The duo produces music that mixes traditional Mali sound with rock guitars, Syrian violins, Cuban trumpets, Egyptian ney, Colombian trombones, Indian tablas and Dogon percussion. All these elements put together have been referred to as "Afro-blues".
In 2004 they put out an acclaimed album produced by Manu Chao.
In 2006 they were acknowledged with BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in the two categories: Africa and Album of the Year (for the "Dimanche à Bamako" release).
www.amadou-mariam.com
Africa
Amadou & Mariam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Les jours se ressemblent mais ne sont pas les mêmes
Les doigts de la main ne sont pas tous égaux
Dans ce monde, on est complémentaire
Come on and show me everything that you know
I wanna travel every inch of your curves
Il y a le soleil, il y a la chaleur humaine
Il y a le soleil, il y a la joie de vivre
Il y a le soleil, on est tous ensemble
I'm goin' up and down
And baby round and round
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Africa! Africa! Africa!
C'est la joie de vivre
Tell 'em again
Here we go
Il y a des pays où c'est la neige
Il y a des pays où, c'est la canicule
Il y a des pays où, c'est les tempêtes
Il y a des pays où, c'est des îles
Dans ce monde, on est complémentaire
It's just a jealousy
Everything for you and me
You ready? Here we go
I got my feet, I'm jumping high off the wall
I got my heart, I ain't afraid of the fall
I got my duffel bag that daddy packed for me
I got my ear so I hear when you call
I don't need eyes just to see you look good
You always did, but they misunderstood
I'm goin' up and down
And baby round and round
I wanna touch you down the river below
And then I'll kiss you from your head to your toe
You take me so high up, and then you let me down
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Africa! Africa! Africa!
C'est la joie de vivre
En Afrique, il n'y a pas que la guerre
En Afrique, il n'y a pas que la famine
En Afrique, il y a la solidarité
Il y a les parents, il y a aussi les frères
Il y a les soeurs, il y a aussi les cousins
Il y a les amis, il y a aussi la famille
La communauté, on est tous ensemble
En Afrique, il y a la joie de vivre
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Africa! Africa! Africa!
C'est la joie de vivre
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Africa! Africa! Africa!
C'est la joie de vivre
The lyrics of Amadou & Mariam's song "Africa" showcase the duo's pride in their African heritage and the solidarity that unites all Africans. The chorus, "Africa! Africa! Africa! Solidarité, Africa! Africa! Africa! C'est la joie de vivre" (Africa! Africa! Africa! Solidarity, Africa! Africa! Africa! It's the joy of living), emphasizes the communal spirit found in African culture. The opening lines, "Oh! Mes amis on ne choisit pas son destin, Les jours se ressemblent mais ne sont pas les mêmes" (Oh my friends, we don't choose our destiny, The days may seem similar but they're not the same) acknowledges the hardships faced by Africans and the idea that everyone's journey is unique.
The following lines highlight the differences in climates across Africa, with some countries experiencing snow and others experiencing hot weather. However, the chorus reminds us that despite these differences, Africans share a bond through their culture and values. The verse that begins with "I got my feet, I'm jumping high off the wall" expresses the eagerness and excitement to explore everything Africa has to offer. The lyrics speak of a desire to know the curves and dips of the continent, to immerse oneself in its people, and to be taken on a journey that's both exhilarating and heartwarming.
Overall, the song celebrates the diversity, solidarity, and joy found in African culture. Amadou & Mariam, along with K'Naan, unite their voices to celebrate their common heritage and to bring attention to the richness of African culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Mes amis on ne choisit pas son destin
Oh! My friends, we do not choose our destiny
Les jours se ressemblent mais ne sont pas les mêmes
Days may seem similar, but they are not identical
Les doigts de la main ne sont pas tous égaux
Fingers on a hand are not all the same size
Dans ce monde, on est complémentaire
In this world, we are complementary
Come on and show me everything that you know
Please share your knowledge with me
I wanna travel every inch of your curves
I want to explore every detail of your being
En Afrique, il y a la canicule
In Africa, there is scorching heat
Il y a le soleil, il y a la chaleur humaine
There is also the warmth of humanity and the sun
Il y a le soleil, il y a la joie de vivre
There is the sun and the joy of living
Il y a le soleil, on est tous ensemble
With the sun shining, we are all together
I'm goin' up and down
I am experiencing highs and lows
And baby round and round
And I am going in circles
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Solidarity
C'est la joie de vivre
It's the joy of living
Tell 'em again
Say it one more time
Il y a des pays où c'est la neige
There are countries where it snows
Il y a des pays où, c'est la canicule
There are countries where there is extreme heat
Il y a des pays où, c'est les tempêtes
There are countries where there are storms
Il y a des pays où, c'est des îles
There are countries that are islands
It's just a jealousy
Others might be envious
Everything for you and me
But everything is for us
You ready? Here we go
Are you ready? Let's start!
I got my feet, I'm jumping high off the wall
I have my feet, I am jumping high off the wall
I got my heart, I ain't afraid of the fall
I have my heart and I am not afraid to take risks
I got my duffel bag that daddy packed for me
I have my bag that my father packed for me
I got my ear so I hear when you call
I have my ear, so I can hear when you call
I don't need eyes just to see you look good
I do not need my eyes to know you look good
You always did, but they misunderstood
They didn't understand you, but I always did
I wanna touch you down the river below
I want to touch you while we go down the river
And then I'll kiss you from your head to your toe
And then I will kiss every part of you
You take me so high up, and then you let me down
You lift me up so high, and then you bring me back down
En Afrique, il n'y a pas que la guerre
In Africa, there is not only war
En Afrique, il n'y a pas que la famine
In Africa, there is not only hunger
Il y a la solidarité
There is solidarity
Il y a les parents, il y a aussi les frères
There are parents and brothers
Il y a les soeurs, il y a aussi les cousins
There are sisters and cousins
Il y a les amis, il y a aussi la famille
There are friends and family
La communauté, on est tous ensemble
As a community, we are all together
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Solidarity
C'est la joie de vivre
It's the joy of living
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Solidarity
C'est la joie de vivre
It's the joy of living
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Africa! Africa! Africa!
Solidarité
Solidarity
C'est la joie de vivre
It's the joy of living
Lyrics © REVA SONS, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: AMADOU BAGAYOKO, KEINAN WARSAME
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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<3 j'adore !!!!!