At the age of 17, he performed on stage for the first time as lead singer in a rock band. In 1983 he decided to go his own way and left the group. From then on, he concentrated on composing his own music. However, during this period he had intense artistic encounters, backstage, with artists like David Bowie, Miles Davis and, in particular, a fabulous evening with Fela Kuti.
In 1993, Julian Jacob left the south of France and settled in Paris. At this time his artistic identity affirmed itself. Inspiration pushed him to sing in a mysterious language which he found within himself; an unknown language that everybody can understand because the words only find their meaning in the emotions they carry. From then on, Julien would sing in his own language. And he addressed himself to the heart, to everybody's space of intimate peace. At the same time, he started writing books, continuing to follow an internal quest. Music and writing are, for him, two different ways to express his perception of life.
In 1995, Julien found his adoptive home in Brittany and from then on, everything accelerated. He produced a short 4-tracks CD, and then released his first full CD, "Shanti" (Warner), in 2000. Subsequently, he went on tour, around the world, for 4 years: WOMAD festivals in USA, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, UK, Spain, Gran Canarias, and Italy, as well as concerts at Montreal and in France. He also appeared as the opening act for Suzanne Vega and Cesaria Evora.
His second CD "Cotonou" (Wrasse Records) was released in 2005, followed by his third, "Barham" (Volvox Music). Roots sounds, sober arrangements, very acoustic--consisting only guitar, vocals and percussion--this album confirms his artistic identity of Julien.
Attends
Julien Jacob Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soumesouep, soumesouep, foudalé akoté
A soumesouep foundeliup, imnalakoum kalé akoté
A soumesouep foundeliup, imnalakoum kalé akoté
Menelep, menelep, foundalé akoté
Menelep, menelep, foundalé akoté
Soumesouep foundeliup, imnalakoum kalé akoté
Dam tam djegéiam, djégékoum, non goumbeié
Douam lékam tou balam bembé
A doudam lékam tou bambela bé dom tom
Douam lekam tou balam bembé
Dam lé dam lé gèp
Ouh ! Attends
Soumesouep, soumesouep, foudalé akoté
Soumesouep, soumesouep, foudalé akoté
Soumesouep foudeliup, imnalakoum kalé akoté
Soumesouep foudeliup imnalkoum kalé akoté
Menelep, menelep foundalé akoté
Menelep, menelep foundalé akoté
Soumesouep foundeliup, imnalakoum kalé akoté
Soumesouep foundeliup, imnalakoum kalé akoté
Dam tam djégèian, djégékoum, non goumbéié
Enagé koum deleiam, delekoum non goumbéié
- Douam lékam tou balam bembé
A doudam lékam tou bambéla bé dom tom
Douam lékam tou balam bembé
Damlé, damlé guèp
Ouh ! Attends
- Dou am lékam tou balam bembé
A doudam lékam tou bambélam lékam, lékam
Tou bambélan bala bembé
Damlé damlé guèp
Ouh ! Attends
Douam lékam tou balam bembé
A doudam lékam tou bambéla bé dom tom
Douam lékam tou balam bembé
Damlé damlé gep
Ouh ! Attends
Dam tam djegeïan, djégékoum, non goumbéïé
Diamné diamnéliep, diamné diamneliep, diamné diamneliep
The lyrics of Julien Jacob's song Attends are in French, and are quite cryptic, making their interpretation a bit challenging. The song begins with the repetition of the phrase "soumesouep, soumesouep, foudale akoté," which seems to be chanting or some kind of ritual invocation. Then the lyrics segue into the chant "menelep, menelep, foundale akoté," which has a similar feel to the previous invocation. Throughout the song, these two mantras alternate with each other, and are woven into the lyrics.
After the invocation, the singer repeats the phrase "dam tam djegéiam, djégékoum, non goumbeié" multiple times. This phrase doesn't have a clear definition or meaning, but the repetition of the phrase seems to indicate that the song is building up to something. Then, the lyrics switch to a more lyrical section where the singer repeats "a douam lékam tou balam bembé" many times. This phrase seems to be a call-and-response, with the singer being the caller and the listener being the responder. The section ends with the singer repeating the phrase "ouh! Attends," which means "oh! Wait" in English.
Overall, the song Attends is a mysterious, enigmatic composition, with lyrics that are hard to interpret. The repetitions of the mantras "soumesouep, soumesouep, foudale akoté" and "menelep, menelep, foundale akoté" throughout the song seem to create a hypnotic, trance-like effect.
Line by Line Meaning
Soume souep, soumesouep, foudalé akoté
Repeating sounds create an upbeat, lively tempo and rhythm.
A soumesouep foundeliup, imnalakoum kalé akoté
The song lyrics are playful and do not have any particular meaning.
Menelep, menelep, foundalé akoté
The upbeat tempo continues with repeated sounds.
Douam lékam tou balam bembé
The repetition of this line suggests an important theme of the song.
A doudam lékam tou bambela bé dom tom
The specific words used help create a fun, playful energy within the song.
Damlé, damlé guèp
Repetition of sounds continues to create a lively tempo.
Ouh ! Attends
This phrase creates a sense of anticipation or excitement about what's to come.
Diamné diamnéliep, diamné diamneliep, diamné diamneliep
The song ends with a repetition of sounds that continues the energetic vibe of the song.
Lyrics © PEERMUSIC FRANCE, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JULIEN PHILIPPE JACOB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlie Bluglass
My favourite song by him is Meh. It's a really good song, and it opened my eyes to a whole new style of music that I was almost completely unaware of before!
Erfufo
WOW, c'est vraiment cool comme musique! Je ne connaisait pas ce cote artistique de Julien