Amazon.com's Editorial Emelin Michel:
" Here on Rasin Kreyol (which tran… Read Full Bio ↴Amazon.com's Editorial Emelin Michel:
" Here on Rasin Kreyol (which translates as "Creole Roots"), reigning queen of Haitian song Emeline Michel covers a lot of ground, writing songs that draw upon Haitan compas, twoubadou and rara as well as jazz, rock, pop, bossa nova and samba. Whichever direction the singer goes, her voice is clear and forceful as she dramatically imparts her political lyrics in Haitian Creole and French, offering up messages about AIDS, social justice and peace. She does this skill and class: Michel repeats the line "Tell me, where is peace?" to chilling effect on "Mon Rêve," where she's joined by background singers, flute and voodoo hand drums. At the other end of the spectrum, "Ban'm La Jwa" is uplifting with its driving calypso-jazz grooves. While the singer has released a handful of albums as imports over a 15-year career, Rasin Kreyol, her Times Square records debut, is a standout that should help U.S. audiences catch up with the French speaking world that already adores her. "
-- Tad Hendrickson

Banda
Emeline Michel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

SE paw sezi se pa fifty se pa jay z
Se toujou menm mwen menm nan trouble boy
Repriz refren
Mwen cool

Ou mèt pale depiw pa manyen'm map toujou cool(map toujou rete cool)
Se mwen kap mennen tout kote se mwen se sak fèm cool(cool cool
Fè komantè mande koman'm fè mwen'm toujou cool(cool cool cool)

Mwen cool

Ou mèt pale depiw pa manyen'm map toujou Soul
Se mwen kap mennen tout kote se mwen se sak fèm cool
Fè komantè mande koman'm fè mwen'm toujou cool(cool cool cool
Mwen paka diw konbyen fanm mwen montre jwe boutèy jwe de fil ou verite
Sa se sekrè mwen menm avè yo

Cheri siw cool vin verifye
Yo di verite pa janm kache men sou tlf mwen gen foto
Menm gen video'k kache epi gen nan yo m konn bay poto
Gen fanm ki konn ap pran poz yo oh wi yo rayi tigason sa
Poutan'm m gen foto tout kô yo anndan aplikasyon sa

Repriz refren... Paske
Mwen cool
Ou mèt pale depiw pa manyen'm map toujou cool(map toujou rete cool)
Se mwen kap mennen tout kote se mwen se sak fèm cool(cool cool

Fè komantè mande koman'm fè mwen'm toujou cool(cool cool cool)
Mwen cool

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Emeline Michel's song "Banda" express the artist's confidence and cool demeanor in various situations. In the first verse, she asserts that she is always cool, regardless of the circumstances and regardless of what others may think of her. She references not being easily impressed by fame or wealth, highlighting that she remains true to herself and unaffected by external influences. The repetition of the word "cool" emphasizes her self-assurance and invites listeners to embrace their own coolness.

The second verse emphasizes Michel's ability to stay cool even when faced with negativity or criticism. She dismisses the opinions of others and asserts that she is the one leading the way and defining her own coolness. She is the one who determines how she carries herself and how she presents herself to the world. The use of the word "Soul" suggests that her coolness is rooted in her inner strength and authenticity.

The lyrics also touch upon the notion of privacy and secrets. Michel hints at having secrets and things that she keeps hidden from the public. She alludes to showing different sides of herself to different people, suggesting that her coolness is not a facade but rather an expression of her multifaceted personality. However, she also implies that there are aspects of her life that she keeps private and only shares with a select few.

Overall, the lyrics of "Banda" celebrate self-confidence, authenticity, and the ability to maintain composure and coolness in the face of criticism or adversity. Emeline Michel encourages listeners to embrace their true selves, trust their instincts, and not let external opinions or judgments dictate their sense of coolness.

Line by Line Meaning

SE paw sezi se pa fifty se pa jay z
It's not you, it's not fifty, it's not Jay-Z

Se toujou menm mwen menm nan trouble boy
I'm always in trouble, just me

Repriz refren
Chorus repeat

Mwen cool
I'm cool

Ou mèt pale depiw pa manyen'm map toujou cool(map toujou rete cool)
You can talk all you want, touch me, I'll always stay cool (always remain cool)

Se mwen kap mennen tout kote se mwen se sak fèm cool(cool cool
It's me who leads everywhere, it's me, that's what makes me cool (cool, cool)

Fè komantè mande koman'm fè mwen'm toujou cool(cool cool cool)
Make comments asking how I stay cool (cool, cool, cool)

Mwen cool
I'm cool

Ou mèt pale depiw pa manyen'm map toujou Soul
You can talk all you want, touch me, I'll always be soulful

Se mwen kap mennen tout kote se mwen se sak fèm cool
It's me who leads everywhere, it's me, that's what makes me cool

Fè komantè mande koman'm fè mwen'm toujou cool(cool cool cool
Make comments asking how I stay cool (cool, cool, cool)

Mwen paka diw konbyen fanm mwen montre jwe boutèy jwe de fil ou verite
I can't tell you how many women I've shown playing bottles, playing threads, or truth

Sa se sekrè mwen menm avè yo
That's my secret with them

Cheri siw cool vin verifye
Sweetheart if you're cool come verify

Yo di verite pa janm kache men sou tlf mwen gen foto
They say the truth is never hidden, but on my phone I have photos

Menm gen video'k kache epi gen nan yo m konn bay poto
Even videos hidden and some of them I often give photos

Gen fanm ki konn ap pran poz yo oh wi yo rayi tigason sa
There are women who are known to take those poses, oh yes, they hate that guy

Poutan'm m gen foto tout kô yo anndan aplikasyon sa
However, I have photos of their entire bodies in this app

Repriz refren... Paske
Chorus repeat... Because

Mwen cool
I'm cool

Ou mèt pale depiw pa manyen'm map toujou cool(map toujou rete cool)
You can talk all you want, touch me, I'll always stay cool (always remain cool)

Se mwen kap mennen tout kote se mwen se sak fèm cool(cool cool
It's me who leads everywhere, it's me, that's what makes me cool (cool, cool)

Fè komantè mande koman'm fè mwen'm toujou cool(cool cool cool)
Make comments asking how I stay cool (cool, cool, cool)

Mwen cool
I'm cool