The son of a successful jeweler, Lô was born in Bobo-Dioulasso, a small village near Senegal's border with Mali. He grew up speaking Bambara, Wolof, and French. As a youngster, he became fascinated with music and taught himself to play drums and guitar. In 1976, he accepted an invitation to join a local group, Orchestra Volta Jazz, as a percussionist. He remained with the band until moving to the capital city of Dakar in 1980.
Lô quickly became involved with the music scene of Dakar. After a three-year stint as drummer for progressive vocalist Ouza, he joined the house band at the Hotel Savana in 1984. Although he performed with the group for a little over a year, the experience exposed him to a global range of pop influences.
Emigrating to France in 1985, Lô found work as a session drummer in Paris. Soon afterward, he purchased his first guitar and began writing songs. Although he formed a band with Ivoirean and French musicians and began working on an album in 1987, the group separated before its completion. Lô's debut solo album, Doxandeme (Immigrants), was released as a cassette in 1990. Despite receiving a Nouveau Talent award, the album fell short of Lô's artistic expectations. Although he began working on a second album, he became disenchanted and canceled the project. For the next four years, he maintained a low profile.
In 1995, Lô convinced Youssou N'Dour, whom he met in 1989 while playing on an album by traditional Wolof griot singer N'diaga M'baye, to produce an album for him. The resulting album, Ne La Thiass, was released on N'Dour's label, Jololi, shortly before Lô joined the multi-artist Jololi Revue tour in November 1996. Lô continued to promote the album during a European tour with his own eight-piece band, N'Diguel, in April 1997. The same year, Lô received Best Newcomer and Kora All-American awards in South Africa. Lô continued to expand his following to the United States as a featured performer with Africa Fete in 1998. The following year, he received the Ordre National de Merite de Leon from the president of Senegal. In 2000, he returned to recording with the release of Bambay Gueej. The title means "bamba, ocean of peace," and was co-produced by Nick Gold and Youssou N'Dour. Lamp Fall appeared in 2006 from Nonesuch Records. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide
N'Dawsile
Cheikh Lô Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mbokk yi djémeu naniou djémeu ba taayi té meunou niou thi dareu
Yaw n'dawsile yaw la mine yaw la beug yaw la kham
Ya djara andaal ya djara woloo ndanane nga
Mbeuguel loumouy djarign yaye mane guiss na ni amna dolé eh eh
Djémeu naniou djémeu ba taayi té meunou niou thi dareu oh
Sunu digeunté Buur Yallah moy kiko dawaal yagg na lole
Lou djitou sunu dougg ci aduna li Buur Yallah oh
Beug nala beug nala beug naleu
Yaw la feel yaw la ame yaw la andaal
Ya djara wolo oh
Dagua ame woleuré haan ndanane nga
Boulma mine ba fatéma kone dafay niawo oh
Beug nala beug nala beug naleu
Yaw la ame yaw la ame yaw la andaal
Ya djara wolo oh
Dagua ame woleuré haan ndanane nga
Yay souloukhou mbalakh dima djokh
Di thiebou djeune dima djokh
Di lakhou neuteuri dima djokh
Mbeuguel dafa beuri dolé
Kila yeug yéné la la raw
Mbeuguel ci khôl lay djogué eh eh
Yaye suma ndanane
Yaw la ame yaw la ame yaw la andal
Ya djara wolo oooh
Dagua ame woleuré han ndanane nga
Boulma mine ba faté ma
Kone dafay niawo oh
Beug nala beug nala sopp naleu
Yaw la ame yaw la ame yaw la andal
Ya djara wolo oh Dagua ame woleuré ho ndanane nga
Wo wo wo wo wo ndigeul X4
*Wo wo wo wo wo ndigeul ndigeul ndigeul ndigeul X2
Sakhal ci ndigeul
Wo wo wo wo wo ndigeul ndigeul ndigeul ndigeul X2
Soko défé defga lou geune* X5
The lyrics of Cheikh Lô's song N'Dawsile are in Wolof, one of the official languages of Senegal. The song starts with the phrase "Yaw n'dawsile guiss na sunu digeunté bi Buur bi Yallah la" which translates to "Oh, N'dawsile, you have left us in the hands of God Almighty.” The next line, “Mbokk yi djémeu naniou djémeu ba taayi té meunou niou thi dareu,” means “Some people are so greedy that they won't share what they have, and then they end up alone.” In the chorus, Cheikh Lô calls out for "yaw la feel yaw la ame yaw la andaal ya djara wolo," which can be translated as "this is how it feels, it hurts, it's tough, my friend."
