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.

Mari Mani Mélé
Kassav' Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Woye doudou mwen pa maléré
Dépi ou pati drivé an ka galéré
Woye doudou ki tanw ka viré
Ou mandé mwen fè ménaj mi vazaw krazé

Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Ayayaye

Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Ou pa tann
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé

Woye doudou mwen ja las chaché
Koté ou mété savon pou mwen lésivé
Woye doudou mwen vé pa pléré
Zonion ou fè mwen pliché zié mwen ka pléré

Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Wouy
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
An pa tann
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Wouy
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
An pa kompwann

Woyoyoyoye wayayayaye
Ola ou yééééé...
Dépi bon maten an chanm la
An té lé ranjé ti kaz la
Ja brilé tout kannari la
Sé pa vé pa an vé pa!
Sé pé pa an pé pa!

Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Ayaye
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Ayaye

Woye doudou ki tanw ka viré
An ti moman plézi ke mwen ka madé wayayaye

Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Ayaye
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Woye doudou mwen vé pa pléré
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Dépi ou pati an ka galéré
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Woye doudou mwen pa maléré
Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Woyoyoye

Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Waye doudou mwen pa maléré

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kassav's song "Mari Mani Mélé" is written in the French Creole language, and it speaks of the relationship between two people. The song starts with the expression "woye doudou," which can be translated as "hey baby" or "hey dear," indicating a romantic relationship between the two people. The first verse talks about the struggles experienced by one partner since the other partner left. It describes how the person is having a hard time and is struggling to make ends meet. The second verse mentions that the other partner left some soap, likely causing a rift in their relationship because it is considered a bad sign to give soap in the Caribbean culture since it symbolizes that the relationship is dirty or needs to be cleaned up.

As the song progresses, the chorus repeats the phrase "Mari Mani Mélé," which can be interpreted as a call for reconciliation or a plea for the partner to return. It seems like the first partner is trying to convince the other partner to come back and fix their relationship. The lines "ou pa tann, an pa kompwann" suggest that the first partner is confused and does not understand why the other partner left.

The song ends on a hopeful note, with the first partner expressing their desire to create joyful moments with their partner. Overall, the lyrics of "Mari Mani Mélé" speak of the struggles of love and the desire to mend a broken relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Woye doudou mwen pa maléré
My darling, I am not poor

Dépi ou pati drivé an ka galéré
Since you left, I have been struggling

Woye doudou ki tanw ka viré
My darling, what have you been up to?

Ou mandé mwen fè ménaj mi vazaw krazé
You asked me to do housework and now my back is hurting

Mari mani mélé mari mani mélé
Sweetheart, things are not going well

Ayayaye
Oh no

Ou pa tann
You don't listen

Woye doudou mwen ja las chaché
My darling, I am tired of looking for you

Koté ou mété savon pou mwen lésivé
Where did you put the soap that irritates my skin?

Woye doudou mwen vé pa pléré
My darling, I don't want to cry

Zonion ou fè mwen pliché zié mwen ka pléré
Your teasing makes me cry