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
Sos Mémé
Edith Lefel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lè ou koumansé vyéyi sa rèd
Ou kondané a viv tou sèl
(Chantèz + chantè)
Malgré tan ka pasé ou pé pa oubliyé
Ou sonjé lè ou té jenn tout moun-lan té pli pré'w
Jòdi laj-la monté é yo abandoné'w
Tou sa ka rété'w sé lanmen'w pou priyé
Lanmou
(Kè)
Lanmou souplé
(Chantèz)
Tou sa yo ka mand'w sé an ti moman
(Chantèz)
Lanmou
(Kè)
Lanmou [?]
(Duo)
Sa nou pou bayo
Sé ti tak tandrès
(Chantè)
Koté ti manmay mwen pasé
Yo pa ka jen ékri
Pouki
Menm si nou ka soufè nou pa ni sa pou di
An jou yo ké konprann sa ké vini tou sèl
(Duo)
Kon yo ka di kay nou
Ich nou toujou ich nou
Bondié ké fè yo sav
Nou la
Yo pa
(Chantè)
... tou sèl
(Kè)
Lanmou
(Kè)
Souplé
(Chantè)
A pa bouké flè ké konsolé yo
Oh lanmou
Pou yo
(Chantè + Chantèz)
Sa gran manman bizwen
Sé dé bra lanmou
(Chantè + Chantèz)
Sa gran manman bizwen
(Kè)
Sé dé bra lanmou
(Chantèz)
Sa yo enmen
(Kè)
Kouté yo
(Kè)
Sa yo bizwen
(Kè)
Enmé yo
(Chantèz)
Sé dé bra lanmou
(Kè)
Sonjé yo
(Chantèz)
Sa yo enmen
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Enmé yo
Sonjé yo
(Chantèz)
Ba yo lanmou
Soulajé yo
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Enmé yo
Sonjé yo
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Enmé yo
Sonjé yo
Riff gita afriken
(Chantèz)
Ou la pou sa
(Kè)
Laj-la ka monté ka monté sèl bagay yo bizwen sé lanmou
Laj-la ka monté ka monté sèl bagay yo bizwen sé lanmou
(Chantèz)
Sé sa yo bizwen
Sa nou pou bayo
An ti chalè
An ti bonè
Lè-a lè ka tounen ka tounen sèl bagay yo bizwen sé tjenbé
(Kè)
é é é é
é é é é
é é é é
Ou la pousa
(Kè)
é é é é
Ba yo lanmou
Ba yo lanmen
Avan i two ta
Ba yo lanmou
I ké two ta
Enmé yo
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Enmé yo
Sonjé yo
(Chantèz)
An ti kout fil sa ké fè yo plézi
La la li
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Enmé yo
Sonjé yo
The song "Sos Mémé" by Edith Lefel is a beautiful tribute to the strength of love and the importance of companionship in life. The opening lines of the song urge the listener not to give up and live a solitary life. Despite the passing of time, the singer reminds the listener not to forget their youth and memories of when they were young and surrounded by loved ones. The chorus emphasizes the importance of love, with the repetition of the phrase "lanmou souplé" (love, please), conveying a sense of desperation and urgency to hold on to the love that is slipping away.
The second verse of the song depicts the struggles faced by the elderly, who may feel forgotten and ignored by the younger generation who do not understand their experiences. Despite the challenges of aging and loneliness, the chorus once again emphasizes that love is the solution to all problems, and it is necessary to cherish every moment of it. The song ends on a hopeful note, with an African guitar riff and the repetition of the phrase "ou la pour ça" (you are there for this), conveying the feeling that even in the darkest moments, there is always someone there to provide love and support.
Line by Line Meaning
(Chantèz)
Lè ou koumansé vyéyi sa rèd
When you start getting old
Ou kondané a viv tou sèl
You are bound to live alone
(Chantèz + chantè)
Malgré tan ka pasé ou pé pa oubliyé
Despite the time that has passed, you may not forget
Ou sonjé lè ou té jenn tout moun-lan té pli pré'w
You remember when you were young, everybody used to follow you
Jòdi laj-la monté é yo abandoné'w
Now that you are old, they have left you behind
Tou sa ka rété'w sé lanmen'w pou priyé
All that is left for you is to pray with your hands
(Chantèz)
Lanmou
Love
(Kè)
Lanmou souplé
Love is gentle
(Chantèz)
Tou sa yo ka mand'w sé an ti moman
All they ask of me is a little moment
(Chantèz)
Lanmou
Love
(Kè)
Lanmou [?]
