Martelly has served as President of Haiti after winning the presidential election in 2011 until February 7, 2016. He now lives the life he did pre-presidency and still performs music here and there. He also enjoys spending time with his four children and his wife.
Martelly is more popularly and affectionately known as "Sweet Micky," a moniker sometimes used interchangeably to refer to himself as well as his band (with original members, guitar player Alex Tropnas and bass player Welton Desire).
Michel Martelly has been heralded as a pioneer of a unique brand of konpa music, a style of Haitian dance music sung in the Haitian Creole language. Originally, konpa was a fusion of Afro-Latin jazz and African/Haitian folkloric rhythms and was traditionally played by large bands composed of numerous group members and instrument sections. Martelly, a keyboardist and the self-proclaimed "bad boy" President of Compas, popularized a "nouvelle generation", or "new generation" style, of smaller bands with few members that relied predominantly on synthesizers and electronic instruments to reproduce a fuller sound. Martelly's and Sweet Micky's live performances and recordings are sometimes laced with obscenities and humorous sociopolitical commentary by Martelly. Outlandish and outspoken, Martelly has been known to drink publicly while performing in wigs, costumes, diapers, and Scottish kilts, and occasionally removed his own attire while performing. While arguably the most recognized and applauded musician and public personality in Haïti, Martelly's performance style has sometimes ignited controversy throughout the Haitian diaspora.
Pa manyen fanm nan
Michel Martelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nan troubadour nou jwen la vi
Se la n pran feeling
Yon jou Dimanche nan laprè midi
Desten fè de moun kontre
Yo deside pou yal fè on ti danser
A pèn serenade la te frape
Jen jan ki te la te bezwen ploge
Li pran fanm lan pou l al peze
Pa manyenn fanm nan konsa
Desten poko janm di w sa
Ou pa gen dwa pou w manyen l konsa
Pa manyin fanm nan konsa
Keke se on nèg ki jalou
Lè l wè dam li li ka, li ka fou
Kote w ye la
Woy apèn serenade la te frape
Jen jan te bezwen ploger
Li pran fanm lan pou lal peze l
Se alorske manmzel menm kanpe
Pou l eseye explike
Ke l pa doue manyen l san l pa koutize
Pa manyen fanm nan konsa
Piga manyen piga manyen baby a
Piga manyen piga manyen cherie a
Pa manyen fanm nan konsa
O piga touche piga manyen baby a
Piga manyen
Kite l mache
La vie a long li long li long li long li long
Pa gen tan pou ale al kite la
Sa fèm mal
Gen lè m anvi crier
Gen lè m anvi rele
Bagay sa trop pou mwen nan la vie
Misie bezwen loue kay
Li kanpe pou l wè sa mwen pral di l
O wi m original
Mwen se on bagay sa se on bagay kap fèt nomal
Sa pa intention se on bagay ki distraction so so so
Black Alex la so li so
Eh eh Black Alex la so so
M rentrer anndan kay on
Madanm m di m l se levangil
Bouteille tafia m nan men m
Mwen tap bwe anpil tafia
Madanm nan sot legliz
L ranter nan kay la l jwenn mwen kanpe
Li di m mesie m pa bezwen neg konsa kap boue kleren
Mwen di m se Black Alex
Madam nan di m kanpe la
Li di m monche ou pral chante
Lova lova w Jezi lova lova w
Chak matin m leveke m toujou ale legliz
E le m rive legliz
Ke m prier pou tout moun
Pou tout sa kap soufri
Menm pou tout sa k nan lopital
Depi m te tou pitit
Ke m remèt Jezi la foi m
Siw wè kanpe jodia
Map chante pou letènèl
Sal ye se ke m santi Jezi antre nan mwen
Woy apèn serenade la te frape
Jen jan te bezwen ploger
Li pran fanm lan pou lal peze l
Se alorske manmzel menm kanpe
Pou l esaye explike
Ke l pa gen dwa pou'l karese'l konsa
The song "Pa Manyen Fanm Nan" by Michel Martelly is about respecting women and not touching them without their consent. The first few lines describe the suffering that Haiti is going through, but then the song shifts to a story about a Sunday afternoon when a group of people decide to dance. One man tries to touch a woman without her permission, but she confronts him and tells him that he doesn't have the right to touch her that way.
