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
Senegal Fast Food
Amadou & Mariam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Demain je serais parti,
La gare Dakar, Bamako Mopti
Y’a pas de problèmes? Tout va bien
Aujourd’hui je me marie, j’ai confiance
Amoul solo, Gao, l’Algérie, Tunisie, Italie.
Il n’y a pas de problèmes, j’aime !
J’ai au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris
[Refrain] :
Il est minuit à Tokyo
Il est cinq heures au Mali
Quelle heure est-il au Paradis ?
Il est minuit à Tokyo
Il est cinq heures au Mali
Quelle heure est-il au Paradis ?
Nous qui quittons nos pays
Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient
Nous qui sommes dans cette chose
Chose là aucun de nous ne saurait la nommer
Nous qui sommes dans des pays lointains
Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient
C’est au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal, la grand-mère à l’hôpital
Grand-père tout va bien, moi ici, toi là-bas, le visa au consulat
Numéro 39, j’attends
A l’état civil déjà l’an 2000, déjà 2000 ans au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris,
[Refrain]
Dakar, Bamako, Rio de Janeiro
Où est le problème ? Où est la frontière ? Entre les murs se faufiler dans ascenseur pour le ghetto
Au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris,
Nous qui quittons nos pays
Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient
Nous qui sommes dans cette chose
Chose là aucun de nous ne saurait la nommer
Nous qui sommes dans des pays lointains
Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient
x2
Il est minuit à Tokyo, Il est cinq heures au Mali
Quelle heure est-il au Paradis ?
The song "Senegal Fast Food" by Amadou & Mariam tells the story of leaving one's home country and the struggles of being away from loved ones. The first verse talks about being at the Manhattan fast-food in Dakar, Senegal, and going to the cinema in Paris. The singer mentions being gone tomorrow and traveling on the train from Dakar to Bamako and Mopti. Despite being away and facing unknown situations, the singer says "there are no problems," expressing a sense of trust in the journey they are taking.
The chorus asks the question, "What time is it in paradise?" and compares the time difference between Tokyo, Japan, and Mali. This creates a sense of longing and the desire to know what is happening at home while being away. The second verse talks about visiting family members in the hospital and waiting for a visa at the consulate. The singer also mentions the year 2000 and the passage of time, indicating the importance of remembering one's roots and not forgetting where they come from.
The song highlights the struggles faced by immigrants, including the sense of dislocation, longing for home and worry about being forgotten. The song's title, Senegal Fast Food, refers to the fast-food chain of the same name found in Senegal, which has become a popular institution across West Africa.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris
We are at the Manhattan fast-food in Dakar, Senegal, that is also a cinema named Paris.
Demain je serais parti
Tomorrow, I will have left.
La gare Dakar, Bamako Mopti
The train station in Dakar, Bamako Mopti.
Y'a pas de problèmes? Tout va bien
Is there no problem? Everything is alright.
Aujourd'hui je me marie, j'ai confiance
Today, I'm getting married, and I have confidence.
Amoul solo, Gao, l'Algérie, Tunisie, Italie
Amoul Solo, Gao, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy.
Il n'y a pas de problèmes, j'aime !
There are no problems, I love it!
J'ai au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris
I am at the Manhattan fast-food in Dakar, Senegal, that is also a cinema named Paris.
Ascenseur pour le ghetto
Elevator to the ghetto.
[Refrain]: Il est minuit à Tokyo, Il est cinq heures au Mali, Quelle heure est-il au Paradis?
Chorus: It's midnight in Tokyo, It's five o'clock in Mali, What time is it in paradise?
Nous qui quittons nos pays, Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient, Nous qui sommes dans cette chose, Chose là aucun de nous ne saurait la nommer, Nous qui sommes dans des pays lointains, Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient
We who left our countries, shouldn't be forgotten by the children of the land. We who are in this thing that none of us can name, we who are in faraway countries shouldn't be forgotten by the children of the land.
C'est au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal, la grand-mère à l'hôpital, Grand-père tout va bien, moi ici, toi là-bas, le visa au consulat, Numéro 39, j'attends, A l'état civil déjà l'an 2000, déjà 2000 ans au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris
At the Manhattan fast-food in Dakar, Senegal, the grandmother is in the hospital. The grandpa is alright, and I'm here, and you're there, waiting for visa #39 at the consulate. It's already the year 2000 at the civil registry, and it feels like 2000 years at the Manhattan fast-food in Dakar, Senegal, that is also a cinema named Paris.
[Refrain]
Chorus.
Dakar, Bamako, Rio de Janeiro, Où est le problème ? Où est la frontière ? Entre les murs se faufiler dans ascenseur pour le ghetto, Au Manhattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris,
Dakar, Bamako, Rio de Janeiro, where's the problem? Where's the border? Sneaking through the walls to the elevator to the ghetto, at the Manhattan fast-food in Dakar, Senegal, that is also a cinema named Paris.
Nous qui quittons nos pays, Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient, Nous qui sommes dans cette chose, Chose là aucun de nous ne saurait la nommer, Nous qui sommes dans des pays lointains, Il ne faut pas que les enfants du pays nous oublient
We who left our countries, shouldn't be forgotten by the children of the land. We who are in this thing that none of us can name, we who are in faraway countries shouldn't be forgotten by the children of the land.
[Refrain] x2
Chorus x2.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: AMADOU BAGAYOKO, MARIAM DOUMBIA, MANU CHAO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PierreVenner
Pour ceux qui aimeraient bien chanter la partie en malien, voici les paroles : "anw mounou be dougou baw la , dougou niw la , an ka na gnina gnonkon ko de. anw mounou be ni kogne na , ni kogne na , an chi te ni kogne tchoko don . anw mounou be dougou djan la , dougou niw la , an ka na gnina gnonkon ko de."
@djassemkheddache2927
C'est du swahili ?
@user-sf4dx4ep9h
@@djassemkheddache2927bambara
@MakiBougandi
For English fellows who likes this song, here is the meaning : this song is actually pretty sad. It is the story of a men in Mali whos getting married and he's dreaming to fly away to "paradise" with his wife, wich is European countries. Hes trying to get a visa to go work there. But as you can see, they all wait in line to get a visa with words like "Maybe", "Waiting" and "Hope" written on their body but they mostly all get refused. He even consult a sorcerer with his shells to know if he will be able to travel there. So the guy in the video decides to leave his wife and his country behind and to cross the border by himself even without papers. Thats why at the end you see him getting arrested by French police officers (you can see the orange armband of the french police officers at the end) when they ask him for his paper. The wife is sad and he will be deported to Mali. Sorry for my english, j'adore cette chanson :)
@detvibes480
thank you!
@whelkshuffler
yes, thank you friend.
@marifontana1886
thanks!!!! The story is sad but it's reallity for many people....
@doug9129
Yes, it is a very sad story. Thanks for explaining it so well for us, Owen!
@jammygitz
Thanks for the interpretation!
Yeah I picked up 'cinema of Paris' and 'what time is it in paradise?'. I don't get the reference to Dakar, Senegal though (and also Manhattan), if the guys is from Mali and went to France?!
@olgatrokhina9098
excited to see Amadou & Mariam in Frankfurt in July 2023. Thank you for coming to Germany!