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.
Mwen Alé
Kassav' Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mè ou savé un jou ké viré
Mêm si mwen pou soufè
Mwen pati twavail ou jen konnèt mwen
Anké sé gangné
Ou pé allé , tracé chimin a woulé (x2)
Avan soleil levé
Se noum la ralé canot en la mé
Sèl douvan kayla
Nan ka sonjé ou ay à l'étranger
Somèy djà koté mwen eti ou yè
An voua ka rézoné y ka hélé
Ou pé allé , tracé chimin a woulé
Pati pou twouvé an rêv peint en or
È savé an pé mow
Siou pa ka rivé
Pa pléré, sé an moman ou rété tou seul
Mam si la vi a rèd
Ma la ka kjembé
Passé pa lot' bo
Ante ké vlé mow
A pa lot' bo
Anté ké lé mow
La nuite la ké tombé
Lot coté a soley ka essayé
Bay an ti chalè pou man may la kité alé
Tché Manman ka crié eti ou yè
An voua ka rézoné y ka hélé
A pa lot' bo
Anté ké lé mow
The opening lines of Kassav's Mwen Alé talk about the singer leaving someone behind, but assuring them that they will return one day, even if it means that they have to go through some suffering during their time apart. The singer mentions that their departure from the person they know so well is a victory because they are setting off on a journey to discover themselves. The chorus 'Ou pé allé, tracé chimin a woulé' translates to 'You can go, trace your own path' and repeats, reinforcing the message of the singer's journey of self-discovery.
In the second verse, the singer describes a memory of leaving in the early morning hours, with the two of them taking a boat away from the singer's home towards an unknown destination. The memory of being in front of that house is a vivid one and hints at the difficulty of leaving, made worse by the memories of being together in that very same location now, as the singer is going to be far away. The singer mentions that it's become clearer to them that they have to embark on this journey from this point onwards, for their own good.
The final verse continues with themes of taking a risk and a leap of faith to find one's own path in life. The singer tells themselves not to cry and to stay strong in the moment of leaving, despite the many challenges that come with braving the unknown. The song ends with a hopeful reminder that the night will end, and that hope lies on the other side, encouraging the singer to stay strong.
Line by Line Meaning
Mwen alé
I am leaving
Mè ou savé un jou ké viré
But you know I will return someday
Mêm si mwen pou soufè
Even if I have to suffer
Mwen pati twavail ou jen konnèt mwen
I am leaving behind the work you know me for
Anké sé gangné
But it's still a win
Ou pé allé , tracé chimin a woulé (x2)
You can go and pave your own way
Avan soleil levé
Before the sun rises
Se noum la ralé canot en la mé
We'll be rowing the boat to the sea
Sèl douvan kayla
Only in front of that house
Nan ka sonjé ou ay à l'étranger
I'm thinking of you abroad
Somèy djà koté mwen eti ou yè
Dreams of you were already with me yesterday
An voua ka rézoné y ka hélé
I can hear them calling me
Pati pou twouvé an rêv peint en or
Leaving to find a dream painted in gold
È savé an pé mow
Even though I may not make it
Siou pa ka rivé
At least I tried
Pa pléré, sé an moman ou rété tou seul
Don't cry, it's a moment where you are left alone
Mam si la vi a rèd
Even though life is hard
Ma la ka kjembé
I'll keep going
Passé pa lot' bo
The other side won't be any worse
Ante ké vlé mow
I'll want to come back
A pa lot' bo
The other side won't be worse
Anté ké lé mow
I'll want to come back
La nuite la ké tombé
Night will fall
Lot coté a soley ka essayé
On the other side, the sun is trying to shine
Bay an ti chalè pou man may la kité alé
Give a little warmth for when I leave
Tché Manman ka crié eti ou yè
Auntie is crying for you yesterday
An voua ka rézoné y ka hélé
I can hear them calling me
A pa lot' bo
The other side won't be worse
Anté ké lé mow
I'll want to come back
Lyrics © SM PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: JOCELYNE BEROARD, JACOB DESVARIEUX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pl5067
Je suis antillais et fier d'être représenté par ce groupe mondialement connu !!!
Kassav n'a pas été reconnu à sa juste valeur en France, pourtant aucun artiste français n'est et n'arrivera à les égaler ; même Johnny Hallyday qui nous a voler le rock et qui est le chanteur phare des français n'a pas réussi...
Cette chanson parle de tous les afro-antillais qui sont allés travailler en France depuis les années 1970 afin d'avoir un avenir meilleur, d'après ce que les autorités voulaient faire croire à l'époque.
Mais la réalité était tout autre !
Beaucoup d'antillais ont subi une forte discrimination raciale...
Les paroles de "Mwen Ale" l'expliquaient de manière métaphorique et exhortait toute cette génération à tenir bon !!!
@brianchiguye9325
Zimbabwean and still enjoying this peace in 2024 even if i don't understand the language ❤
@addahkadziyanike7875
Found this song after searching for almost 2 decades, takes me back to my childhood watching Afrobeat... what a time that was!
@nqobilengwenya
Used to be played on afro beats
@timothyjambaya2820
I like this song
@thembelaniemmanuelhlabanga3487
Afrobeat brought memories that were too good to forget
@louiszivai6096
When a song is this popular in a country (zimbabwe)where less than 5% of the population understand what the song is about, now thats the sign of greatness wonderfull song respect !!!!
@trivedymukuze9970
Chokwadi
@addahkadziyanike7875
2024 ichiri kunaka
@linahdupwa240
It used to be a trademark to usher in the new year
@yannickfonkeu9280
Pourquoi grandit on ? DIEU est DIEU, mais quels souvenirs !!! 😭