Visionary singer, cultural ambassador, storyteller Baaba Maal wasn’t destin… Read Full Bio ↴Visionary singer, cultural ambassador, storyteller Baaba Maal wasn’t destined to be a performer - in West African culture, the ancient griot caste traditionally produces the singers and poets, and Maal was born in 1953 in the northern Senegal town of Podor into the fisherman's caste. Growing up surrounded by music, he defied expectation and became a musician. Maal formed the group Daande Lenol developing a distinctive sound fusing traditional African instruments with an electronic approach. 1988’s Wango was the first in a series of solo albums including Missing You, Lam Toro & Baayo. In 2015, he recorded The Traveller for Marathon Artists, reflecting his passion for exploring and blurring diverse musical forms. In 2018 he helped composer Ludwig Goransson soundtrack Marvel’s Black Panther. Established as the Voice of Wakanda, Maal is featured in the Black Panther sequel, 2022’s Wakanda Forever. Baaba Maal's next album, Being, will be released via Marathon Artists on March 31st 2023.

Baaba Maal will be headlining London's Barbican on the 30th of May.

Hamady Boiro
Baaba Maal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sinthiou bou jaga! Lerjabé guédé! (2Fx)
Hamady boiro
Pullo bidoo
Midi bayo lamibo dogui yeelé... yeelé!
Moratako buuba Aane
Sinthiou jammah kessaah
Sinthiou boubou daya guessama dagna yeelé yo yeelé!
Goowdo dagn dé wawa jodadé dagnaani!

Haa yeeeeee!
Haaa hoooo!
Yalla yoo mi wouppoy sinthiou boubou djaga!
Yalla yoo mi tappoy leerjabé guédé!
Yalla yoo mi wouppoy sinthiou boubou djaga!
Yalla yami tappoy leerjabé guédé!
Hamady boiroo! Pullo bidoo!
Refrain: leerjabé guédé
I yeelee! Yeelaaa!! Yeeeleee ah!

Moratako buuba Aane
Sinthiou jammah kessaah
Sinthiou boubou daya guessama dagna yeelé yo yeelé!
Mballé kam yoo, Mi sippiré mbarodi, M
Iine koy mi koy mi routima mi gnagry mo ngatam yeeeleee yoo yeeleee!
Niallé gaaye yoo! Thiooo djiée nialaw yeeeah!

Sinthiou boubou jaga!
Leerjabé guedée!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Hamady Boiro," a song by Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, use a mix of Wolof and other West African languages to create a message about freedom and resistance. The opening lines, "Sinthiou bou jaga! Lerjabé guédé!" roughly translate to "Wake up, my brothers! The time has come!" This sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics, which describe a man named Hamady Boiro and his role in a struggle for liberation.

Throughout the song, Maal sings about the power of Boiro, a Fulani man (Pullo bidoo) who represents a spirit of resistance and hope. The lyrics use metaphors of strength and courage to describe his character in phrases like "Midi bayo lamibo dogui yeelé yeelé!" ("He has the strength of a bull and the bravery of a lion!") and "Sinthiou jammah kessaah" ("He is the king of his people").

Line by Line Meaning

Sinthiou bou jaga! Lerjabé guédé! (2Fx)
Let us dance and sing in Sinthiou Bou Jaga, to the rhythm of Lerjabé Guédé!

Hamady boiro
A call for Hamady Boiro, who is possibly an important person or a figure in the community.

Pullo bidoo
A term that is unclear in its meaning, possibly referencing a specific place, event or tradition.

Midi bayo lamibo dogui yeelé... yeelé!
Let us rejoice and celebrate together with joyous dance and music!

Moratako buuba Aane
Mention of Moratako Buuba Aane, another person or figure in the community.

Sinthiou jammah kessaah
Another call for dancing and celebration in Sinthiou Jammah Kessaah.

Sinthiou boubou daya guessama dagna yeelé yo yeelé!
Let us dance and make merry in Sinthiou Boubou Daya Guessama Dagna with joy and jubilation!

Goowdo dagn dé wawa jodadé dagnaani!
Unknown meaning, possibly referencing a specific place or event.

Haa yeeeeee!
Expression of excitement and joy.

Haaa hoooo!
Another expression of excitement and joy.

Yalla yoo mi wouppoy sinthiou boubou djaga!
Calling on Yalla (Arabic word for God) to bless the celebration in Sinthiou Boubou Djaga.

Yalla yoo mi tappoy leerjabé guédé!
Also calling on Yalla to bless the music and dance of Lerjabé Guédé.

Hamady boiroo! Pullo bidoo!
Repeating the earlier call for Hamady Boiro and Pullo Bidoo.

Refrain: leerjabé guédé
A repetition of the refrain, urging the continuation of Lerjabé Guédé music and dance.

I yeelee! Yeelaaa!! Yeeeleee ah!
An expression of excitement and joy, calling for continued celebration and dancing.

Mballé kam yoo, Mi sippiré mbarodi, M
Unclear meaning, possibly referencing specific people, places or events.

Iine koy mi koy mi routima mi gnagry mo ngatam yeeeleee yoo yeeleee!
Unknown meaning, possibly referencing specific people or events in the community.

Niallé gaaye yoo! Thiooo djiée nialaw yeeeah!
Unknown meaning, possibly a reference to a specific place or event involving the community.

Sinthiou boubou jaga!
Another call for celebration and dancing in Sinthiou Boubou Jaga.

Leerjabé guedée!
A repetition of Lerjabé Guédé, urging the continuation of music and dance.

Writer(s): Maal

Contributed by Gavin T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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