Take one singer ripened on the Senegalese hip-hop scene, Lëk Sèn, add a pai… Read Full Bio ↴Take one singer ripened on the Senegalese hip-hop scene, Lëk Sèn, add a pair of seasoned, eclectic producers, then slowly macerate together for over a year, taking care to leave the studio doors open to any new ideas passing by. And there you have the modular, empirical recipe used to cook up the album Burn.

For the ingredients to work their alchemy, Lëk Sèn needed to be at ease in front of the microphone singing very different musical material from what he was used to. His relationship of trust with his partners played a crucial role: he was accompanied by the same team that had worked on the album of his group SSK, which was a finalist at the RFI Découvertes in 2007.

Extra spice came from a selection of guests from diverse backgrounds: Amadou Bagayoko was there (without Mariam) to add a Malian flavour with his guitar, Medhi Haddad with his creative oud, the veteran Jamaican Kiddus I, and chorus singer Julia Sarr performing alongside all those African stars.

Without ever meeting him, Sèn encounters Tiken Jah Fakoly version 2010: some tracks in their respective albums are undeniable cousins. But although both emphasize an acoustic atmosphere influenced by reggae and share a similar sound (the Ivoirian singer’s sound engineer did the mixing on Burn), the Senegalese man’s songs are more wild and raw, at times heavy with rock and at others hypnotic, like in Massamba.

The vocals are deep and slightly nasal, something like Shaggy, the guitar rhythms provide the structure, and the omnipresent percussion mostly does a good job replacing the drums, with a Mellotron discreetly filling in the background.

No need to add flavour enhancer, the ingredients taste good enough on their own.

Jaam
Lëk Sèn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

May waxou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
May dagou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
Man Gëmnama loumou meti meti dina massa diex
Jah know loumou meti meti dina massa diex
May waxou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
May dagou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
Man Gëmnama loumou meti meti dina massa diex
Jah know loumou meti meti dina massa diex

Mi throw mi line
Fi see mi sun shine
Tell that to all a dem
Mi nah go waste mi time
I have got feel fine
Inna dis a time
Have got a message to you mankind

May waxou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
May dagou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
Man Gëmnama loumou meti meti dina massa diex
Jah know loumou meti meti dina massa diex
May waxou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
May dagou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
Man Gëmnama loumou meti meti dina massa diex
Jah know loumou meti meti dina massa diex

Mi throw mi line
Fi see mi sun shine
Tell that to all dem
Mi nah go waste mi time
I have got feel fine
Inna dis a time
A got a message to you mankind

Stop the crime, stop the violence, I say
Cause we don't realy need it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lëk Sèn's song "Jaam" express a message of peace, hope, and positivity. The song starts off with "May waxou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam, May dagou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam," which translates to "May peace be with me when I come, May peace be with me when I go." This can be interpreted as a plea for peace in the singer's own life, but also as a larger message for the world. The song goes on to say "Man Gëmnama loumou meti meti dina massa diex, Jah know loumou meti meti dina massa diex," which means "We know life is full of ups and downs, but we trust Jah for each and every day." This line shows that the singer has faith in a higher power and believes that things will work out in the end.

The chorus of the song repeats the lines "May waxou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam, May dagou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam, Man Gëmnama loumou meti meti dina massa diex, Jah know loumou meti meti dina massa diex," reinforcing the message of peace and trust in a higher power. The verses of the song encourage listeners to focus on the positive and not waste time on negativity. The lines "Mi throw mi line, Fi see mi sun shine, Tell that to all a dem, Mi nah go waste mi time" show that the singer is ready to move forward and not dwell on negativity.

Overall, "Jaam" is a song that encourages peace, hope, and positivity. It is a reminder to focus on the good in life and to trust that things will work out in the end.

Line by Line Meaning

May waxou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
I greet you with peace

May dagou ma ngi doundë ak ya salam
I greet you with peace

Man Gëmnama loumou meti meti dina massa diex
Let us appreciate what we have been given in life

Jah know loumou meti meti dina massa diex
God knows we should appreciate what we have in life

Mi throw mi line
I am taking a chance

Fi see mi sun shine
Hoping for a brighter future

Tell that to all a dem
I want to let everyone know

Mi nah go waste mi time
I won't waste time

I have got feel fine
I feel good

Inna dis a time
In this moment

Have got a message to you mankind
I have a message for all of humanity