Daby Touré (born in Mauritania in 1975) is a Mauritanian singer-songwriter … Read Full Bio ↴Daby Touré (born in Mauritania in 1975) is a Mauritanian singer-songwriter who was based in Paris and is now based in Montréal, Canada. Born into the Touré Kunda musical heritage, he co-founded Touré Touré in Senegal before moving to Paris, France, and becoming a solo artist.
Touré's story goes back two generations when four brothers were living in a village near Kayes, in what is now the modern state of Mali. They were all shoemakers and leather workers and they strived to sustain the old traditional family trade by turning the skins of crocodiles from the nearby river into shoes, bags, pouches and wallets. But for some reason, perhaps drought or excessive hunting, the crocodile population began to fall dramatically and the family were no longer able to live from their craft. The brothers decided to disperse to the four winds and they never saw each other again. One of them, Daby Touré, went to live near Zinguinchor in Casamance, the southernmost province of Senegal, where he married four wives and produced a large brood of children. For reasons that no one has ever been able to really explain, this new Touré generation was touched by a deep love and gift for music. A younger member of the clan, Hamidou Touré, was brought up by an uncle up north in Mauritania. Once he had graduated as a doctor in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, he was sent to a sand blown desert town called Boutilimit, where he married a beautiful woman, who was half Moorish or Hassaniya and half Toucouleur. They gave birth to a son who they called Daby, in honour of his grandfather, the patriarch of the family.
Daby Touré grew up in Boutilimit, Nouakchott, and Casmance before going to live with an uncle in the village of Djeole, near Kaedi, on the banks of the Senegal river in Mauritania. His parents had divorced, and Touré's father couldn't be seen to be raising young children on his own. In Djeole, Daby soaked up the language, culture and music of his Soninke people, as well as Touré of the neighbouring Toucouleur and Wolof. He learned all about farming and cattle rearing. It was a secure village childhood. 'With hindsight, I think the times I spent in the village were the most important in my life, because that's where I was forged,' Touré remembers. In the black velvet warmth of the night, he would get together with friends to bang out rhythms on old tins, canisters and cardboard boxes and entertain the village. And when diversion was required at henna and wedding feasts, Touré and his mates would often be sent for.
Later, Touré moved back to the capital Nouakchott to live with his father. After a tiring day at the hospital, Hamidou would often relax by playing music with his friends. Touré wasn't allowed to touch the guitars, because his father did not want him to develop any crazy ideas about becoming a musician. But he stole time on the instruments anyway and taught himself the basics. He also began discovering the exotic joys of western pop music, thanks to radio, pirated cassettes and the occasional TV broadcast. The Police, Dire Straights, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson were powerful formative influences. Although a deep fascination and hunger for music was developing in the teenager, Touré's father continued to insist that music was not a career option for a any well brought-up young man. 'In Mauritania, the profession of musician doesn't really exist,' explains Touré. 'A profession is something you train for and get a diploma. My father was more fearful for me than anything else, because he knew what a musician's life consisted of and for him it wasn't a future.'
In 1989, political unrest and inter-ethnic conflict was making life in Mauritania very difficult, so when Hamidou received an invitation from his younger brothers Sixu and Ismael to join their group Touré Kunda, although at first he hesitated, the offer seemed too good to refuse. He sold his house to pay for his son to come along with him. The rich musical life of Paris was a magical revelation to the eighteen-year-old Touré, and although his father continued to brow-beat him about his studies, music slowly became his whole life. He began to play little gigs in bars and college parties with rock and cover bands. After he finally gave up his course at Business School, despite his father's objections, and went to live in an African hostel or foyer in Paris, Touré teamed up with his cousin Omar and formed Touré Touré; the two 'Touré'. They began to explore the vivid common frontiers of jazz and African music.
A meeting with Jean-Pierre Como, the keyboard player with established avant-jazz-fusionists Sixun, kick-started a chain-reaction which lead to a record deal with French independent label Pygmalion Records and the release of Touré Touré's one and only album 'Ladde'. The Sixun connection opened up the doors to the bubbling Parisian jazz scene, with its open-mindedness and vitality, and Touré fell in love with bands like Weather Report, Joe Zawinul and Pat Metheny. It was their originality and artistry that fascinated him above all else. Despite the fact that 'Ladde' was very well received in France and Touré Touré played hundreds of concerts all over the country, as well as further afield in Canada and Brazil, Touré felt dissatisfied with the band's progress. It seemed that the industry, the media and audiences were only interested in the roots, African and dance band aspects of the group.
'The music that I play is based on exploration, on original compositions. It's like a painter who gets up to paint a painting. I get up in the morning, I pick up my guitar and I start working. I don't know where I'm going but I go.'