Love
(Duo)
Sa nou pou bayo
Sé ti tak tandrès
What we will give them is a small gesture
(Chantè)
Koté ti manmay mwen pasé
Yo pa ka jen ékri
Wherever I go, they don't write
Pouki
Menm si nou ka soufè nou pa ni sa pou di
Why? Even if we are suffering, we don't have anything to say
An jou yo ké konprann sa ké vini tou sèl
One day they will understand that what comes, comes alone
(Duo)
Kon yo ka di kay nou
Ich nou toujou ich nou
Bondié ké fè yo sav
Nou la
Yo pa
As they say, we are always here, God will make them know that we are here, even if they don't
(Chantè)
... tou sèl
...alone
(Kè)
Lanmou
Love
(Kè)
Souplé
Gentle
(Chantè)
A pa bouké flè ké konsolé yo
A bouquet of flowers will not console them
Oh lanmou
Pou yo
Oh love for them
(Chantè + Chantèz)
Sa gran manman bizwen
Sé dé bra lanmou
What a big mother needs are two arms of love
(Chantè + Chantèz)
Sa gran manman bizwen
(Kè)
Sé dé bra lanmou
What a big mother needs are two arms of love
(Chantèz)
Sa yo enmen
What they love
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Listen to them
(Kè)
Sa yo bizwen
What they need
(Kè)
Enmé yo
Love them
(Chantèz)
Sé dé bra lanmou
Two arms of love
(Kè)
Sonjé yo
Remember them
(Chantèz)
Sa yo enmen
What they love
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Listen to them
Enmé yo
Love them
Sonjé yo
Remember them
(Chantèz)
Ba yo lanmou
Soulajé yo
Give them love, relieve them
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Listen to them
Enmé yo
Love them
(Kè)
Sonjé yo
Remember them
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Listen to them
Enmé yo
Sonjé yo
Love them, remember them
(Chantèz)
Ou la pou sa
You are here for that
(Kè)
Laj-la ka monté ka monté sèl bagay yo bizwen sé lanmou
Aging is rising, the only thing they need is love
Laj-la ka monté ka monté sèl bagay yo bizwen sé lanmou
Aging is rising, the only thing they need is love
(Chantèz)
Sé sa yo bizwen
What they need
Sa nou pou bayo
An ti chalè
An ti bonè
What we will give them is a little warmth, in the morning
Lè-a lè ka tounen ka tounen sèl bagay yo bizwen sé tjenbé
When everything is turning, the only thing they need is a drum
(Kè)
é é é é
é é é é
é é é é
Ou la pousa
You are here for this
(Kè)
é é é é
Ba yo lanmou
Ba yo lanmen
Avan i two ta
Ba yo lanmou
I ké two ta
Enmé yo
Love them, give them your hand, before it's too late, give them love, it will be too late to love them later
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Listen to them
Enmé yo
Love them
(Chantèz)
An ti kout fil sa ké fè yo plézi
A little thread that will make them happy
La la li
There, there it is
(Kè)
Kouté yo
Listen to them
Enmé yo
Love them
Sonjé yo
Remember them
Writer(s): edith lefel
Contributed by Wyatt J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nellyobame212
Si on pouvait revenir en arrière l'époque des générations 80-90 furent les meilleurs il n'y a plus de bons chanteurs
@duchesseiboumbi
Vraiment 😢
@louadigare5283
je frisonne et puis j'ai des larmes aux yeux, cette magnifique femme à la voix d'ange est partie trop tôt
@thevasaintauret2452
Elle c est suicider pour ronald rubinel
Tragique 😌😌😌
@teddynaguis2899
@@thevasaintauret2452 C'ETAIT PAS LE SIDA?
@juniorsonier9500
Ce morceaux me déchire le cœur
@mystikqueen6316
Moi aussi je pleure je pense à ma mère 😢🕯️
@moneyenneraphael1697
Eh oui. c était ue voix assez incomparable.
@lysiapelmard1588
Très très belle chanson elle restera immortelle dans nos mémoires,en 2023:je pense à toi, repose en paix 🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
@saddysa
Merci beaucoup d'avoir partagé. J'aimais tellement cette chanson quand j'étais enfant, elle passait à la télé nationale en République du Congo. Que de beaux souvenirs!