Aṣa (pronounced Aasha) means "little hawk". She was born in Paris to Nigerian parents, but after two years she moved with her parents to Nigeria and grew up in the capital of Lagos. Her music is thus linked to her time in Western Africa. Asa grew up under the influence of her father's record collection, which included legendary artists such as Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Aretha Franklin.
At the age of twelve years, her mother gave her the opportunity to attend one of the best music schools in the country. Aṣa not only developed her voice and her technique, over time she also discovered more about the musicians who fascinated her. When she came home, she discovered Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Lauryn Hill, Femi Kuti, and Angélique Kidjo, in whose footprints she dreamed of following.
At the age of 18 she secretly signed up for the Peter King’s School of Music and learnt to play the guitar in six months. In 2004 Aṣa met her manager and friend, Janet, who introduced her to Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, who in turn became her musical partner and producer. He enabled Aṣa, the free spirit, to find her bearings. She wrote songs in both English and Yoruba, with the music falling somewhere between pop and soul, inspired by her musical heritage. Particular care was paid to the melodies reflecting the feeling she puts into it.
Her texts talk about her country, the things in life, the things in her life, all delivered with feigned naïveté and real irony. She states "I like writing or thinking about my texts on the bus, or the molué, as we call it. 49 seats, 99 passengers standing up, as Fela described it. Everyone’s squashed up together and mini-dramas break out all the time. And, at the end of the day, we still manage to laugh, that’s where our strength lies..."
It was at this stage of her life that Aṣa finally returned to Paris. This was her chance to test out her talent on the French musical scene, playing with artists such as the Nubians, Manu Dibango, Doctor L and Tony Allen. In the meantime, back in Nigeria, her first single, Eyé Adaba, then Jailer, were beginning to get airtime. MTV chose her as the ambassador for South Africa. Her popularity became big, that when she came back to Nigeria she opened for Akon, John Legend, Beyoncé and Snoop Dogg amongst others.
Aṣa soon signed to the 'Naïve label'. Partnered by Cobhams, and with the new involvement of Christophe Dupouy, she produced a magnificent debut album, ASA a 12 track album with chartstopping tracks. R&b rubs up against pop, with reggae also making an appearance on 'Fire On The Mountain', the first track released from the album, an impertinent and barely-disguised metaphor for an ignorant and indifferent world. "Jailer", another highlight of the album, reinterprets the old adage “you reap what you sow”. This emblematic song with its irresistible refrain opens the album by denouncing modern slavery in all its forms.
Eyé àdabá
Aṣa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni ile yi o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi
Ni ile yi o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke
Wa a balemi o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi
Ni ile yi o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi
Ni ile yi o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o o ya
Eye adaba eye adaba eye e e e
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke
Wa a balemi o o o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o o ya
Eye adaba eye adaba eye e e e
Eye adaba ti fo o n fo n fo
Wa a ba lemi o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
E wi kin gbo se
Eye adaba eye eee
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke loke ode orun
Wa ba le mi o o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
O o o o ye e
Eye adaba eye eye oo
Eye adaba ti fo n on fo o nfo
Wa bale mi oo
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
O o oo oo ooo
O o oo o
Ewi kin gbo se
O o oo o
Aah o o o oo o
Oo mo ri re o
O o o o ooo o
Mori re o
Ire ire ire ooo
O o o o o
Mori re o
Eye adaba eye adaba
Eye ti fo lokeloke ode orun
Wa ba lemi o
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
The song "Eye Adaba" by Asa is sung in Yoruba language which means "Bird of Adaba". The lyrics in the first verse talk about a day that is very important to the singer. It is the day that she came to this world, and she is grateful to have seen another year. She repeats this verse two times to emphasize how important this day is to her, and how much she cherishes it.
The chorus of the song is the most popular part, and it talks about the bird of Adaba which is a mythical bird in Yoruba folklore that is said to bring good luck to those who come across it. Asa sings about how this bird flies high in the sky and how she wishes to catch it and have it bless her life. She sings this chorus three times, each time using different words to describe the bird's flight.
The last verse of the song is an expression of gratitude for the past year, and a prayer for prosperity in the coming year. Asa uses this verse to thank the almighty for everything that has happened to her in the past year, and prays for more blessings in the coming year.
Overall, the song is a celebration of life, gratitude, and the search for good luck and blessings. It is a beautiful expression of the African culture and the Yoruba language.
Line by Line Meaning
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi
The day I was born, the day I arrived in this world
Ni ile yi o
In this place, in this world
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
The day I saw the beauty of this world
Eye adaba eye adaba
Beautiful bird, beautiful bird
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke
The bird that flies high in the sky
Wa a balemi o
Come and bless me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
The day I saw the beauty of this world
Eye adaba eye e e e
Beautiful bird, oh oh oh
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke
The bird that flies high in the sky
Wa a balemi o o o
Come and bless me, oh oh oh
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o o ya
The day I saw the beauty of this world, yes
Eye adaba ti fo o n fo n fo
The bird that flies up and down
E wi kin gbo se
Can you hear what I'm saying?
