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
Bonm' saint doux
Edith Lefel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Toujou genti epi nonm la ki fè w inmé la vi
Y kriyé w bonm saint doux
Bel kado ka tombé éé ou pa ni ayen a riprochéy
Mè pinson pa sav ki bonm sint doux ta la
Pe viré bel bon gaz
Jodi y décidé wouvè finet la vi y
Tou sa ki ka passé dot koté ééé
Refrain
Bonm saint doux x6
Mi i y ni on son
Ki ja ka biin roulé
Tou pre kay la aaa
Lè misic la tro bel
Ouvè minme finèt la
Jodi pa ni domi pou li
Mè misié la
Poko dacor
Kite bonm saint doux y soti
Y ka soukoué tèt li
O souè pa ni bonm saint doux
Osouè la sé bon gaz ki ni
Y décidé sé pou y chapé éé
Refrain
Ki té y chapé
Pou y pa explosé
Mwen di w ki té y chape en en
Kité y chapé ééé
Jis ka fété éééé
Refrain
Pou y pa explosé
Hé hé hé hé hé
Nou pas jenmin konten di sa bondié ban nou
Pa jin ni assé émotion sé plis nou lé plis
Satisfaction on on envi allé gadé
Sé sa selmen nou ka mandééé
Satisfaction on on on jou y découvè
Sa ki la vérité éé
Hé hé hé hé hé
Refrain
Bonm saint doux
Bonm saint doux ou ou
O souè la sé bon gaz ki ni iii
Jodi la sé bon gaz ki ni
Refrain
The song "Bonm' saint doux" by Edith Lefel is a beautiful tribute to a man who is referred to as "Bonm' saint doux" which translates to "nice and sweet man" in English. The song praises this man for being a gentle and kind soul who adds value to the lives of those around him. The lyrics make mention of the fact that even though this man is adored and celebrated, there is another man in his life who doesn't seem to appreciate him or understand the value he adds. This other man is described as being stubborn and not seeing the good in "Bonm' saint doux" as others do.
The song also touches on the importance of music in bringing people together. The lyrics mention how when the music starts playing, everyone gathers together and opens up the party. The beat and melody of the song are infectious, and the lyrics encourage people to dance and celebrate all the good things in life. The overall message of the song is to celebrate and appreciate the nice and sweet people in our lives who add value and joy to our existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Fanm minm si w
Similar to you woman, always gentle, and the man who loves you is your life
Toujou genti epi nonm la ki fè w inmé la vi
Always gentle with the man who makes your life lovely
Y kriyé w bonm saint doux
They call you good and sweet
Bel kado ka tombé éé ou pa ni ayen a riprochéy
Beautiful gifts that fall and you have nothing to complain about
Mè pinson pa sav ki bonm sint doux ta la
But Pinson doesn't know that the sweet and good man is here
Pe viré bel bon gaz
Then it turned to beautiful gas
Jodi y décidé wouvè finet la vi y
Today he decides to open the end of his life
Envi alé gadé ossi ii
Want to go and see it too
Tou sa ki ka passé dot koté ééé
All that is happening elsewhere
Bonm saint doux x6
Good, sweet man
Mi i y ni on son
It has a sound
Ki ja ka biin roulé
Which has been rolled so well
Tou pre kay la aaa
All around the house
Lè misic la tro bel
When the music is too beautiful
Ouvè minme finèt la
Open the same end of his life
Jodi pa ni domi pou li
Today, there is no sleep for it
Mè misié la
But the man
Poko dacor
Not yet agreeing
Kite bonm saint doux y soti
Let the good and sweet man out
Y ka soukoué tèt li
He's banging his head
O souè pa ni bonm saint doux
In the evening, there's no good, sweet man
Osouè la sé bon gaz ki ni
In the evening, it's the good gas that is here
Y décidé sé pou y chapé éé
He decides it's time to escape
Ki té y chapé
He who has escaped
Pou y pa explosé
So he doesn't explode
Mwen di w ki té y chape en en
I tell you who escaped
Kité y chapé ééé
Let him escape
Jis ka fété éééé
Just to celebrate
Hé hé hé hé hé
Hey hey hey hey hey
Nou pas jenmin konten di sa bondié ban nou
We are never satisfied with what God gives us
Pa jin ni assé émotion sé plis nou lé plis
There are not enough emotions, the more we want the more we want
Satisfaction on on envi allé gadé
Satisfaction, we want to go and see it
Sé sa selmen nou ka mandééé
It's just what we ask for
Satisfaction on on on jou y découvè
Satisfaction, one day we discover it
Sa ki la vérité éé
That's the truth
Bonm saint doux
Good, sweet man
Bonm saint doux ou ou
Good, sweet man
O souè la sé bon gaz ki ni iii
In the evening, it's the good gas that is here
Jodi la sé bon gaz ki ni
Today it's the good gas that is here
Writer(s): Lefel Edith Claudine, Rubinel Ronald Clair Louis Charles
Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@juvenssonceau9497
2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣edithe tu restera toujours dans nos cœurs ♥️
@user-yh8pc6dn3n
Paix à son âme .Superbe chanson de 1995- 1996
@falldior9914
Que le Paradis des anges soit sa demeure éternelle . Repose en paix la Diva Édith Lefel .
@twist5702
Edith ♥️ ♥️♥️♥️♥️2021 i don’t Forget You ,,,ta voix,tes textes Edith ♥️♥️♥️♥️beaucoup d’amour.RESPECT 😔
@clarissecluzel3514
Magnifique 🥰
@eugenejohanne1669
Femme extraordinaire : paix a ton âme
@molene686
J'aime toujours cette musique ❤️❤️🙏
@kennyvivelestransportsurba7284
Edith Lefel tu nous manques beaucoup repose en paix
@stephiejoseph8840
RIP Edith Lefel!!!
@clotildel310
Pas un mois ne passe sans que je ne pense à elle