The 36-year-old Malian is a rising star on France’s music scene with titles… Read Full Bio ↴The 36-year-old Malian is a rising star on France’s music scene with titles like “Let’s Go to Bamako”, that might be nostalgic tunes celebrating Mali’s capital, but that sound more like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera than the music of Modja’s compatriots Salif Keita and Rokia Traore.

“I’m what I call ‘rock ‘n’ love’”, she tells Reuters Africa Journal when asked how she herself would categorize her music. “It’s not rock ‘n’ roll because I don’t go silly drinking or taking drugs, but I’m really rock, so I’m ‘rock ‘n’ love’.”

Inna Modja released her debut album, “Everyday is a new world” in France in October 2009 and her first video, “Mr. H”, shows all the hallmarks of a pop princess and has enjoyed a lot of play on French TV stations.

Born in Mali, she lived in Nigeria, Togo and the USA with her diplomat parents before making Paris her home when she was 18. “I like my life in Paris,” she says. “I love my friends, people close to me – my daily life is very important to me. But in Bamako I have my family – this big town full of energy. I love the market and I love to walk along the banks of the river Niger.” Legendary world musician Salif Keita is one of her mentors. Inna Modja sang back-up for his band, the “Bamako Rail Band” before she decided to go solo.

In spite of the close ties that she maintains to her home country, Modja’s music is definitely a departure from what we usually think of as World Music or “African sound”. But then, what is African sound? And should upcoming African musicians like Inna Modja embrace influences from all over the world; or should they be ambassadors of their own musical heritage?
Bamako, Mali

Happy love song
Inna Modja Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I met you
Did know what good loves
And your sweat talk
Just rip ride on

And well that dark the reason why
you crash to mall and to make them feeling so small
i push to will by handle tight

Then i can't in
i givin'

but when sing my life
i can ride
the happy love song
when i thinking 'bout my thing
the secant any goes wrong

trick my crappy hangings for my happy when have last
sing along sing along sing along my happy love song

Overall Meaning

In these lyrics from Inna Modja's song "Happy Love Song," the singer is reflecting on their relationship with another person. The song begins with the singer saying that when they first met this person, they didn't know what good love was, but that their partner's sweet talk won them over. However, there seems to be a darker side to the relationship, with something causing the person to "crash to mall" and make others feel small. The singer then says that they had to hold on tight to get through this difficult time, but that they gave their all to make the relationship work.

Line by Line Meaning

When I met you
From the moment I first encountered you

Did know what good loves
I did not know what a good love was until I met you

And your sweat talk
Your sweet words and compliments

Just rip ride on
Had an intense impact on me

And well that dark the reason why
And although it was a dark period

you crash to mall and to make them feeling so small
You attacked those who belittled others

i push to will by handle tight
I hold on tightly to my willpower and determination

Then i can't in
And I can't give up

i givin'
I keep giving my all

but when sing my life
However, when I sing about my life

i can ride
I can experience a sense of freedom