The chorus repeats the message of not touching women without their consent, emphasizing that it's not okay for anyone to be jealous and act possessively in a relationship. Towards the end of the song, the lyrics talk about the importance of faith and praying for those who are suffering, and how having Jesus in one's life can bring inner peace.
Overall, the song is a reminder to respect women's boundaries and to not be possessive or controlling in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Haiti peyo kap soufri
Haiti is suffering and in pain.
Nan troubadour nou jwen la vi
At the Troubadour, we find life.
Se la n pran feeling
This is where we catch the vibe.
Yon jou Dimanche nan laprè midi
One day, Sunday afternoon.
Desten fè de moun kontre
Destiny makes people cross paths.
Yo deside pou yal fè on ti danser
They decided to do a little dance.
A pèn serenade la te frape
The barely-serenade struck.
Jen jan ki te la te bezwen ploge
The kind that was there needed to dive in.
Li pran fanm lan pou l al peze
He took the woman to go dance.
Pa manyenn fanm nan konsa
Don't touch women like that.
Desten poko janm di w sa
Destiny will never tell you that.
Ou pa gen dwa pou w manyen l konsa
You do not have the right to touch her like that.
Keke se on nèg ki jalou
Keke is a man who is jealous.
Lè l wè dam li li ka, li ka fou
When he sees his woman, he can go crazy.
Kote w ye la
Where are you?
Woy apèn serenade la te frape
The barely-serenade struck again.
Jen jan te bezwen ploger
The kind that needed to dive in again.
Li pran fanm lan pou lal peze l
He took the woman to dance again.
Se alorske manmzel menm kanpe
That's when the lady stood up.
Pou l eseye explike
To try to explain.
Ke l pa doue manyen l san l pa koutize
That he should not touch her without her consent.
Piga manyenn fanm nan konsa
Do not touch women like that.
Piga manyen piga manyen baby a
Do not touch, do not touch the baby.
Piga manyen piga manyen cherie a
Do not touch, do not touch your darling.
O piga touche piga manyen baby a
Do not touch, do not touch the baby.
Kite l mache
Let them go.
La vie a long li long li long li long li long
Life is long, so long, so long, so long.
Pa gen tan pou ale al kite la
There is no time to go and leave it behind.
Sa fèm mal
That hurts me.
Gen lè m anvi crier
Sometimes I want to scream.
Gen lè m anvi rele
Sometimes I want to call out.
Bagay sa trop pou mwen nan la vie
This thing is too much for me in life.
Misie bezwen loue kay
He needs to rent a house.
Li kanpe pou l wè sa mwen pral di l
He stood up to hear what I will tell him.
O wi m original
Oh yes, I'm original.
Mwen se on bagay sa se on bagay kap fèt nomal
I am something that is normal.
Sa pa intention se on bagay ki distraction so so so
That wasn't intentional, it's just a distraction.
Black Alex la so li so
Black Alex is hot, he is.
Eh eh Black Alex la so so
Eh eh, Black Alex is hot.
M rentrer anndan kay on
I enter someone's house.
Madanm m di m l se levangil
My wife tells me that she is an evangelist.
Bouteille tafia m nan men m
A bottle of moonshine is in my hand.
Mwen tap bwe anpil tafia
I used to drink a lot of moonshine.
Madanm nan sot legliz
My wife goes to church.
L ranter nan kay la l jwenn mwen kanpe
She went into the house and found me standing there.
Li di m mesie m pa bezwen neg konsa kap boue kleren
She tells me that she doesn't need a man like that to make moonshine.
Mwen di m se Black Alex
I tell her I am Black Alex.
Madam nan di m kanpe la
My wife tells me to stand there.
Li di m monche ou pral chante
She tells me, my darling, you will sing.
Lova lova w Jezi lova lova w
Love, love you Jesus love, love you.
Chak matin m leveke m toujou ale legliz
Every morning I wake up and always go to church.
E le m rive legliz
And when I arrive at church.
Ke m prier pou tout moun
That I pray for everyone.
Pou tout sa kap soufri
For all those who are suffering.
Menm pou tout sa k nan lopital
Even for those in the hospital.
Depi m te tou pitit
Since I was a child.
Ke m remèt Jezi la foi m
That I put my faith in Jesus.
Siw wè kanpe jodia
If you see me standing today.
Map chante pou letènèl
I am singing for eternity.
Sal ye se ke m santi Jezi antre nan mwen
This room is what I feel Jesus entering me.
Writer(s): amandio cabral, michel martelly
Contributed by Aubrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.