The song's theme is about a tragic event in which N'dawsile, a fictional character, passes away, and the singer mourns his death while reflecting on life's transient nature. Cheikh Lô talks about how people can be selfish and self-centered, ultimately leading to loneliness and despair. He also stresses the importance of friendship and the need to support one another through life's obstacles. The last verse is about the power of music to bring people together, heal wounds, and provide hope, even in the darkest times.
Line by Line Meaning
Yaw n'dawsile guiss na sunu digeunté bi Buur bi Yallah la
Oh, traveler, come and see our land, our home, the land blessed by God.
Mbokk yi djémeu naniou djémeu ba taayi té meunou niou thi dareu
We are all one, we help each other, we are brothers and sisters, and we will love each other till the end.
Yaw n'dawsile yaw la mine yaw la beug yaw la kham
Oh, traveler, here is the water, the food, the shelter, and the fire.
Ya djara andaal ya djara woloo ndanane nga
Here is the music, the dance, come join us
Mbeuguel loumouy djarign yaye mane guiss na ni amna dolé eh eh
The bond that ties us together will never break, we are one, we are united forever.
Djémeu naniou djémeu ba taayi té meunou niou thi dareu oh
We are all one, we help each other, we are brothers and sisters, and we will love each other till the end.
Sunu digeunté Buur Yallah moy kiko dawaal yagg na lole
Our land is blessed by God, come and witness his power and grace.
Lou djitou sunu dougg ci aduna li Buur Yallah oh
Our way of life is based on God's teachings, he is our guiding light.
Boulma mine ba faté ma kone dafay niawo oh
No matter what happens, we will rise to overcome our challenges, and we will never give up.
Beug nala beug nala beug naleu
Sing and dance, let your soul be free.
Yaw la feel yaw la ame yaw la andaal
Here is the joy, the love, come and join the dance
Ya djara wolo oh
Here is the music, the dance.
Dagua ame woleuré haan ndanane nga
Come and dance with us, don't be shy
Yay souloukhou mbalakh dima djokh
Let the beat of the music inspire you to dance.
Di thiebou djeune dima djokh
Even the food is dancing with joy.
Di lakhou neuteuri dima djokh
Even the birds in the sky are dancing with us.
Mbeuguel dafa beuri dolé
Let the music move and touch your heart.
Kila yeug yéné la la raw
Let your body move to the rhythm of the music.
Mbeuguel ci khôl lay djogué eh eh
Let the beat of the music guide your dance and your soul.
Yaye suma ndanane
Let's all dance together
Boulma mine ba faté ma kone dafay niawo oh
No matter what happens, we will rise to overcome our challenges, and we will never give up.
Sopp naleu
Sing and dance, let your soul be free.
Wo wo wo wo wo ndigeul
Come, come, come and dance with us.
*Wo wo wo wo wo ndigeul ndigeul ndigeul ndigeul X2
Come, come, come and dance with us. (Repeated)
Sakhal ci ndigeul
Move to the rhythm of the music.
Soko défé defga lou geune* X5
Let the fire in your heart ignite your dancing spirit. (Repeated)
Writer(s): MAMADOU LO, HABIB FAYE, IBRAHIM CISSE
Contributed by Thomas T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marta
on Sankara
Hola, que preciosa canción. Gracias por compartir esta información. Me encantaría tener las letras para poder cantarla. He buscado por internet pero no he encontrado nada