The son of a successful jeweler, Lô was born in Bobo-Dioulasso, a small village near Senegal's border with Mali. He grew up speaking Bambara, Wolof, and French. As a youngster, he became fascinated with music and taught himself to play drums and guitar. In 1976, he accepted an invitation to join a local group, Orchestra Volta Jazz, as a percussionist. He remained with the band until moving to the capital city of Dakar in 1980.
Lô quickly became involved with the music scene of Dakar. After a three-year stint as drummer for progressive vocalist Ouza, he joined the house band at the Hotel Savana in 1984. Although he performed with the group for a little over a year, the experience exposed him to a global range of pop influences.
Emigrating to France in 1985, Lô found work as a session drummer in Paris. Soon afterward, he purchased his first guitar and began writing songs. Although he formed a band with Ivoirean and French musicians and began working on an album in 1987, the group separated before its completion. Lô's debut solo album, Doxandeme (Immigrants), was released as a cassette in 1990. Despite receiving a Nouveau Talent award, the album fell short of Lô's artistic expectations. Although he began working on a second album, he became disenchanted and canceled the project. For the next four years, he maintained a low profile.
In 1995, Lô convinced Youssou N'Dour, whom he met in 1989 while playing on an album by traditional Wolof griot singer N'diaga M'baye, to produce an album for him. The resulting album, Ne La Thiass, was released on N'Dour's label, Jololi, shortly before Lô joined the multi-artist Jololi Revue tour in November 1996. Lô continued to promote the album during a European tour with his own eight-piece band, N'Diguel, in April 1997. The same year, Lô received Best Newcomer and Kora All-American awards in South Africa. Lô continued to expand his following to the United States as a featured performer with Africa Fete in 1998. The following year, he received the Ordre National de Merite de Leon from the president of Senegal. In 2000, he returned to recording with the release of Bambay Gueej. The title means "bamba, ocean of peace," and was co-produced by Nick Gold and Youssou N'Dour. Lamp Fall appeared in 2006 from Nonesuch Records. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
Né La Thiass
Cheikh Lô Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mbaa nga nekk sa tool di waaj a jëmbat,
Yaakaar de la'y feese; ba nga fatte ne daal ne dogal du lu'y jaas.
Man na la fekk ci bérab, ne la càs!
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs; jëmale daal fu ko neex...
Boo nekkee ci biir Ndakaaru Njaay,
Mbaa mu fekk la yaw Kawlax Nangaan,
Yaakaar de la'y feese; ba nga fatte ne daal ne dogal du lu'y jaas.
Man na la fekk ci bérab, ne la càs!
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs; jëmale daal fu ko neex...
Àdduna toogul, ni dex bu'y bawal la.
Li coow li bàri bàri, lu mu bàri,
Selew ne ko ndix wann; jëmale daal fu ko neex...
Ngala waay, bu la coono jàpp,
Ba tàx nga jàpp lool,
Ndax dooley fas u naar u góor, taar u jongoma; dara du fi des!
Ngala waay, bu la coono jàpp,
Ba tàx nga jàpp lool,
Ndax dooley fas u naar u góor, àlal gu ne gàññ; dara du fi des!
Àdduna toogul, ni dex bu'y bawal la.
Li coow li bàri bàri, lu mu bàri,
Selew ne ko ndix wann; jëmale daal fu ko neex...
Ngala waay, bu la coono jàpp,
Ba tàx nga jàpp lool
Ndax dooley fas u naar u góor, taar u jongoma; dara du fi des!
Ngala waay, bu la coono jàpp,
Ba tàx nga jàpp lool,
Ndax dooley fas u naar u góor, àlal gu ne gàññ; dara du fi des!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Bawul dara!
Bawul dara!
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs!
Ne la càs!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Bawul dara!
Bawul dara!
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs!
Ne la càs!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Bawul dara!
Bawul dara!
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
Ne la càs!
Ne la càs!
The lyrics of Cheikh Lô's song Né La Thiass express a call for unity and a critique of societal hierarchy. The first verse speaks to the idea that everyone has a role to play in society, regardless of their social status. The artist stresses that one should not be afraid to speak up and share their thoughts because everyone's contributions are important. The following verses continue with the theme of societal imbalance, addressing different issues such as the economic disparity between Dakar and other regions, the challenges faced by rural communities, and the need for solidarity and communication.
The refrain "ne la càs" is repeated throughout the song, which can be interpreted as a call to action or a challenge to those in power to understand and address the problems in society. The song ends with the repeated phrase "yàgg yàgg bawul dara," which can be translated as "we will all arrive someday," suggesting hope for a better future achieved through collective efforts.
Line by Line Meaning
Boo nekkee sa tool di waaj a ji, yaw,
Come, let me show you something, my friend / I'll show you something special
Mbaa nga nekk sa tool di waaj a jëmbat,
If you could see it with your own eyes / You'll be amazed
Yaakaar de la'y feese; ba nga fatte ne daal ne dogal du lu'y jaas.
This is the power of culture; it brings people together / We should respect our traditions and keep our identity
Man na la fekk ci bérab, ne la càs!
I have seen it with my own eyes, it's a fact!
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs; jëmale daal fu ko neex...
It's a fact, it's a fact, it's a fact; there's no denying it...
Boo nekkee ci biir Ndakaaru Njaay,
Come, let me take you to Dakar's old town
Mbaa mu fekk la yaw Kawlax Nangaan,
If you could feel what I feel in my heart
Àdduna toogul, ni dex bu'y bawal la.
This world is moving fast, and we should not forget to look back
Li coow li bàri bàri, lu mu bàri,
From the past to the present, we are all still the same
Selew ne ko ndix wann; jëmale daal fu ko neex...
Let's not lose our values, there's no denying it...
Ngala waay, bu la coono jàpp,
Listen my friend, don't be ignorant
Ba tàx nga jàpp lool,
Don't talk nonsense
Ndax dooley fas u naar u góor, taar u jongoma; dara du fi des!
We may have different colors, but we dance the same; let's love each other!
Ndax dooley fas u naar u góor, àlal gu ne gàññ; dara du fi des!
We may have different colors, but we are all brothers; let's love each other!
Yàgg yàgg bawul dara!
Slowly but surely!
Bawul dara!
Slowly but surely!
Ne la càs, ne la càs, ne la càs.
It's a fact, it's a fact, it's a fact.
Ne la càs!
It's a fact!
Writer(s): Oumar Sow, Mamadou Lo, Assane Sylla
Contributed by Blake P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marta
on Sankara
Hola, que preciosa canción. Gracias por compartir esta información. Me encantaría tener las letras para poder cantarla. He buscado por internet pero no he encontrado nada