Dr. Alban (born August 26, 1957 as Alban Nwapa in Nigeria) grew up listening to Fela Kuti and James Brown. At age 23, he began studying dentistry. In order to be able to finance his university studies the music-loving medical student started making his own music. During this time Alban worked as a DJ in the well known Stockholm club 'Alphabet Street'. Very quickly his name became widely known, especially since Alban often sang to the records he put on the turntable as a DJ. DJ René couldn't help but notice him and so the highly intelligent medical student was discovered. But first Alban finished his studies and even opened his own dentistry practice.
In 1990, he met Denniz PoP from the SweMix label. Alban laid aside his dentist's drill and realised his dream. Together with Denniz and Rap-Queen Leila K, his first record, Hello Africa - his declaration of love for his African home - broke all records. Alban Nwapa became Dr. Alban. His debut-album Hello Africa sold roughly 1 million copies world-wide.
One year later this success was surpassed by the second album One Love. 1.6 million singles of the song It's My Life were sold.
The album immediately sold over 1.7 million units. Then followed the albums Look Who's Talking and Born In Africa. All in all, Dr. Alban can look back on world-wide sales of over 5 million albums and over 6 million singles, which resulted in 7 times Silver, 30 times Gold and 30 times Platinum. His hit No Coke was even used to illustrate an anti-drugs campaign in Sweden.
After a re-release of No Coke, Dr. Alban confirmed his Euro dance style with his hits Look Who's Talking and Let The Beat Go On.
He created his own record company 'dr.records', on which he released Born in Africa, the first CD recorded completely in his studios. He became the producer of many artists such as La Cream.
More recently, his voice was featured on Sash!'s single Colour The World.
In 2000, he released the album titled Prescription.
In 2002 Dr. Alban featured Yamboo to release a remix for Sing Hallelujah!.
In 2007 Dr. Alban released the album titled Back To Basics.
Official website: http://www.dralban.net/
Awillawillawillahey
Dr. Alban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's me galan galan galan it's me
Me are the dentist
It's me
Galan galan it's me
Me come from Nigeria
It's me galan galan
Galan galan it's me
Köttbullar datta call meatball
Smörgas datta call sandwich
It's me
Awilla willa willa hey
It's me kpou kpa kpa it's me
It's me galan galan it's me
Galan galan
ABC is like 123
DEF is like 456
A say mi come from Nigeria
The island of the sun
A say we plant sugarcane
A say we eat a lot of thing
Anywhere we go the people say mi are the best
A say mi run London, a say we run New York
A say mi run Stockholm, a say mi run Moscow
It's me
The lyrics to Dr. Alban's song Awillawillawillahey are a mix of different languages and cultural references that speak to the artist's unique background and identity. The song opens with the repeated chorus of "It's me," affirming the artist's presence and dominance in the music scene. He then goes on to associate himself with different titles, claiming to be both the "run master" and the "dentist."
The song continues with Dr. Alban referencing his Nigerian heritage and his current Swedish residence, mentioning the local dishes of "kötbullar" (meatballs) and "smörgas" (sandwiches). The chorus of "Awilla willa willa hey" is interspersed throughout, adding a catchy and upbeat melody to the song. The final verse once again emphasizes Dr. Alban's global influence, claiming to run cities like London, New York, Stockholm, and Moscow.
Overall, the song is a celebration of Dr. Alban's unique identity and the various cultures and influences that have shaped him. The mix of languages and references speaks to a wider theme of multiculturalism and the breaking down of barriers between different communities.
Line by Line Meaning
It's me mi are the run master
I am the skilled runner who takes charge and succeeds
It's me galan galan galan it's me
It is I who am confident, self-assured, and unapologetically myself
Me are the dentist
I am the dental expert who skillfully examines, diagnoses, and treats people's teeth and gums
Me come from Nigeria
I hail from a West African country with a rich cultural heritage and diverse population
It's me galan galan
Once again, I am the one who exudes confidence, assurance, and authenticity
Mi live a Swe Sweden
I currently reside in the Scandinavian country with the highest quality of life and social welfare
Köttbullar datta call meatball
In Sweden, meatballs are a popular and beloved dish that locals and visitors enjoy
Smörgas datta call sandwich
The Scandinavian open-faced sandwich known as smörgås is a traditional meal that features a variety of toppings
Awilla willa willa hey
This nonsensical refrain is a way to express joy, enthusiasm, and playful energy
It's me kpou kpa kpa it's me
Once again, I am the confident and charismatic figure whose presence commands attention and respect
Galan galan it's me
Here again, I am the one who embodies self-assurance, individuality, and charm
ABC is like 123
This line is a playful way to draw a comparison between the simplicity of the alphabet and the ease of counting numbers
DEF is like 456
This line is a continuation of the previous analogy and reinforces the idea that letters and numbers are both fundamental and easy to understand
A say mi come from Nigeria
This line repeats the earlier statement about my heritage and reinforces the pride I feel for my cultural roots
The island of the sun
This phrase is used to describe Nigeria as a place of warmth, light, and energy
A say we plant sugarcane
This line is a way to illustrate the agricultural traditions and strengths of my homeland
A say we eat a lot of thing
This line reinforces the rich and diverse culinary culture of Nigeria, where people enjoy a wide variety of delicious foods
Anywhere we go the people say mi are the best
This line is a boastful claim that wherever I go, people recognize and admire my skills, charisma, and individuality
A say mi run London, a say we run New York
This line is another boastful claim that I not only excel in my physical ability to run, but I also have the talent to succeed in diverse and dynamic cities around the world
A say mi run Stockholm, a say mi run Moscow
This line is a continuation of the previous claim, emphasizing my ability to succeed not only in English-speaking cities but also in non-English speaking ones
It's me
Once again, this simple phrase is a way to reaffirm my identity, my confidence, and my sense of self-assurance
Contributed by Julian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Francisco RAMIREZ PACHECO
En las vacaciones de verano del 95, tenía enfermo de los nervios a mis papas con el "Awillawillawillahey".Me levantaba y me acostaba cantando solo esa parte jajaja
Daniel navarro
Alvrg jajajaaajajja
Charles B
Wowww aquí en chile se tocó mucho gran tema, no pasa de moda esa música, entrega buena onda 😜
ELISA ARANEDA
La asocio a una novela que no vi, ¿sería Juegos de Fuego?
11 : 11
En el 95 fue muy tocada en chile, tiempos de rap, dr alban,mc hammer, kris kross ,house of pain etc, bellos tiempos
SUSANA
Yo a mis 48 escuchando esta joya... 🎶🎶🎶🎧🎧🎧
Julieta Vasquez
En Chile todo Dr Alban, eterno presente...no coke, mata oh a eh oh, uno de los grandes 🙌💞👏
D'angelo Tapia
2022 y la vuelvo a escuchar ... Para recordar esos tiempos del cole...
Fabian malbran aguilar
Por qué esta joya no está en Spotify!!! Por favor
Manuel Alvarez
Porque Spotify es una mierda, he buscado muchos temas que no aparecen o están bloqueados