Dibala's early prodigious talent earned him a place in the band of soukous pioneer Franco which lead to spots playing with many of Kinshasa's bands in the 1970's.
Like many of his countrymen, Dibala left Zaire (as it was then) for Europe; eventually settling in Paris. There he reunited with former band mate Kanda Bongo Man and struck up a fruitful relationship with fellow guitarist Rigo Starr. Kanda's insistence on non-stop high energy playing brought soukous to a wider audience and brought fame to Dibala resulting in him becoming a highly sought after session musician.
In 1988 Dibala formed soukous super group Loketo with vocalist Aurlus Mabele. The band recorded three albums before animosity between Mabele and Dibala resulted in Dibala's departure to form his own band Matchatcha. Dibala has since released many albums with the ever changing line up of Matchatcha.
Laissez Passer
Diblo Dibala Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Attention,
Yeah
Laisser passer
Po po po po po po po po po po
Roua roua roua anhh roua roua roua anh
Laisser passer oui ces ça il est dedans bouaka tounan oui ces ça on
étais là oui ces sa aucun monsieur oui ces
Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo
(Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala)
Est ce que ça va ouais ça va
Est ce que ça bon ouais ces bon
Est ce que ça bouge ouais sa bouge
Est ce que sa roule ouais sa roule
Est ce que tu sens ouais je sens
Eehh ma tcha tcha (tcha tcha tcha tcha tcha)
Souga ma tcha (tcha tcha tcha tcha tcha)
Eehh ma tcha tcha (tcha tcha tcha tcha tcha
Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé
Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé
Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé
Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé
The song "Laissez Passer" by Diblo Dibala features a unique blend of Congolese soukous and modern pop elements. The lyrics of the song contain several elements of colloquial French and Lingala, a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Central Africa. The chorus of "Laissez passer" features a repeated chant of "po po po po po po po" and "roua roua roua anh roua roua roua anh," which creates a high-energy and danceable beat.
The phrases "Laisser passer" and "dégagé et voilà" suggest a message of freedom and liberation, with the former meaning "let pass" and the latter implying a sense of release or letting go. Diblo's repeated use of his own name within the song lyrics suggests an element of self-promotion and draws attention to his skill as a musician. Overall, the lyrics seem to celebrate the joy of movement and self-expression, creating a sense of communal celebration and unity among listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Aïe
Expression of pain or surprise
Attention,
Be alert, pay attention
Yeah
Expression of affirmation or agreement
Laisser passer
Let it pass, allow it to move forward
Po po po po po po po po po po
Sound of percussion instruments
Roua roua roua anhh roua roua roua anh
Sound of a guitar riff
Laisser passer oui ces ça il est dedans bouaka tounan oui ces ça on étais là oui ces sa aucun monsieur oui ces ça dégagé et voilà bongan tournant oui ces ça
Let it pass, that's it, he is in Bouaka Tounan, that's it, we were there, that's it, absolutely sir, that's it, cleared and here we go, that's it
Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala) Diblo (Dibala)
Repetition of the artist's name
Est ce que ça va ouais ça va
How are you? Yeah, I'm good
Est ce que ça bon ouais ces bon
Is it good? Yeah, it's good
Est ce que ça bouge ouais sa bouge
Is it moving? Yeah, it's moving
Est ce que sa roule ouais sa roule
Is it rolling? Yeah, it's rolling
Est ce que tu sens ouais je sens
Do you feel it? Yeah, I feel it
Eehh ma tcha tcha (tcha tcha tcha tcha tcha) Souga ma tcha (tcha tcha tcha tcha tcha) Eehh ma tcha tcha (tcha tcha tcha tcha tcha Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé Tagolopi popa (popé) popé popé
Lyrics with no clear meaning, likely intended to add to the rhythm or groove of the song
Writer(s): Bastien Vincent, Gandhi Djuna, Renaud Rebillaud
Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.