" 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
Fe Van Pou Mwen
Emeline Michel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kité barik pran lari
Tounen téson gravié
pou manjé maléré
Li midi tout bourik ap ranni,
Pandan kabrit ap simen famasi,
Soley la pou lé'm
Li vlé fè'm anrajé,Dlo nan jé dlo nan kô
M'ap pé swé tout koté,
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
yoy yoy yoy
yoy yoy yoy
yoyyyyyyyy
Pandan m'ap di-w sa
Marengwen débaké,
Ac ki on dividal mouche
Ka kwensé'm k'ap môdé'm,
Li midi men tout kloche ap sonnen,
Férayè sou bôd mè déchennen,
Yo fè plantché k'ap pasé
K'ap fè fou k'ap rélé,
K'ap mandé ach'té po mak
Chodiè ki krévé,
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Fè van pou mwen
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Fè van pou mwen
yoy yoy yoy
yoy yoy yoy
yoyyyyyyyy
Ki koté van pasé,
Fôk tann jou klèk karèm
Lè tan rara rivé,
Lè nodè fè péchè pè lanmè,
Lè fréchè ap pousé do chalè,
Le sa chéri m'ap simen
Bèl franj sou ou,
M'ap fè-w monté nan syèl
Tankou yon sèvolan,
Bôd fil pou mwen ti moun,
Bôd fil pou mwen m'anvi filé-w,
Chéri, gen vaann,
gen van
gen van
gen van
yoy yoy yoy
yoy yoy yoy
yoyyyyyyyy.
The lyrics of "Fe Van Pou Mwen" by Emeline Michel allude to the struggles of living in Haiti and being surrounded by poverty and suffering. The first verse talks about walking through the streets and encountering the harsh reality of people living in poverty, with donkeys running wild and goats finding food wherever they can. Meanwhile, the sun beats down causing frustration and leading to the desire to rage against the system. The use of imagery in this verse paints a vivid and chaotic picture of the street, highlighting the difficult and challenging living conditions present in the country.
The chorus, "fe van pou mwen chéri," is a call to action, asking for help and support. The repetition of the phrase follows the Haitian tradition of singing a chorus multiple times, emphasizing the importance of the request. The following verses mention the frustrations of being surrounded by flies and mosquitoes, which can make someone feel like they're being attacked, leading to feelings of loneliness and vulnerability. The second verse mentions the sounds of church bells ringing, creating a sense of impending doom, as well as people pleading and begging for scraps of food on the streets. The final verse talks about waiting for the refreshing wind of the rara festival, which is a joyful and colorful event that takes place in Haiti once a year. This event provides a moment of temporary relief to the despair and poverty that the people face in their daily lives. Overall, the song speaks to the difficulties of living in Haiti and the need for support and solidarity to overcome these struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Grenn sèl bôri sit,
The salt shaker is empty,
Kité barik pran lari
Leave the barricades and take to the streets
Tounen téson gravié
Come back with heavy loads
pou manjé maléré
to feed the poor
Li midi tout bourik ap ranni,
At noon, all the donkeys are braying
Pandan kabrit ap simen famasi,
While the goats are spreading rumors
Soley la pou lé'm
The sun is scorching me
Li vlé fè'm anrajé,
It wants to make me angry
Dlo nan jé dlo nan kô
Water in the sky, water in the heart
M'ap pé swé tout koté,
I'm sweating everywhere
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Make a breeze for me, dear
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Make a breeze for me, dear
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Make a breeze for me, dear
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Make a breeze for me, dear
yoy yoy yoy
yoy yoy yoy
Pandan m'ap di-w sa
While I'm telling you this
Marengwen débaké,
Sea grapes are baked
Ac ki on dividal mouche
With what kind of fly divide me
Ka kwensé'm k'ap môdé'm,
Can you imagine that they're cursing me?
Li midi men tout kloche ap sonnen,
But at noon, all the bells are ringing
Férayè sou bôd mè déchennen,
Horses on the shore are stamping
Yo fè plantché k'ap pasé
They make me cry as they pass by
K'ap fè fou k'ap rélé,
Going crazy, yelling
K'ap mandé ach'té po mak
Asking to buy makeshift things
Chodiè ki krévé,
Broken pots
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Make a breeze for me, dear
Fè van pou mwen
Make a breeze for me
Fè van pou mwen chéri,
Make a breeze for me, dear
Fè van pou mwen
Make a breeze for me
yoy yoy yoy
yoy yoy yoy
Ba gen van k'ap souflé
There are winds blowing
Ki koté van pasé,
Where are the winds passing by?
Fôk tann jou klèk karèm
We have to wait a few more days
Lè tan rara rivé,
When the rara comes
Lè nodè fè péchè pè lanmè,
When the night is full of sin and fear
Lè fréchè ap pousé do chalè,
When the chill is pushing against your back
Le sa chéri m'ap simen
Then, my dear, I'll sow
Bèl franj sou ou,
Beautiful fringe on you
M'ap fè-w monté nan syèl
I'll make you rise up to the sky
Tankou yon sèvolan,
Like a seagull
Bôd fil pou mwen ti moun,
A fishing line for me, little one
Bôd fil pou mwen m'anvi filé-w,
A fishing line for me, I want to reel you in
Chéri, gen vaann,
Dear, there are sails
gen van
There are winds
gen van
There are winds
gen van
There are winds
yoy yoy yoy
yoy yoy yoy
Contributed by Hunter D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jean Roosevelt Ostine
on Gade Papi
bonjou emeline michel mw pa konnen ki sa pou mw fe pou atis pam nan se yo nan moun mw fou poli ok mw prnte pou bay kem pouli wi .........