Kassav' (Haitian and Antillean Creole for a local dish made from cassava) i… Read Full Bio ↴Kassav' (Haitian and Antillean Creole for a local dish made from cassava) is a Francophone zouk band which was formed in 1979. The core members of the band are Jocelyne Beroard, Jacob Desvarieux, Jean-Philippe Marthely, Patrick St. Eloi, Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur and Georges Decimus (who left the band to create another band, Volte Face, before returning to Kassav' later) along with several other, more minor members. The total number of albums by the band and its members is approximately 30.

Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus, a long-time professional musician who worked with Freddy Marshall. Together, the two of them decided to take carnival music and make it a more modern and polished style. It was the leading band to emerge from the formative years of Zouk. They gave the style a pan-Caribbean sound by taking elements from kompa, salsa, and calypso, and became world famous. Their first album, Love and Ka Dance (1980), established the sound of zouk.

Kassav' continued to grow more popular, both as a group and with several members' solo careers, finally peaking in 1985 with Yélélé, which featured the international hit "Zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni" (meaning "Zouk is our only drug" in French Antillean Creole) With this hit, zouk rapidly became a widespread dance craze in Latin America and the Caribbean, and was popular in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Zouk performers became known for wildly theatrical concerts featuring special effects spectacles and colorful costumes.

Ba Yo Lanmen
Kassav' Lyrics

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Fo pa janmen oubliyé
Sé pas' Désaline ay goumé
Jòdila nou pé touvé
Ti bwen dignité, solidarité

Ki moun ki ka désidé
Voyé frè an nou alé
Lè i vin' isidan chèché

Ti bwen dignité, solidarité
Ba yo lanmen, ba yo lanmen, an bèl lan men

Gran péyi toujou pijé
Piti péyi maléré
Pitit a yo san papyé
Bizwen dignité, solidarité

Lalwa pa toujou séryé
Lè i ka jijé maléré
Davwa i pa vlé gadé
Sa ki dignité, solidarité
Ba yo lanmen, ba yo lanmen, an bèl lan men

Fo pa janmen oubliyé
Sé pas' Désaline ay goumé
Jòdila nou pé touvé
Ti bwen dignité, solidarité

Gran nèg an nou ki lité
Lésé chimen ki kléré
Jòdi jou nou ka rélé
Ba yo lanmen, ba yo bèl lanmen

Ba yo lanmen, ba yo lanmen, an bèl lan men
Ba yo lanmen, ba yo lanmen, an bèl lan men

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kassav's song Ba Yo Lanmen, which means 'Give Them Your Hands,' speak of the importance of solidarity and dignity, particularly in the face of poverty and oppression. The song opens with the line "Don't ever forget, it's not Désaline who fought alone," a reference to Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the Haitian revolutionary leader who fought for Haiti's independence from France. The next line, "Today we can find a little bit of dignity and solidarity," highlights the need for the Haitian community to come together to support one another and stand up for their rights.

The chorus, "Give them your hands, give them your beautiful hands," is a call to action, urging people to reach out to one another and offer their support. The second verse speaks specifically to the struggles of Haiti, with lines like "The big country is always rich, the small country is poor" and "Their children go without paper, they need dignity and solidarity." The song acknowledges the challenges facing Haiti and its people, but also emphasizes the power of solidarity and the importance of standing together.

Line by Line Meaning

Fo pa janmen oubliyé
We must never forget

Sé pas' Désaline ay goumé
What Désalines fought for

Jòdila nou pé touvé
Today we can find

Ti bwen dignité, solidarité
A little bit of dignity and solidarity

Ki moun ki ka désidé
Who decides

Voyé frè an nou alé
To send our brothers away

Lè i vin' isidan chèché
When they come looking for refuge

Ti bwen dignité, solidarité
A little bit of dignity and solidarity

Ba yo lanmen, ba yo lanmen, an bèl lan men
Let us give them our hands, beautiful hands

Gran péyi toujou pijé
Great countries always oppress

Piti péyi maléré
Small countries are poor