Early Years
Joy Denalane was born to a German mother and a South African father in Berlin-Schöneberg in 1973. A little later on the family moved to Berlin-Kreuzberg where Joy spent her childhood with her five siblings.
At the age of 16 she left home and started focusing on music with first stage performances and the joining of the Reggae and Soul bands Culture Roots and Family Affair. At 19 she was signed to a major pop label but unfortunately both the singer and the management weren't able to pass an unanimous resolution when it came to the conception of music and image and Joy soon asked for a release. Afterwards she moved to Stuttgart where she met DJ Thomilla and Tiefschwarz (two already well-known producers then) with whom she co-wrote and produced the club hit "Music".
Debut and Mamani (2002)
Around the same time Joy came in first contact with Hip-Hop group Freundeskreis, who were looking for a female counterpart to lead singer Max Herre's voice on their track "Mit Dir" then. However, the duet was used as a single in summer 1999 and became a top 10 hit in Germany, Austria and Switzerland - pushed by the fact Denalane and Herre had become a couple simultaneously.
Afterwards Joy joined the FK Allstars, which also consisted of Afrob, Gentleman, Sekou and Brooke Russell among others, and went on tour with them for more than two years. Later on she signed a contract with Four Music (the label of Die Fantastischen Vier) and began working on her debut album Mamani, which was released in June 2002 and debuted at #8 on the German album charts. Inspired by African roots, the CD was primarily produced by husband Max Herre. In total Mamani spawned six singles, including first single "Sag's Mir", the socially critical track "Im Ghetto von Soweto" and "Kinderlied", a song dedicated to her oldest son Isaiah.
In 2003 Denalane went on a solo tour and finished collaborations with Youssou N'Dour, ASD and Till Brönner. She also performed in New York and Philadelphia for the first time and eventually received a Comet award for "Best Hip-Hop/R&B National" and three ECHO award nominations, including "Best Female Artist". Soon after she released a Live Edition of Mamani on CD and DVD, which was recorded during a special performance in Berlin's Tränenpalast and involved a set of previously unreleased remakes. In summer 2005 Denalane contributed vocals to the German version of Common's single "Go!".
Born & Raised (2006)
In April 2006 Denalane and husband Herre founded their own label, Nesola Records. Simultaneously Denalane prepared the release of her second album, Born & Raised, her first record in English. Pre-programmed in Germany, the album was entirely recorded in Philadelphia and features appearances by American rappers Lupe Fiasco, Raekwon, and Governor. While its lead single "Let Go" reached a moderately successful number forty on the German Singles Chart, the critically-acclaimed Born & Raised (released on 11 August 2006) debuted at number two (behind Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics) on the national albums chart, making it Denalane's highest chart entry to date. Further singles from the album, "Heaven or Hell" and "Sometimes Love", failed to chart within the top one hundred. In spring 2007 Denalane released the single "Change" (featuring Lupe Fiasco) in the United Kingdom, but it failed to chart.
Present
In 2008 Joy Denalane worked with Tweet, Dwele and Bilal on the project The Dresden Soul Symphony in Dresden, Germany. They performed classic soul cuts like "Let's stay together", "Natural woman", "Its a man's world", "Ain't nothing like a real thing" etc. with the MDR Symphony Orchestra. An album and a DVD were released on October 24, 2008.
happiness
Joy Denalane Lyrics
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It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
Folks tend to say
When I'm not with you, I'm sad
They aren't aware
That you and I shared
While we stayed together
Through all thick and thin, our love's till the end
Caring for you, sharing with you
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
As time passes by
All of our worries just die
We tend to wear
A smile on our face that shows no disgrace
For the love that we have
As we've manage to carry on
Through all thick and thin our love's till the end
Caring for you sharing, with you
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
We are aware of the things that made us this way
Through all thick and thin our love's till the end
Caring for you, sharing with you
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
The lyrics of Joy Denalane’s “Happiness” express the singer's gratitude and contentment in her relationship. The repeated refrain emphasizes the importance of love as the source of happiness, togetherness, lovingness, and foreverness. The singer acknowledges that even in difficult times, she and her partner have remained together, supporting each other and working through their problems. The song celebrates the endurance of their love and the joy and peace it brings to their lives.
The first verse of the song emphasizes the importance of love as the foundation of joy and peace. The refrain repeats that it is love that brings happiness, togetherness, lovingness, and foreverness. The second verse acknowledges that relationships have their ups and downs, but the singer and her partner have continued to stick together, and their love has grown stronger as a result. They now wear smiles on their faces, and their worries have dissipated. The final verse emphasizes that the couple has worked hard to make their relationship last, and they are grateful for the love they share.
Line by Line Meaning
Happiness, togetherness, lovingness, foreverness,
The combination of happiness, togetherness, lovingness, and foreverness represents true, long-lasting love.
It's love I guess, that's why I'm blessed with peacefulness, yeah
The source of the peacefulness that the singer feels is love for their partner.
Folks tend to say
When I'm not with you, I'm sad
On the surface, people may think that the singer's sadness comes from being apart from their partner.
They aren't aware
All the rough times and all the tough times
That you and I shared
While we stayed together
Through all thick and thin, our love's till the end
Caring for you, sharing with you
In reality, the artist and their partner have gone through difficult times together and have remained by each other's side, sharing and caring for each other.
As time passes by
All of our worries just die
Over time, the couple's worries and troubles fade away.
We tend to wear
A smile on our face that shows no disgrace
For the love that we have
Despite having gone through tough times, the couple still wear smiles on their faces because of their deep love.
We are aware of the things that made us this way
Through all thick and thin our love's till the end
Caring for you, sharing with you
The couple is aware that their enduring love is the result of the struggles they've overcome together, and they continue to care for each other.
Contributed by Tyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.