
The mother of the family used to keep the toddlers,
Once upon a time
She used to watch over them,
And lavish wisdom.
Once upon a time,
The grand father used to forbid the TV
Once upon a time
The grand father used to protect the toddlers against too much TV
The TV spreading falsehoods
Mbaï i bé i yéñi
Ndiki basso Ba té Ba benguèguè
Sogol a Ba a yéñi
Balal bé,boñ ba té ni nyè
Wap do wap
Ngwan moût i yéni
Nounou yik/lè ni bon bé yi
Mbaï Yosso i kéhi
Ngui mintoñ minan ni boń banan
Wap do wap
Pont:
Ngweha ni yi
Bi léï ni mè moni
Ngweha ni yi
Di lama kéba gwo
Pouba ni hinda
Koyop koyop ni kwem
Di yé Djamdjara
Bonguè Ba bi hoya la
Gweha ni yi
Di lama niga gwo
Gweha ni yi
Bi gwé bé nguim couleur
Di lama/ pén/ pépén la/ inèm mapubi
Inyui lipém/ lipém li moût Binam
___________
In front of our eyes, the village is dying
Grand father is dying, but his grand children watch over him
Rich is the one who hands down heritage to his children,
wisdom and good education,
For the village depends on your children and you completely
Ba ntcho ni loñ
Youlè Ba yi bé to Yom
Ba nibil mbaï yéss
Youlè ba yé Ngui yi
Bon Bess di niga bé
Yani di nimiss bô
Turururu
Ba tché ni loñ
Youlè ba yi Be to yo
Miñam mi mbaï
Basso ba nigil bé Mo
Bonguè Di niga bé
Yani Di nimiss bo
Ba ntché ni mbaï
Youlè ba yi Be to Yom
Bonguè Di niga bé
Yani Di nimiss bo
Tutututu
___________
They loot the richness of their village
They ignore the history of their ancestors
Wisdom lays on earth, they step on it and
never think about again tomorrow
Ignoring that a child without education is a lost human.
Please tell me
Nyui ki ni niga bé/ bôñ yí
Oh tell me
Balal mè bi yik/lè bé
Ba bi nañ
Please tell me
Nyui ki ni bélél béeee/
Iñem mbaï
Oh sorry
Nguéda Ba nop /
Kéré séb
Soñ I mbaï
Refrain : hummmmm
Please kal mè
Bonguè ni nkè ni ntchoooo
Bi tissoñ
Ohhhh tell me
Ndjè a ga téra mbaï
Yani
Please tell me
Nano lè massa
ma noum habé
Ohhh sorry
Nguéda i Pam
Lè ni bomna
Nyui yani
Refrain : hummm
Pont:
NDI bonguè ni tcho
Inèm tissong
NDI bonguè ni tché
Bon Ba yé yani
Ngo boñ
baga béï
Béss mbaï
Refrain :
Hummm
___
An ancestor to his descendance
« Please tell me, the wisdom that I left has fainted
I left it for the transmission of knowledge.
Why sowing far away from the big yard of the village?
Then it starts to rain during the dry season, under the cheerful look of the sun.
Please tell me,
Now the kids are abandoned in the middle of the town,
Who will be the guardian of the traditions tomorrow?
Even safou doesn’t grow anymore, so it’s time for you to unite for the future. »
A bi tcho ni mè hé
Mounou inèm i nloń
A bi soo ni mè lè
mè ni nyè di bé ni löń
Ndi one love
One love ah
Mè mi nkè mi houn
Mounou kéré makoun
Me mi nkè mi mboo
Mounou ikéré liboo
Me ntoń love
One love ah
NDI mè ntoń ni yo hé
Ibi tagbene me na
NDI mè yén ni yo
Ibi tagbene me na
Me ntoń love
One love ah
Me ntoń love
One love ah
To minbèt mi pis
Mè toñok NDIk yo
Bikuñ mè nkèba iwo
Mè nkèba ndik love
Mè nkèba love
One love ah
Me nkéba love
One love ah
____________
He abandoned me on the road,
Ignoring that we were together
One Love
He abandoned me on the road,
Forgetting my presence
One love
One love
In the waste bins that I frisk
I stir the mud
I look for Love
One love
I look for Love
I look for it but it passed really nearby
I go in circules, looking for it
but it passed really nearby
I look for Love
One love
Limping, I go forward, staggering to find it
I tattooed it on my arm
Tattooed love
One love
Tattooed love
hiiiiiiiii
On the road he abandoned me
Ignoring that we were together
One love
I look for love
Mama /benguè ni ki inouni
I ntera ni bon bé
Benguè bo ki/ Ba Nyoung matam
Mama/benguè ki singa
I gnounouss ni bon bé
Avenir i yénè boń
Mama/Mama
Mama/ avenir yene boń
Mama
Benguè ni ki nyadom
A Tera ni balal bé
Benguè ni ki /a neńés bö
Mama hey
Benguè ni nyadom
A holoss ni balal bé
Avenir yé le bo
Mama/ mama
Mama avenir yé le bo
Benguè ni ki ou té
To pèlè ou béna bé
Mama kalack mè hé
Mbora yoñ ou bi tcho yo
Hanga i bi yin i touyè
Litam libi noum jotam
Mama
Benguè ni ki minloñ
Mi takbene lipan
Benguè mo ki mi neñés bikaï
Mama hey
Ou bi lep me mi mboga
Ou bi tcho ni mè manguè
Avenir yon bi wo
Mama/ mama
Mama/ avenir yon ou nol
____________
Mom, look how the bird takes care of his kids,
And look how the cat looks after his,
yes because the children are the future,
So if you abandon yours, you kill at the same
time your own future.
