Election Koutche
Alpha Blondy Lyrics

Alpha Blondy's "Election Koutche" is a song that makes a powerful and poignant statement about the corruption and violence that is often associated with elections in Africa. The lyrics describe a system that is plagued by corruption and manipulation, where both the voters and the elected officials engage in a cycle of violence that perpetuates the cycle of corruption. The song is a call for change, a plea to break free from this destructive pattern and work toward building a fairer and more just society.

The song begins with the repeated refrain "Naka torih assouman naboh," which roughly translates to "Our current situation is untenable." It then moves on to describe the election process, which is characterized by corruption and violence. The repeated phrase "Election sela, corruption ye" serves as a sharp indictment of the system and its players. The song then continues with a reference to "Reglemente de compte," or score settling, which suggests that political violence is not simply a byproduct of elections but a deliberate strategy used by those in power. The final lines of the song introduce the character of Ali-Baba and his forty voters, a reference to the famous tale of the forty thieves.