Despite receiving a lukewarm reception in France, they have become one of the most successful French-language musical groups in the U.S. Apart from their two albums, they have also made appearances on songs by the Black Eyed Peas, Talib Kweli, and Yerba Buena.
Website: http://www.lesnubians.org/
September: Third Album "Nü Revolution" is released!
An unconventional female duo that came out of Bordeaux, France, in the 1990s, Les Nubians offered a jazzy, sophisticated style of R&B that combined French lyrics with the influence of Sade, Soul II Soul, hip-hop, and African pop. The duo consists of sisters Helene and Celia Faussart, who were born in France to a French father and a Cameroonian mother. After living in France as children, the siblings moved with their parents to the African country of Chad in 1985, when Helene (born 1975) was ten and Celia (born 1979) was six. The sisters lived in Chad for seven years before returning to France as teenagers. Helene and Celia had been singing most of their lives, and when they first formed Les Nubians, they were an a cappella group that specialized in covers of R&B, reggae, and African songs. Eventually, they started working with bands and performing original material. Helene and Celia absorbed a variety of music along the way, and they have expressed admiration for artists ranging from Ella Fitzgerald and Abbey Lincoln to the Fugees and African icons Miriam Makeba and Fela Kuti. Their promising debut album, Princesses Nubiennes, was released by Virgin worldwide in France, Switzerland, and Belgium in June 1998 before coming out on Omtown/Higher Octave in the U.S. in September of that year. It became America's most successful French-language album in more than a decade, and Les Nubians also graced recordings by Talib Kweli and Black Eyed Peas, as well as a Red Hot tribute to Fela Kuti, Red, Hot & Riot. Sessions for their second album brought the pair to Jamaica, Cameroon, London, and Paris, including a host of intriguing collaborators: top underground rapper Talib Kweli, fellow Cameroonian Manu Dibango, pianist Ray Lema, and broken-beat maestro IG Culture. The results appeared as One Step Forward, released in March 2003 by Higher Octave. In 2004, they recorded the track "Going All the Way" featuring reggae star Beres Hammond for UNITY: The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games album. In 2005, Les Nubians issued Nubians Present Echoes, Chapter One, a collection of spoken word pieces by poets and hip-hop artists from the U.S., France, and Africa. The duo also covered "With or Without You," for inclusion on the compilation In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2, in 2008. Les Nubians finally re-entered the recording studio in 2010, emerging with the EP Nü Revolution Nubiatic in the latter part of the year and the full-length, Nü Revolution in the spring of 2011. ~ Alex Henderson and Thom Jurek, Rovi
Brothers and Sisters
Les Nubians Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give thanks and praises to the Almighty
Un sang, un souffle, un son qui nous unit, ma sœur
You are my friend for life
It’s Jah love that binds us together
Le passé, les blessures, les soucis
Partagés ne pèsent plus rien
And give us strength so
Brothers and sisters
Give thanks and praises to the Almighty
For He gave us life through the grace of love
So it’s only right to send this praises up
And who else could it be but the Almighty
To help us through our adversity
For in this life His love conquers all
And give us strength so
Brothers and sisters
Give thanks and praises to the almighty
Mojo verse
Non pas de soucis, non pas d’ennemi
C’est dans la même énergie que nous relèverons le défi
Libère ton esprit
Dès maintenant souviens-toi
Qu’hier encore, nous étions reines et rois
Pour mes frères et sœurs
Brothers and sisters
Rockers
The song "Brothers and Sisters" by Les Nubians calls for unity and gratitude towards the Almighty. The first verse highlights the unification of people through their commonalities such as blood, breath, and sound. The second verse emphasizes the importance of Jah's love in holding the community together despite their differences or past difficulties. The chorus then urges the audience of brothers and sisters to give thanks to the Almighty for the gift of life as well as for his support, particularly during times of hardship. The third verse encourages people to let go of worries and remember their royal roots in order to face obstacles with positive energy, and concludes with another call to unite and rock together.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are in both French and English, reflecting Les Nubians' Franco-Cameroonian heritage and international influence. The bilingualism also furthers the message of bringing people together regardless of language or cultural background. The song's reggae and soul influences are also indicative of the group's diverse musical inspirations. Overall, "Brothers and Sisters" is a powerful reminder of the importance of love, gratitude, and unity in both personal and collective experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Brothers and sisters
Addressing the listeners as united siblings
Give thanks and praises to the Almighty
Expressing gratitude and admiration towards God
Un sang, un souffle, un son qui nous unit, ma sœur
One blood, one breath, one sound that unites us, my sister
You are my friend for life
Declaring a bond of lifelong friendship
It’s Jah love that binds us together
Acknowledging God's love as the foundation of their unity
Le passé, les blessures, les soucis
Partagés ne pèsent plus rien
The past, the wounds, the worries
shared no longer weigh anything
For in this life His love conquers all
And give us strength so
Recognizing God's love as an empowering force that overcomes all obstacles
For He gave us life through the grace of love
So it’s only right to send this praises up
Attributing life to God's loving grace and expressing the need to praise Him
And who else could it be but the Almighty
To help us through our adversity
Affirming God's role as the sole source of aid in times of difficulty
Mojo verse
Interlude
Non pas de soucis, non pas d’ennemi
C’est dans la même énergie que nous relèverons le défi
No worries, no enemies
It's in the same energy that we will rise to the challenge
Libère ton esprit
Dès maintenant souviens-toi
Qu’hier encore, nous étions reines et rois
Free your mind
Remember that yesterday we were queens and kings
Pour mes frères et sœurs
Brothers and sisters
Rockers
Closing salutation to the siblings and fans as rockers
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CELIA VICTORINE FAUSSART, HELENE FAUSSART, MORGAN HERITAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind