Lefel's mother was from French Guiana and her father from the island of Martinique. She moved with her parents to Martinique when she was three. It was there that she was exposed to the rich musical traditions of the Caribbean. During the 1970s, when Lefel was growing up, creative young artists with Haitian bands were just beginning to create the zouk sound. Groups such as Les Frères Déjean, Le Ska Shah Number One and Tabou Combo drew on a combination of traditional African, Caribbean and European rhythms, including belair, biguine and mazurka, to produce their unique music which became another global phenomenon in the decades following the death of Bob Marley.
In her 14th year, Lefel and her mother left for France, settling in the Saint-Denis suburb of Paris. There she continued her studies in law, occasionally singing with her brother's folk rock group, and, in 1984, launched her career as a professional singer. The turning point in her career came when she met the Maffia band leader Jean-Michel Cambrimol. He invited her to accompany the band on a tour of the French Antilles, and recorded the hit single "My doudou" with her. Lefel's success on that tour led to more offers, including one from Jean-Luc Lazair of Lazair, with whom she recorded the single "Ich Maman". In 1987, she accepted an offer from the famous Martinican group Malavoi, appearing as a chorus singer on their album La case à Lucie. She earned her nickname "la sirène" by singing a song of that title on Malavoi's 1993 album Matebis. During the same period she met the arranger and producer Ronald Rubinel, whom she later married and with whom she had twin sons.
The year after Lefel first appeared with Malavoi she recorded her first solo album, La klé (The Key), which won the Prix de la SACEM for its producer, Georges Debs, in 1988. The album included a duet between Lefel and "Latin Crooner" Ralph Thamar - one of many collaborations Lefel recorded during her career with famous musicians, including Gilles Voyer, Dominique Zorobabel, Jean-Philippe Marthély, Sylviane Cédia and Mario Canonge. She explained to an interviewer for the RFI Musique website that when she hosted a house party she invited the people she loved the most, and she felt there was no reason why a recording session should be any different.
By 1992, Lefel had become well-known throughout the Caribbean and her reputation had spread to Mozambique. In that year she released her second album,Mèci (Thanks), which was honored with the Sacem trophy for the best female singer of the year. Mèci broke records for Afro-Caribbean independent artists, selling in excess of 40,000 units. Her third album Rendez-vous, released in 1996, continued to build her reputation as one of the leading female interpreters of Afro-Caribbean genres.
But that same year Lefel took her career in quite a different direction, with a live recording made at the famed Olympia theater in Paris. In Edith Lefel a l'Olympia, the artist expanded her repertoire to include French and English language material, including some of the Parisian street songs that had been popularized by Edith Piaf. She explained that her parents had listened to Piaf when she was young (along with other classic French-language chanteurs like Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour), and that she had often imitated Piaf at home for their entertainment. On the evening of the Olympia concert, May 11, 1996, Lefel impressed the audience with her immense talent, supported by her friends Ralph Thamar and Jean-Luc Alger, and her husband and children.
A very attractive woman whose likeness graced the covers of many prominent French magazines, Lefel died at the height of her powers and popularity[1] in January 2003, at only age 39. She died in her sleep. Autopsy results revealed a combination of smoking and birth control pills as the cause of her death. Edith Lefel is buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Contents
[hide] 1 Discography 1.1 Albums
2 References
3 External links
A contre-temps
Edith Lefel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Adan syèl lanmou mwen
Ou ka briyé toultan
Parmi tout zétwal sé vou ki lidéyal
Parfun tristès anvayi nou
Mwen pa ni fòs pou sipòté soufrans a labsans ou
Pati pou ou pa viré
Sé vou mwen révé Bondié ba mwen
An ti van foli séparé nou
A contretemps
(An sans envers nou té kité nou
Pou toujou)
Sé "à contretemps"
(I ni èspwa pou nou pé viré)
A contretemps
(Mwen èspéré ki nou pa pou lavi)
Sé à contretemps han han
Ou posté tjè ba mwen
Ou pa mété adrès
Mwen té ka sonjé lè kò nou té an ivrès
Mwen bizwen an rèv
Pou mwen pé kontinyé gadé'w
Pozé zyé mwen asou somey ou
Dévisajé'w chak jou
Menm si jou ka lévé
Mwen asiz la ka kouté tjè'w
An mélodi ki ka chayé mwen
An parfun lanmou anvayi nou
A contretemps
(Pa ni loraj ki ké rété mwen)
Sé a contretemps
(Siklòn pasé asi chimen nou)
A contretemps
(Mwen ké kriyé pli fò ki tonnè)
Sé a contretemps han han
(Pli fò ki tonnè)
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Parfum d'amour
Caresses velours
Mwen ka sonjé lè kò an nou té an ivrès
Parfum d'amour
(Parfum d'amour)
Caresses velours
Mwen ka sonjé lè kò an nou té an ivrès
Zétwal ja tonbé an pyé'w
Mwen révé'w ou konprann sa
Goutte à goutte lapli zyé'w anvayi mwen pou toujou
Parfum d'amour
(Parfum d'amour)
Caresses velours
(Caresses toujours)
Mwen ka sonjé lè kò nou té an ivrès
Tjè-
Parfum d'amour
(Mwen ka sonjé)
Caresses velours
Mwen ka sonjé lè kò nou té an ivrès
Transfòmé zyé'w an fontenn
Pou najé "à l'infini"
Mwen ka néyé adan dlo ki koulé adan zyé'w
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Kasi kasa
The song “A contre-temps” by Edith Lefel is a beautiful ballad that expresses the pain of separation from a loved one. The lyrics describe the singer’s deep love for their partner, who is their ideal and the inspiration behind everything they do. However, their absence has left the singer feeling empty and helpless, without the strength to endure their suffering alone. They dream of reuniting with their lover, but the forces of fate seem to be conspiring against them, leaving them perpetually out of sync and at odds with one another.
