Taj Mahal describes him as a genius, a living proof that the blues comes fr… Read Full Bio ↴Taj Mahal describes him as a genius, a living proof that the blues comes from the region of Segu. Bassekou Kouyate is one of Mali's best-known Ngoni players. He has collaborated with many important traditional musicians of his country as well as international such as Carlos Santana, U2 among many many others. Most recently he is featured on Ali Farkas posthumous album 'Savane' and toured with him leaving a lasting impression on the audience as the bands solo ngoni player. Bassekou was born in a village called Garana about 60 kms from Segu, in the remote countryside on the banks of the Niger river. He was raised in a traditional musical environment, his mother a praise singer and his father and brothers exceptional ngoni players. He moved to Bamako when he was 19 years old where he met the young Toumani Diabate. By the late 1980s Bassekou was part of Toumanis trio and they recorded their first albums together, Songhai and Djelika. Bassekou married the singer Ami Sacko (so-called the Tina Turner of Mali) and they are much solicited for the traditional Sunday wedding parties that happen in the streets of Bamako. After collaborating a lot with others both nationally and internationally Bassekou now finally has put together his own band: Ngoni ba; the big ngoni: Mali's first ngoni quartet. In July he recorded his debut album Segu Blue for the Munich based company out | here rec. http://outhere.de/
http://www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate. His second album "I Speak Fula," came out on February 2nd, 2010 on Sub Pop imprint label Next Ambiance.

Jama ko
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been seeing all, I've been seeing your soul
Give me things that I've wanted to know
Tell me things that you've done
I've been feeling old, I've been feeling cold
You're the heat that I know
Listen, you are my sun

Oh oh oh oh oh

Hush, I said there's more to life than rush
Not gonna leave this place with us
Drop the game, it's not enough
Hush, I said there's more to life than rush
Not gonna leave this place with us
Drop the game, it's not enough

I've been seeing all, I've been seeing your soul
Give me things that I've wanted to know
Tell me things that you've done
I've been feeling old, I've been feeling cold
You're the heat that I know
Listen, you are my sun

Oh oh oh oh oh

I've been seeing all, I've been seeing your soul
Give me things that I've wanted to know
Tell me things that you've done
I've been feeling old, I've been feeling cold
You're the heat that I know
Listen, you are my sun

Oh oh oh oh oh

I've been seeing all, I've been seeing your soul
Give me things that I've wanted to know
Tell me things that you've done
I've been feeling old, I've been feeling cold
You're the heat that I know
Listen, you are my sun

Oh oh oh oh oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba's song Jama ko express a yearning for deeper connection with a loved one. The singer has been observing their partner's soul and desires to know more about them - their experiences, their accomplishments, their mistakes. The singer admits to feeling old and cold, but the warmth and light of their partner is like the sun.

The repeated refrain of "hush, I said there's more to life than rush" is a reminder to slow down and appreciate the present moment. The singer rejects the idea that the material world and competition are the ultimate measures of success, and instead emphasizes the importance of human connection and personal growth.

The song's title, Jama ko, means "big gathering" in Bambara, the language spoken by Kouyate's ethnic group in Mali. This reflects the band's mission to unite people through music and celebrate their cultural heritage.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been seeing all, I've been seeing your soul
I've been observing with utmost focus and attention, every aspect of your being, including that which you conceal from the world

Give me things that I've wanted to know
Share with me the knowledge and experiences that I've longed to acquire and understand

Tell me things that you've done
Recount to me, the actions and events of your life, both significant and insignificant

I've been feeling old, I've been feeling cold
I've been experiencing a sense of aging and weariness, as well as a feeling of detachment or unresponsiveness

You're the heat that I know
You are the source of warmth and comfort that I am intimately familiar with and rely on

Listen, you are my sun
Pay attention, you are my essential and irreplaceable source of light, energy, and life

Hush, I said there's more to life than rush
Quiet down, I'm reminding you that there is more to existence than just hurrying through it at a frantic pace

Not gonna leave this place with us
We will not take anything material or physical from this world with us when we die

Drop the game, it's not enough
Abandon the futile and meaningless attempt to accumulate wealth and status as it will never fully satisfy us

Writer(s): Sekou Kouyate

Contributed by Jayce G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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