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
Contre-Temps
Edith Lefel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cassi cassa-cassi cassi cassa
Adan syel lanmou mwen
Ou ka briyé tout le temps
Parmi tout′ zétwal cé vou ki lidéal
Vent té ka chayé
Tout' niaj ki té lé baré-w
Mwen pani foss pou sipoté
Souffrance a labsence ou
Pati pou ou pa viré
Sé vou mwen révé bondié ba mwen
An ti vent foli séparé nou (à contre temps)
An sens inverse nou té kité nou pou toujou (à contre temps)
Ini espwa pou nou pé viré (à contre temps)
An ka espéré ki nou pa bani pou la vi
(Cé à contre temps)
Ou posté tchè ba mwen
Ou pa mété adresse
Mwen té ka sonjé
Lè ko an nou té an ivrès
Mwen bizoin en rèv
Pou mwen pé kontinié gadé-w
Posé zié mwen assou somey ou
Dévisagé-w chak jou encô
Mem si jou ka lévé
Mwen assise la ka kouté tchè-w
An mélodi ki ka chayé mwen
An parfum lanmou envahi nou(à contre temps)
Pani loraj ki ké rété mwen(à contre temps)
Cyclone passé assi chimin nou(à contre temps)
Mwen ké krié pli fo ki tonnè(à contre temps)
Pli fô ki tonnè
Cassi cassa-cassi cassi cassa
Parfum d′amour
Caresses velours
Mwen ka sonjé lè kô an nou té an ivrès
Parfum d'amour (parfum d'amour)
Caresses velours
Mwen ka sonjé lè kô an nou té an ivès
Zétwal ja tombé an pié-w
Mwen révé ou kompren′ sa
Goutte à goutte la pli zié-w
Envahi mwen pou toujou
Parfum d′amour (parfum d'amour)
Caresses velours (caresses toujours)
Mwen ka sonjé lè kô an nou té an ivrès
Transformé zié-w an fontaine
Pou najé a linfini
Mwen ka néyé adan dlo ki coulé adan zié-w
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa...
The song "Contre-temps" by Edith Lefel talks about the complexity of being in a relationship that is challenged by time and distance. The lyrics use metaphors such as the stars, wind, and rain to illustrate the gap between the two lovers. The singer in the song feels the absence of their loved one, and it is torturing them. She sings about love's scent that still surrounds her, and the memories of their time together that still linger on even though their relationship is not where it should be. The phrase "Contre-temps" means out of sync, and it highlights the central theme of the song: that the couple's timing is wrong, and their love affair is out of sync.
Edith Lefel's lyrics are poetic and vivid. The song speaks to the heart, and it's easy for anyone to relate to it. The use of creole French in the song adds to its beauty, making it a rich blend of Caribbean and African influences. As a result, it is not limited to the French-speaking world but appeals to a broader audience. The song's melody manages to capture the sadness, longing, and heartache in the lyrics, making it an emotional journey that the listener can go on.
Line by Line Meaning
Cassi cassa-cassi cassi cassa
Repetitive sounds of the percussion.
Adan syel lanmou mwen
My love's in the sky.
Ou ka briyé tout le temps
You shine all the time.
Parmi tout′ zétwal cé vou ki lidéal
Of all the stars, you are the ideal one.
Vent té ka chayé
The wind was blowing.
Tout' niaj ki té lé baré-w
All the clouds that wanted to veil you.
Parfum tristess envahi nou
A scent of sadness invaded us.
Mwen pani foss pou sipoté
I have no strength to bear it.
Souffrance a labsence ou
The pain of your absence.
Pati pou ou pa viré
I left so you wouldn't turn around.
Sé vou mwen révé bondié ba mwen
You are the one I dream about, God gave you to me.
An ti vent foli séparé nou (à contre temps)
In a wild little wind, we were separated (out of sync).
An sens inverse nou té kité nou pou toujou (à contre temps)
In reverse, we left each other forever (out of sync).
Ini espwa pou nou pé viré (à contre temps)
Hope to be able to return to each other someday (out of sync).
An ka espéré ki nou pa bani pou la vi
I hope we are not banned from life.
(Cé à contre temps)
(It's out of sync).
Ou posté tchè ba mwen
You left me without an address.
Ou pa mété adresse
You didn't leave an address.
Mwen té ka sonjé
I remember.
Lè ko an nou té an ivrès
When we were drunk in love.
Mwen bizoin en rèv
I need a dream.
Pou mwen pé kontinié gadé-w
So I can keep watching you.
Posé zié mwen assou somey ou
I want to lay my eyes on you while I sleep.
Dévisagé-w chak jou encô
To look at you every day again.
Mem si jou ka lévé
Even if the day breaks.
Mwen assise la ka kouté tchè-w
I'm sitting here listening to your voice.
An mélodi ki ka chayé mwen
In a melody that moves me.
An parfum lanmou envahi nou(à contre temps)
A scent of love invaded us (out of sync).
Pani loraj ki ké rété mwen(à contre temps)
No storm will keep me down (out of sync).
Cyclone passé assi chimin nou(à contre temps)
Cyclones have passed through our path (out of sync).
Mwen ké krié pli fo ki tonnè(à contre temps)
I will cry louder than the thunder (out of sync).
Pli fô ki tonnè
Louder than thunder.
Parfum d′amour
Scent of love.
Caresses velours
Velvet caresses.
Mwen ka sonjé lè kô an nou té an ivrès
I remember when we were drunk in love.
Zétwal ja tombé an pié-w
The star has fallen at your feet.
Mwen révé ou kompren′ sa
I dreamt of you and I understand that.
Goutte à goutte la pli zié-w
Drop by drop, my eyes are filled with tears.
Envahi mwen pou toujou
They fill me up forever.
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa
Repetitive sounds of the percussion.
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa
Repetitive sounds of the percussion.
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa
Repetitive sounds of the percussion.
Cassi cassa cassi cassi cassa
Repetitive sounds of the percussion.
Writer(s): Ronald Rubinel
Contributed by Gabriel R. 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