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.

Sé Dam' Bonjou
Kassav' Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ki saw vlé fè mwen konpren La?
Ki saw vlé fè mwen konpren La?
Ou soti law soti, pa avèti
Mè isi a sé difé ou byen mélé
Siw konpwan sé kon sa ou mal tonbé
pa fè parizyen mwen ké dématé jé aw an lèw
'Se Dam' Bonjou, sa ka fèt? nou la!
la ban' a pipo en ti kaye la

'Se Dam' Bonjou, sa ka fèt? nou la!
la ban' a pipo en ti kaye la
E bé, mi yo é bé
E bé, mi yo é bé
'Se Dam' Bonjou, sa ka fèt? nou la!
la ban' a pipo en ti kaye la
'Se Dam' Bonjou, sa ka fèt? nou la!
la ban' a pipo en ti kaye la
la ban' a pipo, la ban' a pipo
Ka jwé domino o o...
Ay ay ay ay
I pati...
Ou ka konpwan vit', mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan
Ca n'va pa? mé ca n'va pa!
Ou ka konpwan vit', mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan
Ca n'va pa? mé ca n'va pa!
Domino, ay domino
Faut pas déconner non!
Mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan
Vin' pwan an ti "feeling"
Mé pa fè parizyen
Nou menm' sé pa djen djen
A sou tab' la nou ké wè
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Ou ka konpwan vit', mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan
Ca n'va pa? mé ca n'va pa!
Ou pé di sa
Ou ka konpwan vit', mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan
Ca n'va pa? mé ca n'va pa!
Vin' pwan an ti "feeling"
Mé pa fè parizyen
Nou menm' sé pa djen djen
A sou tab' la nou ké wè
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Jis kon't Jis kon't
Nou ké fèw konpwan sa
Nou menm' sé pa djen djen
A sou tab' la nou ké wè la ban'a pipo o...
La ban'a pipo, la ban'a pipo
La ban'a pipo, la ban'a pipo
An ti kaye la ka jwé domino o o...
La ban'a pipo
Ou wé ou boudé!
Es ou vwèw boudé? yé la...

La ban'a pipo
An ti kaye la ka jwé domino o o...

Overall Meaning

The song "Sé Dam Bonjou" by Kassav is a vibrant and upbeat song that celebrates the joy and camaraderie found in Caribbean culture. The lyrics, which are sung in Creole, are playful and invite the listener to join in on the fun. The song opens with a series of questions directed towards the listener, asking what they want to tell the singer. The main refrain, "Sé Dam Bonjou, sa ka fèt? Nou la!" roughly translates to "Good morning, what's happening? We're here!" and sets the tone for the rest of the song.

The rest of the lyrics are a cheerful call-and-response between the lead singer and the chorus. References to playing dominoes, a popular pastime in the Caribbean, are sprinkled throughout the song. The chorus is also a nod to the street vendors, or "la ban'a pipo", who sell food and drinks on the streets of Caribbean cities. The song ends with the singer playfully teasing the listener about their reluctance to join in on the fun.

Overall, "Sé Dam Bonjou" is a song about community, togetherness, and the simple pleasures in life. The lyrics are straightforward and easy to understand, emphasizing the importance of enjoying life and spending time with loved ones.

Line by Line Meaning

Ki saw vlé fè mwen konpren La?
What do you want me to understand?

Ou soti law soti, pa avèti
You come and go, without warning

Mè isi a sé difé ou byen mélé
But here it's fire or chaos

Siw konpwan sé kon sa ou mal tonbé pa fè parizyen mwen ké dématé jé aw an lèw
If you understand, it's like you've fallen, don't act like a Parisian or I'll embarrass you in public

'Se Dam' Bonjou, sa ka fèt? nou la!
Good morning, what's happening? We're here!

la ban' a pipo en ti kaye la
In this little street there's a lot of commotion

E bé, mi yo é bé
Hey, come on

la ban' a pipo, la ban' a pipo Ka jwé domino o o... Ay ay ay ay
There's a lot of commotion, playing dominoes, oh oh... Ay ay ay ay

I pati...
He left...

Ou ka konpwan vit', mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan Ca n'va pa? mé ca n'va pa!
You can quickly understand, but I have to explain to you for a long time. It's not okay? But it's not okay!

Domino, ay domino Faut pas déconner non! Mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan
Dominoes, oh dominoes, you can't be fooling around! But I have to explain it to you for a long time

Vin' pwan an ti "feeling" Mé pa fè parizyen Nou menm' sé pa djen djen A sou tab' la nou ké wè Nou ké fèw konpwan sa Jis kon't Jis kon't
Come and catch a little feeling, but don't act like a Parisian. We're not foolish. On the table we'll see, we'll make you understand. Just like that

Nou ké fèw konpwan sa Jis kon't Jis kon't
We'll make you understand. Just like that

Ou pé di sa Ou ka konpwan vit', mé fo èsplikéw sa lontan Ca n'va pa? mé ca n'va pa! Vin' pwan an ti "feeling" Mé pa fè parizyen Nou menm' sé pa djen djen A sou tab' la nou ké wè Nou ké fèw konpwan sa Jis kon't Jis kon't Nou ké fèw konpwan sa Jis kon't Jis kon't Nou ké fèw konpwan sa Jis kon't Jis kon't
You can say that. You can quickly understand, but I have to explain it to you for a long time. It's not okay? but it's not okay! Come and catch a little feeling, but don't act like a Parisian. We're not foolish. On the table we'll see, we'll make you understand. Just like that. We'll make you understand. Just like that. We'll make you understand. Just like that

Nou menm' sé pa djen djen A sou tab' la nou ké wè la ban'a pipo o...
We're not foolish. On the table we'll see, there's a lot of commotion here

La ban'a pipo, la ban'a pipo La ban'a pipo, la ban'a pipo
There's a lot of commotion, there's a lot of commotion

An ti kaye la ka jwé domino o o...
In this little street they're playing dominoes, oh oh...

Contributed by Leo T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS