rbnlive
Kora bɛ kuma,
kalabasi bɛ jaabi…
Ne dusu bɛ i wele.
[FEMALE RESPONSE]
Mariam…
Ne kanu…
Mariam…
Ne dusu…
[MALE LEAD – SPOKEN SOFTLY]
Nin dɔnkili bɛ i ye, Mariam.
N b’i fɛ…
N b’i fɛ kosɛbɛ.
[VERSE 1 – WARM MALE LEAD]
Don min n ye i ɲɛda ye,
ne dusu ye hɛrɛ sɔrɔ.
I yeli kɛra ne ma,
diɲɛ bɛɛ lɔra o yɔrɔ.
I kumakan ka di ne tulo la,
i dusu ka di, i hakili ka ɲi.
Ni i ka surun ne na, Mariam,
ne dusu bɛ dɔnkili da.
I ɲɛw bɛ i n’a fɔ lolow ye,
i yeli bɛ ne ka su yeelen.
Kabini i nana ne ka ɲɛnamaya la,
ne ma kɛ ne kelen ye tuguni.
[PRE-CHORUS – FEMALE HARMONIES]
N ye kalo ni lolow ɲininka:
“Waati jumɛn kanu bɛ na?”
I nana, n y’a faamu:
Kanu y’i ci ne ma.
[CHORUS – FULL KORA AND CALABASH GROOVE]
Mariam, Mariam, n b’i fɛ,
i ye ne ka kalo ni ne ka tile ye.
Mariam, Mariam, minɛ ne bolo,
an ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ fo abada.
Ni sɔgɔma bɛ na, ni su bɛ tɛmɛ,
n b’i fɛ ninsɔn ni kasi waati.
Mariam, la ne ka kuma la:
Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye tuma bɛɛ.
[FEMALE RESPONSE]
Mariam, ne kanu!
[CHOIR]
N b’i fɛ!
[FEMALE RESPONSE]
Mariam, ne dusu!
[CHOIR]
Fo abada!
[VERSE 2 – KORA ARPEGGIOS AND TAMANI RESPONSES]
I ɲɛw bɛ i n’a fɔ sɔgɔmada yeelen,
i ka kanu bɛ ne girinya bɔ.
Ni sanji bɛ na, ni sankolo bɛ fin,
i yeli bɛ jira ne ka sira la.
N mako tɛ wari la,
n mako tɛ sanu la.
I bolo minɛli dɔrɔn
ka fisa ne ma ni nafolo bɛɛ ye.
Fɛn si tɛ baji jukɔrɔ,
fɛn si tɛ dugukolo kan,
min ka di ne ma ni i ye,
Mariam, ne ka muso ɲuman.
Ni sira ka jan, an bɛ taama.
Ni waati ka gɛlɛn, an bɛ sabali.
Ni i bɛ ne fɛ, n tɛ siran,
barika i bɛ ne dusu la.
[PRE-CHORUS]
Kanu tɛ wari san,
kanu tɛ sanu san.
Kanu bɛ bɔ dusu kɔnɔ,
ka dusu fila kɛ kelen ye.
[CHORUS – STRONGER MALE AND FEMALE VOCALS]
Mariam, Mariam, n b’i fɛ,
i ye ne ka kalo ni ne ka tile ye.
Mariam, Mariam, minɛ ne bolo,
an ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ fo abada.
Ni sɔgɔma bɛ na, ni su bɛ tɛmɛ,
n b’i fɛ ninsɔn ni kasi waati.
Mariam, la ne ka kuma la:
Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye tuma bɛɛ.
[INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE – SENEGAMBIAN–MALIAN KORA DIALOGUE]
[First kora plays a flowing Malian Manding pattern]
[Second kora answers with a bright Senegambian phrase]
[Calabash establishes a warm rolling pulse]
[Ngoni and balafon enter gently]
[FEMALE VOCALISATION]
Aah-yaa… Mariam…
Aah-yaa… ne kanu…
Eh-eh, Mariam…
N b’i fɛ…
[CALL AND RESPONSE]
[MALE LEAD]
Jɔn ye ne ka kanu ye?
[FEMALE CHOIR]
Mariam!
[MALE LEAD]
Jɔn ye ne ka hɛrɛ ye?
[FEMALE CHOIR]
Mariam!
[MALE LEAD]
Jɔn bɛ ne dusu kɔnɔ?
[FULL CHOIR]
Mariam, fo abada!
[BRIDGE – INTIMATE VOCAL OVER SOLO KORA]
Ni kanu tun ye dɔnkili ye,
i de tun bɛ kɛ ne ka dɔnkili ye.
Ni kanu tun ye baji ye,
n tun bɛ ji bɛɛ tigɛ ka se i ma.
Diɲɛ bɛɛ k’a mɛn bi:
N y’i sugandi bi ani sini.
Don o don, san o san,
Mariam, i de ye ne kelen ye.
N tɛ ɲina i kɔ,
n tɛ i bila sira kan.
Fo ne ka ɲɛnamaya laban,
ne dusu bɛ i ta ye.
[FEMALE RESPONSE]
Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye…
[MALE LEAD]
Mariam, n b’i fɛ fo abada!
[FINAL CHORUS – FULL COMMUNITY CHOIR]
Mariam, Mariam, n b’i fɛ,
i ye ne ka kalo ni ne ka tile ye.
Mariam, Mariam, minɛ ne bolo,
an ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ fo abada.
Ni sɔgɔma bɛ na, ni su bɛ tɛmɛ,
n b’i fɛ ninsɔn ni kasi waati.
Mariam, la ne ka kuma la:
Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye tuma bɛɛ.
[CHOIR]
Mariam, ne kanu!
N b’i fɛ!
Mariam, ne dusu!
N tɛ i bila!
Bi ani sini!
Fo abada!
Mariam, Mariam!
I de ye ne kelen ye!
[DANCE FINALE – KORA, CALABASH, BALAFON AND HANDCLAPS]
[MALE LEAD]
An ka taa!
[CHOIR]
An ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ!
[MALE LEAD]
An ka kanu!
[CHOIR]
An ka kanu fo abada!
[MALE LEAD]
Mariam!
[CHOIR]
Ne kanu!
[MALE LEAD]
Mariam!
[CHOIR]
Ne dusu!
[ALL]
N b’i fɛ, Mariam!
Fo abada!
[OUTRO – SOLO KORA AND FADING CALABASH]
Mariam…
Ne kanu…
Bi, sini,
ani waati bɛɛ…
N b’i fɛ, Mariam.
MARIAM, N B’I FƐ