Eye adaba eye eee
Beautiful bird, eee
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke loke ode orun
The bird that flies high in the sky, the bird of heaven
Wa ba le mi o o
Come and bless me, oh
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
The day I saw the beauty of this world
Eye adaba ti fo n on fo o nfo
The bird that flies up and down, up and down
O o o o ye e
Oh oh oh, yes
Eye adaba eye eye oo
Beautiful bird, oh oh oh
O o oo oo ooo
Oh oh oh oh oh
O o oo o
Oh oh oh
Ewi kin gbo se
Can you hear what I'm saying?
O o oo o
Oh oh oh
Aah o o o oo o
Ah oh oh oh oh
Oo mo ri re o
It's a beautiful thing
O o o o ooo o
Oh oh oh oh oh
Mori re o
It's a beautiful thing
Ire ire ire ooo
Goodness goodness goodness
Mori re o
It's a beautiful thing
Eye adaba eye adaba
Beautiful bird, beautiful bird
Eye ti fo lokeloke ode orun
The bird that flies high in the sky, the bird of heaven
Wa ba lemi o
Come and bless me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o
The day I saw the beauty of this world
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BUKOLA ELEMIDE, COBHAMS EMMANUEL ASUQUO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Oluwasedago
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi Its morning
Ni ile yi o In this land
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi Its morning
Ni ile yi o In this land
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
Eye adaba eye adaba The dove
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke The dove that flies very highly
Wa a balemi o Come and perch on me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi Its morning
Ni ile yi o In this land
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momi Its morning
Ni ile yi o In this land
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o o ya Its morning, I see great things
Eye adaba eye adaba eye e e e The dove
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke The dove that flies very high
Wa a balemi o o o Come and perch on me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o o ya Its morning, I see great things
Eye adaba eye adaba eye e e e The dove
Eye adaba ti fo o n fo n fo The dove that flies
Wa a ba lemi o Come perch on me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
E wi kin gbo se Please say with me let me hear
Eye adaba eye eee The dove
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke loke ode orun The dove that flies very high in the heavens
Wa ba le mi o o Come perch on me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
O o o o ye e
Eye adaba eye eye oo The dove
Eye adaba ti fo n on fo o nfo The dove that flies
Wa bale mi oo Come perch on me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
O o oo oo ooo
O o oo o
Ewi kin gbo se Say let me hear
O o oo o
Aah o o o oo o
Oo mo ri re o
O o o o ooo o
Mori re o I see great things
Ire ire ire ooo Great things
O o o o o
Mori re o I see great things
Eye adaba eye adaba The dove
Eye ti fo lokeloke ode orun The bird that flies highly in the heavens
Wa ba lemi o Come perch on me
Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o Its morning, I see great things
@martysun7096
It is day break/morning has broken for me in this house
Morning has broken, it is well with me
The dove, the dove
The dove that flies high in the sky
Come land on me
So say so I can hear
The dove that flies high near heaven
Come land on me, morning has broken and it is well with me (my soul)
Beautiful !
@salamionaopemipo5582
It's a new dawn
It's a new dawn for me...I this land.
It's a new Dawn
I see goodness
The dove The dove
The dove that flys up up in the heavenly realm
Come rest on me ooooooo
It's new day dawn
I see goodness.
Ooooooo
Come on say it loud
Ooooooo
Ooooooo ooooooo ooooooo
I see goodness.
@Lebogang09
As we await Asa's new music later this year, we wanted to heed a request by some African music fans to translate her lyrics into English. You can listen to some of Asa's music and find out more about her here.
lyrics
Eyé àdaba
Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momini ile yi o - It is day break/morning has broken for me in this house
Ojumo ti mo.. mo ri re o - Morning has broken, it is well with me
Eye adaba eye adaba - The dove, the dove
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke - The dove that flies high in the sky
Wa a balemi o - Come land on me
E wi kin gbo se - So say so I can hear
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke loke ode orun - The dove that flies high near heaven
Wa ba le mi o o...Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o - Come land on me, morning has broken and it is well with me (my soul)
@gertrudeeromosele9575
it means Ojumo ti mo ojumo ti momini ile yi o - It is day break/morning has broken for me in this house
Ojumo ti mo.. mo ri re o - Morning has broken, it is well with me
Eye adaba eye adaba - The dove, the dove
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke - The dove that flies high in the sky
Wa a balemi o - Come land on me
E wi kin gbo se - So say so I can hear
Eye adaba ti fo lokeloke loke ode orun - The dove that flies high near heaven
Wa ba le mi o o...Ojumo ti mo mo ri re o - Come land on me, morning has broken and it is well with me (my soul)
@salauolamilekan185
Who's still listening in 2024 😊
@anne-marieledoux-roy7272
Me 🙂 right NOW 18.03
@Hernameis994
2024 February anyone?
@pearlshoregemsstudio7493
Who's listening to this during lockdown 2020. Hit a like.
@OVWIGO
Me
@darlingtonetaje2973
am listening...all the way from Calgary...so beautiful and inspiring
@judeaghedo2981
surely I'm, so uplifting
@joyox1able
Me..💕
@ysmaelpacha6119
Il ya des camerounais 🇨🇲dans la salle venez pointer ceux qui aiment et aimeront ce titre comme moi.
@tedazumuwo3159
A l'aire de la bonne musique nigerianne avant naira marley