Touré locked himself away in his room, with his own home-studio and equipment and began to write and arrange songs. He controlled every aspect of the creative process, from composition, to arrangements, to performance and mixing. That was important. Touré was in pursuit of a very individual musical vision, and he needed the time, space and solitude to make it a reality.
After several years hard work, Touré teamed up with electronic musician and digital wizard Cyrille Dufay to develop the sound further. The result of all this experimentation, exploration and hard graft is 'Diam'.
The songs on the album tell of Touré's life, of the people around him and of the world in general. He sings of relationships, his family, freedom and, above all, of being positive when times are hard. It is perfectly fitting then that the title, 'Diam', means peace, something that Touré has looked for throughout his life.
Source: http://www.realworldrecords.com/dabytoure/?section=aboutdaby
Touré's story goes back two generations when four brothers were living in a village near Kayes, in what is now the modern state of Mali. They were all shoemakers and leather workers and they strived to sustain the old traditional family trade by turning the skins of crocodiles from the nearby river into shoes, bags, pouches and wallets. But for some reason, perhaps drought or excessive hunting, the crocodile population began to fall dramatically and the family were no longer able to live from their craft. The brothers decided to disperse to the four winds and they never saw each other again. One of them, Daby Touré, went to live near Zinguinchor in Casamance, the southernmost province of Senegal, where he married four wives and produced a large brood of children. For reasons that no one has ever been able to really explain, this new Touré generation was touched by a deep love and gift for music. A younger member of the clan, Hamidou Touré, was brought up by an uncle up north in Mauritania. Once he had graduated as a doctor in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, he was sent to a sand blown desert town called Boutilimit, where he married a beautiful woman, who was half Moorish or Hassaniya and half Toucouleur. They gave birth to a son who they called Daby, in honour of his grandfather, the patriarch of the family.
Daby Touré grew up in Boutilimit, Nouakchott, and Casmance before going to live with an uncle in the village of Djeole, near Kaedi, on the banks of the Senegal river in Mauritania. His parents had divorced, and Touré's father couldn't be seen to be raising young children on his own. In Djeole, Daby soaked up the language, culture and music of his Soninke people, as well as Touré of the neighbouring Toucouleur and Wolof. He learned all about farming and cattle rearing. It was a secure village childhood. 'With hindsight, I think the times I spent in the village were the most important in my life, because that's where I was forged,' Touré remembers. In the black velvet warmth of the night, he would get together with friends to bang out rhythms on old tins, canisters and cardboard boxes and entertain the village. And when diversion was required at henna and wedding feasts, Touré and his mates would often be sent for.
Later, Touré moved back to the capital Nouakchott to live with his father. After a tiring day at the hospital, Hamidou would often relax by playing music with his friends. Touré wasn't allowed to touch the guitars, because his father did not want him to develop any crazy ideas about becoming a musician. But he stole time on the instruments anyway and taught himself the basics. He also began discovering the exotic joys of western pop music, thanks to radio, pirated cassettes and the occasional TV broadcast. The Police, Dire Straights, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson were powerful formative influences. Although a deep fascination and hunger for music was developing in the teenager, Touré's father continued to insist that music was not a career option for a any well brought-up young man. 'In Mauritania, the profession of musician doesn't really exist,' explains Touré. 'A profession is something you train for and get a diploma. My father was more fearful for me than anything else, because he knew what a musician's life consisted of and for him it wasn't a future.'
In 1989, political unrest and inter-ethnic conflict was making life in Mauritania very difficult, so when Hamidou received an invitation from his younger brothers Sixu and Ismael to join their group Touré Kunda, although at first he hesitated, the offer seemed too good to refuse. He sold his house to pay for his son to come along with him. The rich musical life of Paris was a magical revelation to the eighteen-year-old Touré, and although his father continued to brow-beat him about his studies, music slowly became his whole life. He began to play little gigs in bars and college parties with rock and cover bands. After he finally gave up his course at Business School, despite his father's objections, and went to live in an African hostel or foyer in Paris, Touré teamed up with his cousin Omar and formed Touré Touré; the two 'Touré'. They began to explore the vivid common frontiers of jazz and African music.
A meeting with Jean-Pierre Como, the keyboard player with established avant-jazz-fusionists Sixun, kick-started a chain-reaction which lead to a record deal with French independent label Pygmalion Records and the release of Touré Touré's one and only album 'Ladde'. The Sixun connection opened up the doors to the bubbling Parisian jazz scene, with its open-mindedness and vitality, and Touré fell in love with bands like Weather Report, Joe Zawinul and Pat Metheny. It was their originality and artistry that fascinated him above all else. Despite the fact that 'Ladde' was very well received in France and Touré Touré played hundreds of concerts all over the country, as well as further afield in Canada and Brazil, Touré felt dissatisfied with the band's progress. It seemed that the industry, the media and audiences were only interested in the roots, African and dance band aspects of the group.