Ndjè yem he
Aga lémblè ni ki me kwem
Nsañè a sañ yani
Ndje yem he
Aga noublè ki me mboñ
Kwem a sañ yani
Ndje yem he
Ndje yem hehe
Ndjè yem hé
Aga heba ki mè ndjel
Ngueda ma kwo ndim
Ndje yem he
A ga kene ni ki me nguén
Ngueda ma kwo mbouk
Ndje yé he
Ndje yem he
Ba bi kena ni
Bonguè he bi tissoñ
Ba bi kolol ni hi
Mambaï hé ni mi nkań
Ndje yem he
Ndjè yem hee
Ndje yem he
A ga bomlè ki mè macabo
Ni mbongo tchobi
__________
The elder ones abandon our villages.
Who will supply my vegetables tomorrow?
By whom will the tales be told when I become a stammerer?
Who will guide my pace when age starts to make me lose my sight?
They are all gone to the cities, abandoning their own villages.
The city swallowed our heritage for good.
Mbaï ibé i yéñi
Soñ i bé i soli binan
Moût à ta bé nyo
Kèmbè i tiñi
Mounou i kéré koumba
Moût à ta bé nyo
Souglou i yéñi
Malét a niñi litom li ndap
Moût à tabé nyo
Mbaï ibé i béni
Tisson bi djè yo boñ
Moût à tabé nyo
refrain:
Mbaï moût à tabé nyo
Mbaï moût a Tabe nyo
Mbombo a yéñi
Sogol a boñi likass
Moût à tabé nyo
Tisson i yoni
Basso Ba kori nyo
Moût à tabé mbaï
Souglou i yéñi
Malét a niñi litom li ndap
Moût à tabé nyo
Mbaï ibé i béni
Tisson bi djè nyè boñ
Moût à tabé nyo
Refrain
Benguè ,moût a tabé nyo
Mbaï,moût à tabé nyo
Mbaï,mout a tabé nyo
Mbaï,mout a tabé nyo
____________
The moon hides herself under the pile of
garbage in the yard of the abandoned village,
The goat hangs around in the living room,
there was nobody anymore.
The teacher in a corner sleeping, grand father
was sitting from afar, all alone because they
had abandoned the village.
Ndjèl ou nkoss
Iyé ndjèl i nom
Inloñ ou mbongol
Won waga nom....heee
Malep ou nyo
Moñ ma nti wè niñ
Malep ou nogob
Moñ ma poubous wè. Ehh
Eh eh hé hé
Eh eh hé hé
Eh eh hehe
Eh eh hehe
Bidjeck ou ndjè
Gwoñ bi nti Wè niñ
Bidjeck ou ndjè
Bi la ti makon ohh
Djon benguè ni longuè
Higui wom ou mboñ
Bonguè Di neñess
Di lama bonglè bo ndjèl ooo
Heheh hehehe
Hehehe hehehe
____________
The path that you keep, is the one which lasts
the longest,
The water that we drink, gives us life
this same water purifies us as well.
What we consume can help us to live,
but can kill us as well,
each action has a consequence, let’s meditate
before doing.
Executive production by Laurent Bizot & Thibaut Mullings
Art Work: Neals Niat
Design: Element-S
Produced By Blick Bassy
Recorded by Florian Monchâtre at Studio Soyuz, Paris
Mixed by Florian Monchâtre in June 2014 at Studio Soyuz
Mastered by Benjamin Joubert at Studio Translab
Blick Bassy - guitar, vocals
Clément Petit - cello, banjo
Fidel Fourneyron - trombone
Nicolas Repac - Samples in Wap do Wap and One Love
Olivier Ker Ourio – Harmonica in Aké
All songs written & composed by Blick Bassy
Kiki, Aké et Wap do Wap arranged by Clément Petit
All songs published by Nø Førmat!
Written and sung by Blick Bassy - in Bassa, one of some 260 spoken languages in Cameroon - and accompanied by a unique ensemble of guitar, banjo, cello and trombone - Akö’s eleven sparklingly original tracks are a musical revelation. Remarkable then, to consider that these are recordings that were never intended for release. Bassy’s original idea was to get together with the cellist Clément Petit and trombonist Fidel Fourneyron (¿Que Vola?) to record a few songs in homage to his longtime hero Skip James. By chance, the studio they hired was directly below the offices of Nø Førmat!, the innovative French label run by Laurent Bizot, who happened to hear the results of this unlikely yet inspired musical alchemy. As Laurent relates, “when I heard the first song Aké, I was stunned. It sounded like a dream, so light, a voice floating in the sky. Production was minimal but bold and the music had a feel not often heard with African songwriters. They had taken risks they probably wouldn’t have done if the music was meant for release. The lack of budget, the time restraints and the restriction to three musicians has conjured something entirely unique and very fresh. Exactly what I like!”
Encouraged by Bizot to record more, the three musicians emerged from the seven-day session with the makings of an album that amounts to the most personal of Bassy’s career. As with the rasping trombone that evokes the familiar whistle of a transcontinental train on Kiki, this album speaks of Bassy’s separation from and connection with home. Sung in Bassa, a language and tradition that he has long championed, Bassy sings of the village he grew up in rural Cameroon - drawing connections between the itinerant musicians of his childhood with journeyman blues legend Skip James. While the influence of the Malian folk of Ali Farka Toure can be detected on Tell Me and Mama, and the complex melodic patterns betray his Cameroonian roots throughout, this is an album that makes subtle references to a musical palette that ranges from the Gypsy Swing flavours of Wap Do Wap to the sparse and haunting singer songwriter classic in the making Ndjèl.
