Béroard has served as a lead singer of Kassav' since 1983. She has also recorded several albums as a solo artist. In 1987, she recorded a duet with Philippe Lavil, the hit single "Kolé séré", which peaked at number four in France.
Vie nonm-la
Jocelyne Béroard Lyrics
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San sav' la i ka alé, ni poutchi i garé
men té là ka véyé san menm réfléchi
Saché Kouss an lanmen'y mété'y au ralanti
Vié nonm-là ka palé, lannuit ka vini
Pèsonn pa ka kouté'y, i tou sèl an la ri
Men vansé pou men wè si men té pé ba'y
i souri ban mwen "bonswa"
Men wè Zié'y ka kléré
Men tann li ka chanté ...
Fout' chanté-a té bèl ka palé di avan
Epi an ritounel baguay an tan lontan
Men rété ka kouté pendan nou ka maché
Seten i ka songé tan ki ja pacé
Ou ou ou ou ...
Anpil mélankoli an Tchè'y
Ou ou ou ou...
Mé i té ni dousè an lè'y
Pétèt' an kay-li a té ni plen ti mamay
Jôdi yo té grandi pati lwen pou travay
Mé pétèt' i té chwazi lavi san menm mayé
Pou rété enfidel épi enmen
Ou Ou ou ou ...
Chanté a'y la té ka monté
Ou ou ou ou...
Rivé douvan pot'là i té fini chanté ...
Mandé si Men té pé pran momen pou kouté'y
i mété balé doubout mé tèt' en ba
Pou solitud woté de pié'y la aaa
Ou ou ou ou...
Sa fè mwen sonjé papa-mwen ...
The lyrics of Jocelyne Béroard's song Vie Nonm-La, translated to English as "The Man's Life," speaks of the journey of an old man as he walks alone at nighttime. The first verse describes how he moves slowly, without a care in the world, without thinking about anything else. The next line talks about how he looks around but doesn't think about where he should go. In the following part, the old man speaks, and he asks if anyone is willing to listen to him, and when he speaks, he is alone with his thoughts.
The chorus repeats certain lyrics, and the melody slowly builds with each repetition. The chorus speaks of the old man's beautiful voice that no one listens to, and how nobody cares about his life story. Interestingly, the chorus changes in its last repeat, and it becomes more of an introspection of the listener, asking them to take a moment and listen to the old man's story.
Through the song, Jocelyne Béroard speaks of the bittersweet nature of life stories. On the one hand, there's so much to share and tell, but on the other, nobody seems to be listening.
Line by Line Meaning
Piti tou piti i té ka maché
Little by little, he kept walking
San sav' la i ka alé, ni poutchi i garé
Without knowing where he was going, he parked
men té là ka véyé san menm réfléchi
But he was watching without thinking
Saché Kouss an lanmen'y mété'y au ralanti
He put the throttle in his hand on slow
Vié nonm-là ka palé, lannuit ka vini
The old man speaks, night falls
Pèsonn pa ka kouté'y, i tou sèl an la ri
No one listens, he's alone in the laugh
Men vansé pou men wè si men té pé ba'y
But I kept walking to see if I could help
An lanmen pou trouvé chimin an ki té ta'y
In my hand to find the way he was looking for
i souri ban mwen "bonswa"
He smiles and says, "Good evening"
Men wè Zié'y ka kléré
But I see his eyes shining
Men tann li ka chanté ...
But I hear him singing...
Fout' chanté-a té bèl ka palé di avan
The song spoke beautifully of the past
Epi an ritounel baguay an tan lontan
And a refrain of an old story
Men rété ka kouté pendan nou ka maché
But I stayed listening as we walked
Seten i ka songé tan ki ja pacé
Perhaps he was thinking of time that has passed
Ou ou ou ou ...
Ou ou ou ou ...
Anpil mélankoli an Tchè'y
Lots of melancholy in the breeze
Ou ou ou ou...
Ou ou ou ou...
Mé i té ni dousè an lè'y
But he had a sweetness in his voice
Pétèt' an kay-li a té ni plen ti mamay
Maybe at his home, there were lots of children
Jôdi yo té grandi pati lwen pou travay
Today, they grew up and left to work far away
Mé pétèt' i té chwazi lavi san menm mayé
But maybe he chose a life without regrets
Pou rété enfidel épi enmen
To stay unfaithful and to love
Ou Ou ou ou ...
Ou Ou ou ou ...
Chanté a'y la té ka monté
His song was rising
Ou ou ou ou...
Ou ou ou ou...
Rivé douvan pot'là i té fini chanté ...
Arriving in front of the pot, he finished singing...
Mandé si Men té pé pran momen pou kouté'y
He asked if I could take a moment to listen to him
i mété balé doubout mé tèt' en ba
He stood up straight but kept his head down
Pou solitud woté de pié'y la aaa
Because of loneliness, he stood still there
Ou ou ou ou...
Ou ou ou ou...
Sa fè mwen sonjé papa-mwen ...
It reminds me of my father...
Contributed by Audrey R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.