The chorus repeats the phrase “a contre-temps,” which means “out of synch,” underscoring the theme of the song. The lyrics depict the hopelessness of being disconnected from someone you love, unable to find a way back to each other. Despite this, the song is full of tender, nostalgic memories of happier times, with soft caresses and the scent of love evoking the sweetness of the couple's earlier days. In short, "A contre-temps" is a beautifully crafted song about the pain of being separated from a loved one and the hope of eventually finding a way back to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Kasi kasa, kasi kasi kasi kasa
Repetitive phrase for emphasis
Adan syèl lanmou mwen
In the love sky of mine
Ou ka briyé toultan
You shine always
Parmi tout zétwal sé vou ki lidéyal
Among all the stars, you are the ideal one
Van té ka chayé tout niyaj ki té lé baré'w
The wind blew away all the clouds that were blocking you from me
Parfun tristès anvayi nou
The scent of sadness overwhelms us
Mwen pa ni fòs pou sipòté soufrans a labsans ou
I do not have the strength to bear the suffering of your absence
Pati pou ou pa viré
I left so that you wouldn't turn back
Sé vou mwen révé Bondié ba mwen
It's you I ask God to give me
An ti van foli séparé nou
In a crazy wind, we were separated
A contretemps
Out of sync or offbeat
(An sans envers nou té kité nou
(In an inverse sense, we left each other
Pou toujou)
Forever)
Sé "à contretemps"
It's 'out of sync' (in French)
(I ni èspwa pou nou pé viré)
(There is hope for us to turn around)
A contretemps
Out of sync or offbeat
(Mwen èspéré ki nou pa pou lavi)
(I hope that we are not destined for this in life)
Sé à contretemps han han
It's 'out of sync' (in French, with an interjection)
Ou posté tjè ba mwen
You left a stake for me
Ou pa mété adrès
You did not put an address
Mwen té ka sonjé lè kò nou té an ivrès
I remember when we were drunk on each other
Mwen bizwen an rèv
I need a dream
Pou mwen pé kontinyé gadé'w
So I can continue to look at you
Pozé zyé mwen asou somey ou
My eyes resting on your sleep
Dévisajé'w chak jou
Contemplating you every day
Menm si jou ka lévé
Even if the day starts
Mwen asiz la ka kouté tjè'w
I am sitting here listening to you
An mélodi ki ka chayé mwen
In a melody that carries me away
An parfun lanmou anvayi nou
In the scent of love that overwhelms us
Pa ni loraj ki ké rété mwen
There are no storms that will keep me
Sé a contretemps
It's 'out of sync' (in French)
(Siklòn pasé asi chimen nou)
(A hurricane passed on our path)
(Mwen ké kriyé pli fò ki tonnè)
(I will cry louder than thunder)
Sé a contretemps han han
It's 'out of sync' (in French, with an interjection)
Parfum d'amour
Scent of love
Caresses velours
Velvet caresses
Zétwal ja tonbé an pyé'w
Stars have fallen at your feet
Mwen révé'w ou konprann sa
I dreamed of you understanding that
Goutte à goutte lapli zyé'w anvayi mwen pou toujou
Drop by drop, the rain of your eyes overwhelms me forever
(Caresses toujours)
(Caresses always)
Tjè-
Stake
Mwen ka sonjé lè kò nou té an ivrès
I remember when we were drunk on each other
Transfòmé zyé'w an fontenn
Transform your eyes into a fountain
Pou najé "à l'infini"
To swim 'to infinity'
Writer(s): Ronald Rubinel
Contributed by Ella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@aympc25
Edith et sa belle voix dans mon cœur à jamais. Je lui apporte un bouquet de fleurs quand je vais sur Paris. ❤
@nanalala9935
Les mots ne peuvent d'écrire a quel point Edith m'a marquee et j'aime son art j'espère que ses enfants un jour trouverons toutes ces notes d'amour
@novaeratv8282
C'est bien dommage de ne pas voir cette Dame chanter maintenant...
mais son énergie et son âme sont toujours vivantes dans chaque chanson...
@anaisra8606
Qui est là pour cette merveille en 2021 ?
@lindasieba3755
Très très belle femme...Une reine caribéenne et jolie mélodie, belles paroles. Inoubliable
@fleur5906
Oui elle était ravissante. Le Seigneur lui a donné une belle beauté. Et ces textes et paroles était à son image, sublime.
@ozziedinma2025
I use to watch the videoclip of this song in the 90's on a satellite channel that shows zouk music. Her beauty and music gets to me even without understanding the language. I just found out recently while searching for her on u tube that this beautiful lady is no more. Rip 😭😭😭.
@fleur5906
19 ans déjà.
Merci Seigneur pour ces msges,a travers ses textes
@lysiapelmard2792
Magnifique chanson en l'écoutant j'ai l'impression nouvelles chansons, nouvelles mélodie ❤️ c'est pour cela je le dit et je le répète c'est une immortelle 😭❤️👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@lauralythelamon8956
moi j'adore Édith Lefel car toute ses chansons sont belles et elle encore plus mon idole repose en paix je t'adore