'The music that I play is based on exploration, on original compositions. It's like a painter who gets up to paint a painting. I get up in the morning, I pick up my guitar and I start working. I don't know where I'm going but I go.'
Touré locked himself away in his room, with his own home-studio and equipment and began to write and arrange songs. He controlled every aspect of the creative process, from composition, to arrangements, to performance and mixing. That was important. Touré was in pursuit of a very individual musical vision, and he needed the time, space and solitude to make it a reality.
After several years hard work, Touré teamed up with electronic musician and digital wizard Cyrille Dufay to develop the sound further. The result of all this experimentation, exploration and hard graft is 'Diam'.
The songs on the album tell of Touré's life, of the people around him and of the world in general. He sings of relationships, his family, freedom and, above all, of being positive when times are hard. It is perfectly fitting then that the title, 'Diam', means peace, something that Touré has looked for throughout his life.
Source: http://www.realworldrecords.com/dabytoure/?section=aboutdaby
Ndema
Daby Touré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Ndella della min gui dem
Outi liguey
Ndella della min gui dem
Outi liguey
Demne demne wakhoudii
Outi liguey
Demne demne wakhoudii
Outi liguey
Bess bi kheyne di ne am
Di ne am
Aaaaaaa
Bess bi khey ne di ne am
Ye eh
Yonne ceve la ladj defnakodal
Boude lidias,amnako amnako dal
Emma emma djoulina
Nianalnako
Fabe fabe djoulina
Mane nianalnako
Bess bi khey na di ne am
Di ne am
Aaaaaaaaa
Bess bi khey ne dine am
Ndella ndella diafandoul
Della della diafandoul
Di ne messe niew
Della della diafandoul
So oooo
Iman della denou soo
Ititusaaa
Oubillen khaleyi yoni liguey
Ndella della min gui idem
Ndella della diafandoul
Della della denouso
Dididoula
Della della denousooooo
Oo
Oo
Outi liguey
Ndella della min gui dem
Outi liguey
Demne demne wakhoudii
Outi liguey
Demne demne wakhoudii
Bess bi kheyne di ne am
Di ne am
Aaaaaaa
Bess bi khey ne di ne am
Ye eh
Yonne ceve la ladj defnakodal
Boude lidias,amnako amnako dal
Emma emma djoulina
Nianalnako
Fabe fabe djoulina
Mane nianalnako
Bess bi khey na di ne am
Di ne am
Aaaaaaaaa
Bess bi khey ne dine am
Ndella ndella diafandoul
Della della diafandoul
Di ne messe niew
Della della diafandoul
So oooo
Iman della denou soo
Ititusaaa
Oubillen khaleyi yoni liguey
Ndella della min gui idem
Ndella della diafandoul
Della della denouso
Dididoula
Della della denousooooo
Oo
Oo
The lyrics of Daby Touré's song "Ndema" seem to touch on themes of love, longing, and connection. The repetition of phrases like "Ndella della min gui dem" and "Demne demne wakhoudii" create a hypnotic and almost trance-like effect, emphasizing the emotions being expressed. The use of repetition can signify the intensity and depth of the feelings being conveyed in the song.
The lines "Bess bi kheyne di ne am" suggest a plea for understanding and reconciliation in a relationship. The repetition of this phrase with increasing emphasis through the song could symbolize a yearning for harmony and resolution. The singer seems to be expressing a desire for unity and mutual understanding with their partner, highlighting the importance of communication and empathy in maintaining a strong connection.
The lyrics further delve into imagery and metaphor, with phrases like "Yonne ceve la ladj defnakodal" and "Boude lidias, amnako amnako dal" painting a vivid picture of emotions and experiences. The use of evocative language adds depth and complexity to the song, inviting listeners to interpret and feel the emotions being conveyed in their own way. The repetition of phrases like "Emma emma djoulina" and "Fabe fabe djoulina" could symbolize a sense of yearning and nostalgia for past moments of happiness and connection.
Overall, "Ndema" appears to be a heartfelt and introspective song that explores the complexities of human relationships and emotions. Through its poetic lyrics and repetitive phrases, the song conveys a sense of longing, longing, and the universal desire for understanding and connection in our interactions with others. The emotional resonance of the lyrics and the evocative imagery used throughout the song create a powerful and immersive listening experience that resonates with the listener on a deep level.
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: GUILLA THIAM, DABY TOURE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@gabrielmoreira8496
What a cool ass nice song, it seems that was made to all we wake up with that song
@SelryamZephine
What kind of guitar is the lead vocalist playing on?
@Cumbancha
The guitar is a Godin multiac. http://www.godinguitars.com/godinmultiac.html