The duo produces music that mixes traditional Mali sound with rock guitars, Syrian violins, Cuban trumpets, Egyptian ney, Colombian trombones, Indian tablas and Dogon percussion. All these elements put together have been referred to as "Afro-blues".
In 2004 they put out an acclaimed album produced by Manu Chao.
In 2006 they were acknowledged with BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in the two categories: Africa and Album of the Year (for the "Dimanche à Bamako" release).
www.amadou-mariam.com
Dougou Badia
Amadou & Mariam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jamayo aounaledé aounana mogo gnènadièdela
Ko assidya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyè
Ali gningoya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyè
Mogo korofo djougou dabila obèna ni jayanamadondeyè
Sambarani tiguiyou magnidé oloutayé mogobilagnongonna
Nikèra mogofè kaban kanou ka manamanakan djaté
Nikèra mogofè kaban ikanou ka kèrèfè kouna lame
Niné kèra mogofè kaban woua netina djougoro kouma djaté
Jarnayo anka gnongon soutoura
Aou kanané miné mogo kandema
Ko assidiya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyé
Ali gningoya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyéé
Mogo korofo djougou dabila obènani jayanamadondeyé
Sambarani tiguiyou magnidê olou tayé mogobilagnongona
Nikèra mogofè kaban kanou ka manamanakan djaté
Nikèra mogofè ikanou ka kèrèfè kouma lamè
Niné kèra mogofù kaban woua netina djougoro kouma djaté
Jamayo anka gnongon soutoura
Aou kana né minè mogo kandema
Neko musicien koulou kafodé oloutayé dougoubadia deyè
Aouyé artiste koulou bognadé aountayé mogo gnènadièdeyé
Jamayo mariam naledé ana ka bagayokokè nanaaa allah
Neko musicien koulou kafodé oloutayé dougouba dia deyé
Ayé artiste koulou bognodé aountayé mogo gnènadièdeyé
Jamayo mariam. naledé anaka bagayokokè nanaaa allah
Jamayo aounaledé aounana dougoubadiadela
Jamayo aounaledé aounana mogo gnènadièdela
Jamayo aounaledé aounana barola diadelaaa
The song "Dougou Badia" by Amadou & Mariam is a West African pop tune with lyrics sung in Bambara, a language spoken in Mali. The song begins with the repetition of the phrase, "Jamayo aounnaledé aounana dougouba diadela, Jamayo aounaledé aounana mogo gnènadièdela," which translates to "My friend, this is Dougou city, my friend, where we need to work hard." Instantly we are transported to the bustling city, where people are working hard to make ends meet. The song goes on to talk about the struggles of life in the city, from not having enough money to the difficulty of finding work. The lyrics also mention a musician and an artist who are struggling but still persevering.
The chorus repeats the phrase, "Ko assidya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyè, Ali gningoya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyè, Mogo korofo djougou dabila obèna ni jayanamadondeyè," which roughly translates to "Even though we work hard, we still don't have anything, Even though we work hard, we still don't have anything, The one who is lazy will have nothing, the one who works hard will obtain his/her goals." This is a message of hope that emphasizes the importance of hard work and determination, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Jamayo aounnaledé aounana dougouba diadela
We sing and dance for our beloved homeland Dougouba
Jamayo aounaledé aounana mogo gnènadièdela
We sing and dance for the people, our fellow citizens
Ko assidya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyè
When there's work to be done, we come together and help one another
Ali gningoya djougou magnidé obèna ni mogo magossadeyè
No one is left behind, we all work and help each other
Mogo korofo djougou dabila obèna ni jayanamadondeyè
The young and old work together as a community, without any discrimination or barriers
Sambarani tiguiyou magnidé oloutayé mogobilagnongonna
We come together to celebrate our culture and traditions
Nikèra mogofè kaban kanou ka manamanakan djaté
We honor our ancestors and their legacy
Nikèra mogofè kaban ikanou ka kèrèfè kouna lame
We embrace our shared history and learn from it
Niné kèra mogofè kaban woua netina djougoro kouma djaté
We pass down our cultural heritage to the next generation
Jarnayo anka gnongon soutoura
Let's dance and enjoy ourselves
Aou kanané miné mogo kandema
Let's come together and celebrate as one
Neko musicien koulou kafodé oloutayé dougoubadia deyè
Musicians play their instruments to bring joy and happiness to the people of Dougouba
Aouyé artiste koulou bognadé aountayé mogo gnènadièdeyé
Artists share their talents and creativity to inspire and unite the community
Jamayo mariam naledé ana ka bagayokokè nanaaa allah
We thank God for the blessings and beauty of our culture and community
Jamayo aounaledé aounana barola diadelaaa
We sing and dance with passion and joy
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: MARIAM DOUMBIA, MARC-ANTOINE MOREAU, SANTI WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind