Benin has played an important role in the African music scene, producing one of the biggest stars to come out of the continent in Angélique Kidjo. Post-independence, the country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk music combined with Ghanaian highlife, French cabaret, American rock, funk and soul, and Congolese rumba. Ignacio Blazio Osho was perhaps the most influential musician of this period, alongside Pedro Gnonnas y sus Panchos, Les Volcans de la Capitale and Picoby Band d'Abomey. Pedro produced the song Feso Jaiye[1], which became a hit and was performed by many bands at the 2nd All-Africa Games in 1973.
In 1972, however, the Kérékou government came to power and instituted curfews and other measures that inhibited musical expression.
After Kérékou, the first musician to become a star was Nel Oliver, who debuted in France in 1976. His distinctive style took elements from all over Africa and the United States to create "Afro-akpala-funk". The last few decades of the 20th century saw numerous other developments, including the rise of reggae (brought from Jamaica by Yaya Yaovi) and hip hop (most popularized by Ardiess Posse), as well as a new wave of musicians, including Cella Stella, Africando, Ambroise Coffi Akoha, Bluecky d'Almeida and Angélique Kidjo.
Kérékou encouraged indigenous folk music. Some musicians, like Tohon Stan, adapted folk styles for mainstream audiences at home and abroad, including tchinkoumé, a funeral music played using water percussion which was adapted into tchink-system music.
The Gangbe brass band is an internationally-prominent Beninese ensemble.
Despite their relative obscurity outside of Benin, The “Tout Puissant” Orchestre Poly-Rythmo are still a household name in Cotonou and were one of the most prolific groups to ever exist in Africa with over 50 full-length LPs and hundreds of 45s. Le Tout Puissant Poly Rythmo got their start in 1967 in Professor Wallace Creppy’s group, Sunny Black.
Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke is one of the most important young musicians in jazz, successfully fusing African influences with modern jazz. Loueke currently lives in New York and is a member of Herbie Hancock's band.
Bahia
Angélique Kidjo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aburo, ibi kan ni wao, kamura si ifè
Ouidah ni ilé ti bahia
Ti émin mon wa, ri yin lénin o
Bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia
Ilé ti babawa djinan, awa fè lolé
Bahia ilou ti awa lenin, okpè gan si ilé
Ogun ti awon agbalagba, shé kalè foun wa o
Logbé wa lo si bahia, gbé gbogbowa kpo
Bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia
Odjo ikadé wa m'bowa o, ti ale rira wa
Ewa ka moura foun odjo yin, ninou oyaya
Oluwa foun wa ni ayé, edjè ka du kpè
Bahia kpa gbogbowa kpo, iréti wa lonan
Aburo, orè ni gbogbowa, ewa ka lolé
Aburo, ibi kan ni wao, kamura si ifè
Ouidah ni ilé ti bahia
Ti émin mon wa, ri yin lénin o
Oré ifé ayé ilé, oré ifé ayé ilé...
Aburo, orè ni gbogbowa, ewa ka lolé
Aburo, ibi kan ni wao, kamura si ifè
Ouidah ni ilé ti bahia
Ti émin mon wa, ri yin lénin o
Oré ifé ayé ilé, oré ifé ayé ilé...
Bahia is so far from Motherland
But the spirit is still alive
One day we'll come together
I want to cross that bridge
It leads from Ouidah to Bahia
The song Bahia by Angélique Kidjo is a celebration of a cultural exchange between two places that are distant yet connected in significant ways. Bahia, Brazil, and Ouidah, Benin, are the places that Kidjo sings about in this song, and through her lyrics, we are given a glimpse of their shared history and the resulting cultural traditions that have been passed down through the generations.
The chorus of the song is a repetition of the word Bahia, which means "bay" in Portuguese, and it is used to refer to the coastal state in Brazil. Kidjo sings of the "Ilé ti bahia," which means "the land of Bahia," and how it is a place where the spirit of Africa is still present. She tells us that Bahia is far from the Motherland, but the spirit that connects the two places is still alive.
The verses of the song talk about the significance of Ouidah, Benin, a place where many people were taken from as slaves and transported to Bahia. Kidjo sings about the cultural exchange that took place as a result of this connection, and how the people of Bahia were able to keep alive certain traditions that they had brought with them from their homeland. The song is a celebration of this connection, and a testament to how even though distance and time may separate us, cultural bonds can still keep us connected.
Line by Line Meaning
Aburo, orè ni gbogbowa, ewa ka lolé
My sibling, the world is in turmoil, and tears are all around
Aburo, ibi kan ni wao, kamura si ifè
My sibling, there's only one place where love abounds
Ouidah ni ilé ti bahia
Ouidah is the home that links us to Bahia
Ti émin mon wa, ri yin lénin o
When our eyes meet, we'll laugh again
Bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia, bahia
Repeated emphasis on the name Bahia
Ilé ti babawa djinan, awa fè lolé
The land of our ancestors, where we feel alive
Bahia ilou ti awa lenin, okpè gan si ilé
Bahia is the dream we're living, it's like going home
Ogun ti awon agbalagba, shé kalè foun wa o
The elders' prayer keeps us standing firm
Logbé wa lo si bahia, gbé gbogbowa kpo
Taking the road to Bahia and carrying our love
Odjo ikadé wa m'bowa o, ti ale rira wa
Come meet us by the river, where freedom flows
Ewa ka moura foun odjo yin, ninou oyaya
Love will speak for you, listen to its rhythm
Oluwa foun wa ni ayé, edjè ka du kpè
The Lord is with us here, let's celebrate in style
Bahia kpa gbogbowa kpo, iréti wa lonan
Bahia brings our love together, our future is bright
Oré ifé ayé ilé, oré ifé ayé ilé...
My sibling, love is the foundation of life
Aburo, orè ni gbogbowa, ewa ka lolé
My sibling, the world is in turmoil, and tears are all around
Aburo, ibi kan ni wao, kamura si ifè
My sibling, there's only one place where love abounds
Ouidah ni ilé ti bahia
Ouidah is the home that links us to Bahia
Ti émin mon wa, ri yin lénin o
When our eyes meet, we'll laugh again
Oré ifé ayé ilé, oré ifé ayé ilé...
My sibling, love is the foundation of life
Contributed by Layla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kwame Atoapoma Oteanankanduro
on Summertime
Awesome! Haa, I want the lyrics in the language she sang in.