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.
La'w Vlé
Kassav' Lyrics
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Mwen té ké anvi ni zel
Pou volé an tout sans
Travèsé péyi-a
San man fatidjé
San man pozé
Pou pa ped tan
Ka chèché ka kouté
Tann ou di mwen
La’w vlé - An ké lé vwè’w
La ’w vlé - An vlé vwè’w
La ’w vlé - An pé vwè’w la’w vlé
La ’w vlé - Menm anba soley
La’w vlé - Menm anba lalin
La ’w vlé An ké vwè’w la’w vlé
Ou ou-ou-ou ou-ou-ou
La ’w vlé - Menm dèyè zétwal
La ’w vlé - Touvé lenposib
La ’w vlé - Dépi mwen tann ou
An pé vwè’w la’w vlé
La ’w vlé - Menm an soumaren
La ’w vlé Ki an fon lanmè
La ’w vlé - Dépi ou fè mwen sign (sin)
Ou ou-ou-ou ou-ou-ou
An ké vwè’w la’w vlé
Fout mwen anvi jwenn ou
San menm nou palé
An ké konpwann
Zié’w ké di mwen
Sé vou ki réyon-mwen
Ka chofé, ka kléré lavi-mwen
La ’w vlé - An ké vwè’w
La ’w vlé - An ké vwè woooo
La ’w vlé - Aaayééé
La ’w vlé, la’w vlé
La ’w vlé - An ké vwè’w
La ’w vlé - An ké vwè woooo
La ’w vlé - An ké vwè’w la’w vlé
Ou ou-ou-ou ou-ou-ou
Mwen sav kè sa difisil
Annou pa palé di sa
Ou sé di nou jwenn two ta
Mé sé pa nou ka koumandé lavi
Nou sav nou pa té ni dwa
Poutji nou pran menm sans-la
Nou pa katjilé la nou ké rivé
Lanmou ka mennen nou
Mwen ka mandé
Ke mwen wè’w tou lé jou
Toultan menm an ti moman
An ké vwè’w la’w vlé
Fè tjè-nou kontan
Tjè-nou pran balan la’w vlé
An ké vwè’w la’w vlé
Soley ka kouché
Pou lalin lévé
Sé pou vou
Mwen ka mandé
Kè mwen wè’y tou lé jou
Tou lé jou, an ti moman
San sonjé ayen
Tjè-nou pran balan
La’w vlé, la’w vlé
A A A annou chanté
Fout lanmou bel, two two bel
Fo nou chanté ou-ou-ou-ou
Sa ka rann lavi bel, di yo sa bel
A a a !
Ayayay fout lanmou bel…..
A a a la’w vlé
An ké vwè’w la’w vlé….
The lyrics of Kassav's song "La'w Vlé" express a strong yearning to be with someone special, even if it means crossing the country without tiring, enduring the heat of the sun or the chill of the moon, and searching for that love relentlessly. The singer compares his love for the person to that of a hummingbird who wants to fly over every part of the country without getting tired. He expresses that he wants to see the person in every circumstance, even behind the stars or at the bottom of the sea. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "La'w Vlé," which translates to "I want to see you," and the singer emphasizes the importance of love, saying that it makes life beautiful, and encourages others to sing about it.
Line by Line Meaning
Kon jenn kolibri
Like a hummingbird
Mwen té ké anvi ni zel
I would like to have wings
Pou volé an tout sans
To fly everywhere
Travèsé péyi-a
Cross the country
San man fatidjé
Without worrying
San man pozé
Without stopping
Pou pa ped tan
To not waste time
Ka chèché ka kouté
Looking and listening
Sa mwen té ké lé
That is what I would like
Tann ou di mwen
Waiting for you to tell me
La'w vlé - An ké lé vwè'w
What you want - I want to see you
La 'w vlé - An vlé vwè'w
What you want - I want to see you
La 'w vlé - An pé vwè'w la'w vlé
What you want - I will see it
La 'w vlé - Menm anba soley
What you want - Even under the sun
La'w vlé - Menm anba lalin
What you want - Even under the moon
La 'w vlé An ké vwè'w la'w vlé
What you want - I want to see it
Ou ou-ou-ou ou-ou-ou
La 'w vlé - Menm dèyè zétwal
What you want - Even behind the stars
La 'w vlé - Touvé lenposib
What you want - To find the impossible
La 'w vlé - Dépi mwen tann ou
What you want - Since I have been waiting for you
An pé vwè'w la'w vlé
I will see what you want
La 'w vlé - Menm an soumaren
What you want - Even in the depths of the sea
La 'w vlé Ki an fon lanmè
What you want - Which is at the bottom of the sea
La 'w vlé - Dépi ou fè mwen sign (sin)
What you want - Since you signaled me
An ké vwè'w la'w vlé
I will see what you want
Fout mwen anvi jwenn ou
I just want to find you
San menm nou palé
Without even talking
An ké konpwann
I will understand
Zié'w ké di mwen
Your eyes will tell me
Sé vou ki réyon-mwen
You are my light
Ka chofé, ka kléré lavi-mwen
Heating and brightening up my life
La 'w vlé - An ké vwè'w
What you want - I want to see you
La 'w vlé - An ké vwè woooo
What you want - I want to see you
La 'w vlé - Aaayééé
What you want - Yes
La 'w vlé, la'w vlé
What you want, what you want
Soley ka kouché
The sun is setting
Pou lalin lévé
For the moon to rise
Sé pou vou
It is for you
Mwen ka mandé
I am asking
Ke mwen wè'w tou lé jou
To see you every day
Toultan menm an ti moman
Always, even for a moment
An ké vwè'w la'w vlé
I will see what you want
Fè tjè-nou kontan
Make our hearts happy
Tjè-nou pran balan la'w vlé
Our hearts take the lead
A A A annou chanté
A A A let's sing
Fout lanmou bel, two two bel
Love must be beautiful, very beautiful
Fo nou chanté ou-ou-ou-ou
We must sing ou-ou-ou-ou
Sa ka rann lavi bel, di yo sa bel
What makes life beautiful, tell them it's beautiful
Ayayay fout lanmou bel.....
Ayayay love must be beautiful
A a a la'w vlé
A a a what you want
An ké vwè'w la'w vlé....
I will see what you want
Lyrics © PEERMUSIC FRANCE, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGES DECIMUS, JEAN-PHILIPPE MARTHELY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vi
on Mwen di ou awa
I Tell You Now / I Am Telling You Now