Born Jérôme Cotta in Marseille, Jehro moved to London at age 20, where he u… Read Full Bio ↴Born Jérôme Cotta in Marseille, Jehro moved to London at age 20, where he used to live in an artists' squat in Hammersmith, performing in the tube. He now lives in Paris and using his guitar skills he composes acoustic songs with a mixed Caribbean/reggae/folk/Latin sound.

As a child Jehro’s imagination was fuelled by the dreams of his Greek-Italian-Corsican mother, and the songs of his Georges Brassens-inspired singer of a father in the Panier area of In that Hammersmith artists’ squat he immersed himself in pop, rock and reggae, surrounded by Spanish and Jamaican musicians. Perfecting his skills as a guitarist by covering all his favorite pop standards, he broke free from his native French by lending his voice to the songs of his new-found idols - he fell in love with Bob Marley’s music, its roots and its spirituality, when busking to it in London's tube stations.

He then moved to Paris, settling in a small hotel on the rue Marcadet in the 18th Arrondissement. A new city meant new places to play: Pigalle, Montmartre, Belleville, Saint-Germain, where he wrote the lyrics and music for his first solo album. “L’arbre et le fruit” was released by Chrysalis / EMI under his real name Jérôme Cotta, earning him well-deserved praise from the French critics in 1999. Jérôme’s songs were heard on the radio, and he took to jamming in the studio of a couple of new acquaintances he met in the courtyard of his block of flats: Christian Brun and Richard Minier. By giving him the opportunity to explore new musical avenues and Jehro moved away from his solo career and sparked a profitable artistic collaboration.

From indo-electro theme tunes for the advertising industry through calypso-pop songs co-written and sung for the Marathonians’ “A Tropical Soul Adventure” LP (Superfruit, 2003), Jehro was gradually finding his own distinctive voice. Somewhere in the South of France, in a little village full of sing-song accents and surrounded by ochre-red hills and olive groves, he came up with the first tune of an album almost entirely written in English, “Shantytown Carnival,” produced by the Marathonians duo and signed to their Superfruit record label. Jehro’s self-titled debut is an album inspired by Caribbean and American grassroots music (reggae, folk, Latin etc.), full of snapshots and tales from the lives of ordinary people.

More information, tour dates, and photos can be found at: http://jehro.free.fr/htmlen/home.htm

Salima
Jehro Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh mi unico amor
Yo te doy el mar ain sol
Oh lo siento Salima
Dejame solo ahora

Salima, Salima, Salima
Perdona me ...

Oh mi unico amor
No te ofrezco el sol
Oh querido amor
Ni sueños de casa con risas de niños, Salima
No te ofrezco la luna que tu esperas
Mañanas dulces con ramos de flores

Con me soledad
Con me soledad
Con me soledad
Oh oh oh
Con me soledad
Con me libertad
Ando solo

Oh en esta cancion
Quizas loeras mi corazon

Aqui an un, ultimo perdon
Quedermos amigos

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are from Jehro's song Salima. The opening lines express the singer's deep love for Salima, his only love, and how he offers her the sea and sun. However, there is a sense of regret and an apology in his tone as he sings "Oh lo siento Salima, Dejame solo ahora" (Oh, I'm sorry Salima, leave me alone now). He then repeats Salima's name multiple times, asking for forgiveness.

The following lines reveal that the singer cannot offer Salima the moon and other romantic things she expects in a relationship. Instead, he is lonely and free, implying that he cannot commit to her emotionally. The repetition of "con me soledad" (with my loneliness) adds to the feeling of isolation and detachment.

Overall, the song captures a sense of love and loss, with the singer lamenting over a relationship that cannot be. He recognizes his limitations and hopes to remain friends with Salima despite the romantic setback.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh mi unico amor
Jehro addresses his one true love, expressing his affection and devotion to her.

Yo te doy el mar ain sol
Jehro offers his love an overwhelming gift, promising her the sun, sea, and everything in between.

Oh lo siento Salima
Jehro apologizes to Salima, possibly for not being able to provide everything she desires.

Dejame solo ahora
Jehro asks Salima to leave him alone for the moment.

Salima, Salima, Salima
Jehro repeats Salima's name, emphasizing her importance in his life and to the song's themes.

Perdona me ...
Jehro asks for Salima's forgiveness, possibly after having hurt her.

No te ofrezco el sol
Jehro admits that he cannot offer his love the world's greatest gifts or fulfill all her dreams.

Oh querido amor
Jehro addresses his love once again, reaffirming his feelings for her.

Ni sueños de casa con risas de niños, Salima
Jehro explicitly states that he cannot provide Salima with the dream of a happy home filled with children's laughter.

No te ofrezco la luna que tu esperas
Jehro cannot offer Salima the impossible or improbable, such as promising her the moon.

Mañanas dulces con ramos de flores
Jehro cannot give Salima cliche romantic gestures such as sweet morning gestures and flowers.

Con me soledad
Jehro admits to being lonely, possibly due to struggles within his relationship with Salima.

Con me soledad
Jehro repeats his statement of loneliness, hoping for a resolution to his emotional state.

Con me soledad
Jehro once again states his loneliness, possibly as a way to emphasize his personal struggles.

Oh oh oh
Jehro seems to express a sense of pathos and sadness, potentially due to his relationship issues.

Con me soledad
Jehro repeats his statement of loneliness, hoping for a resolution to his emotional state.

Con me libertad
Jehro turns the tables, stating that he finds solace and freedom in his solitude.

Ando solo
Jehro is walking alone, either literally or expressing a feeling of being isolated in his state of mind.

Oh en esta cancion
Jehro dedicates this song to his love, as a way to express his emotions through music.

Quizas loeras mi corazon
Jehro hopes that Salima will listen to the song and understand his heart better.

Aqui an un, ultimo perdon
Jehro offers a final apology for any pain he has caused Salima, potentially as an attempt at closure.