Born in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo to a Congolese mother and Ghanaian father, Koffi grew up in Kinshasa.
He went to France to study, while in Paris, he began playing the guitar and writing songs. On his return to Congo he was a member of Viva la Musica, Papa Wemba's band. Koffi repopularized the slower style of soukous, which had fallen out of fashion. He dubbed this style Tcha Tcho, and it gained popularity outside Congo. Koffi's music can be quite controversial, taking on current events and topics considered taboo in some conservative societies. He has also participated in the salsa music project Africando.
Diabolos
Koffi Olomide Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Natali yo deuxieme tour
Nayoki mawa
Kasi naseki ee
Mokolo okoya koyeba ezali lelo te
Mokolo okoya ko comprendre ezali lelo te
Topesa temps na temps
Topesa tango na temps
Lelo te oh
Ezali lelo te
(Bis)
Moto oyo akendaka po aboma moto
Ayeba que kala te songolo akoya kokoma ebembe
Kasi moto oyo bayaka po baboma ye
Ayebaka te que dans pas longtemps
Akoya kokoma ebembe
La vie ezali bongo
(Bis)
Bato oyo bakufa te oyo baza bamoyi
Ba banzaka que liwa esalama se po na bato
Basi bawa pe baye baza na comas
Yango bamelaka tongo tout vitamine
Pe bakotaka te na mituka oyo
Ba freins esalaka te bien
Ba melaka pe te mayi oyo ba chauffa te
Ba tambolaka partout na ba cartes ya mangwele
Bango bazo bokono te oh oh
Au nom de jesus kende vas t-en diabolos
Oyo olingi kosala sala yango sikoyo
Oyo olingi kosala sala yango sikoyo oo
Bokokoka mopao te oh
119 diabolos, 119 iscariotte
Moto azanga papa na mama na ndule
Le colon de la musique africaine
Makila ekotanga le voici ressuscite
Makila ekotanga tala ndenge akomata
Zela omona mopao na nzoto ya kembo
Zela omona mopao na nzoto ya kembo
The song "Diabolos" by Koffi Olomidé is a deeply reflective piece that has a strong message about the transience of life, highlighting how people spend their time taking care of their own self-interests rather than focusing on what is meaningful. The repetition of the phrase "mokolo okoya koyeba ezali lelo te" emphasizes the present moment with lines like "topesa temps na temps" and "topesa tango na temps" reinforcing the idea of taking things in a leisurely tempo to appreciate what is going on at the moment. The first two lines of the verse ("Natali yo lisusu, Natali yo deuxieme tour") allude to Natali Mpita, a dancer that Olomidé deeply admired, but later neglected until her untimely death. The repetition of the phrase "ezali lelo te" at the end of the verse has a haunting quality, reminding us how ephemeral life can be.
The chorus is an allegorical depiction of the shortness of life where Olomidé wonders how precarious people's lives can be. He sings of the two types of people, those who die unexpectedly and those who are bedridden at the end of their lives. Olomidé's lines "bana oyo bakufa te oyo baza bamoyi, ba banzaka que liwa esalama se po na bato" paint a vivid picture of those who died unexpectedly and the frantic efforts to save them contrasted with those who ended their lives bedridden. The song ends with the chorus, a warning to "diabolos," evil spirits that Olomidé invokes in the name of Jesus. The sudden shift to invoking Jesus, the savior of humanity, is a hopeful message to listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Natali yo lisusu
You are my everything
Natali yo deuxieme tour
You are my second chance
Nayoki mawa
I am scared
Kasi naseki ee
But I won't run away
Mokolo okoya koyeba ezali lelo te
Yesterday I thought it was today
Mokolo okoya ko comprendre ezali lelo te
Yesterday I thought I understood, but it was not true
Topesa temps na temps
Take time, little by little
Topesa tango na temps
Take your time, little by little
Mokolo okoya koyeba ezali lelo te
Yesterday I thought it was today
Lelo te oh
But it's not
Ezali lelo te
It's not today
(Bis)
(Repeat)
Moto oyo akendaka po aboma moto
The one who sets a trap will fall into it
Ayeba que kala te songolo akoya kokoma ebembe
He who doesn't want to lose will always fight
Kasi moto oyo bayaka po baboma ye
But the one who sets the trap falls into it themselves
Ayebaka te que dans pas longtemps
And won't last long
Akoya kokoma ebembe
Will always fight
La vie ezali bongo
Life is a struggle
(Bis)
(Repeat)
Bato oyo bakufa te oyo baza bamoyi
Those who don't die are the ones with a purpose
Ba banzaka que liwa esalama se po na bato
Those who seek peace for others will have it themselves
Basi bawa pe baye baza na comas
But those who only think of themselves will end up in a coma
Yango bamelaka tongo tout vitamine
And will lack all vitamins
Pe bakotaka te na mituka oyo
And won't find the cure
Ba freins esalaka te bien
Their brakes won't work well
Ba melaka pe te mayi oyo ba chauffa te
And won't get the water they heated
Ba tambolaka partout na ba cartes ya mangwele
They will move around everywhere with fake cards
Bango bazo bokono te oh oh
They won't recognize themselves anymore
Au nom de jesus kende vas t-en diabolos
In the name of Jesus, go away devils
Oyo olingi kosala sala yango sikoyo
What you want, do it now
Oyo olingi kosala sala yango sikoyo oo
What you want, do it now
Bokokoka mopao te oh
No one can stop me
119 diabolos, 119 iscariotte
119 devils, 119 traitors
Moto azanga papa na mama na ndule
Whoever speaks ill of their parents and ancestors
Le colon de la musique africaine
The king of African music
Makila ekotanga le voici ressuscite
The walking stick is here, brought back to life
Makila ekotanga tala ndenge akomata
The walking stick looks like a piece of wood
Zela omona mopao na nzoto ya kembo
Look at Mopao's dance moves
Zela omona mopao na nzoto ya kembo
Look at Mopao's dance moves
Writer(s): koffi olomide
Contributed by Mason H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
nsamamathews94@gmail.com
on heros national
The smile
Jake
on Aubergine
Your love is on a plate
I am lying down and thinking of you now
My eggplant, my eggplant
My eggplant, Blaise Mawengue
I have been calling you for days now, my darling
Even if the days go by, I will never get tired of waiting for you
But I can't be left hanging like this
Why do you keep playing with my eggplant, my dear?
She said the beating of her heart for her loved one is like that of an eggplant
But you won't let me stand up and get going
You had me search for love everywhere, in lifts and staircases
You can go as slow as you want but not too slow
If they don't want you, you're like an old engine
Keep going, go ahead like King Georges' palace
If they don't hire you, you're like a car with no engine
He catches you off guard
We were lost in the rain... silent Mawengue
I begged you to love me, but you played me instead
You are the apple of my eyes, sweetheart
Where can I take you to show my love? Any suggestions?
My love, I only have one child, and I call him Daddy
God gave him life and he speaks
If he insults me and you don't defend me, I'll leave
God is on my side
Look, today I am wearing Mawete's clothes
Look today and see
A three-day-old baby doesn't cry
We take care of him but he is still a baby
Even a slight fever makes him cry
I keep making things complicated and confusing myself
That's why I love and desire you, Blaise
The wise man told me that I won't die of love sickness
My friend told me to say: my darling, I love you
Take care of the baby, he is still young
All these days, it's only been me and the baby
Today, change my food
All these days, you've been taking, my darling. Today it's my turn
I'm searching for ways to win you over, as I always have
I am counting and recounting all the times we've been together
If counting the times I've loved you is counting
I will go and get us tickets to see each other
People are normal but I always seem to have a C-section
My darling, tell me
Do you want to or not? I will go and get us tickets
Stop playing with my eggplant
Nkusu said that you were never meant to be together
The goat said he smelled bad and never took a bath
The ant said he tasted sour
The mouse said he was too skinny and never ate enough
My love, it's time to share
My love is good
It looks like you are calling out for help, and everyone hears
The shoes I have are like old, worn-out tires
Corn is my favourite thing to eat, but it's expensive
It's coming from my heart and my worries, too ...
Aigle 0041 77 814 10 69
on Tchernobyl
Très fort
Trecias
on eputsha
Beaucoup de fautes d’orthographe mais c’est bon
gghhhhifbjj
on Victoire (Live)
ok