Lokua Kanza was born Pascal Lokua Kanza in 1958 in Bukavu, in the province of Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is the eldest of eight children, with a Mongo father and a Tutsi mother from Rwanda. In 1964, the family went to live in Kinshasa (Congo's capital) in a middle class area, until the day when Pascal's father, a ship's captain, died. His mother then moved to a much poorer area of the city, and Lokua, the eldest, had to work to feed the family. He therefore went to school part time, and took odd jobs, as well as singing in churches. Lokua Kanza sings in French, Lingala, and English.
C'Est Ma Terre
Lokua Kanza Lyrics
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Ne pars pas
Ne te retourne pas
Ne pars pas
Je suis avec toi
Ici est ta nouvelle vie
Maintenant si tu dis oui
C'est ma terre que tu as semée
Bolingo na ngaï yo omemi
Et ma terre t'a adoptée
Ne ferme pas
C'est le chant du vent
Ne ferme pas
Laisse entrer le vivant
Ici est ta nouvelle vie
Maintenant si tu dis oui
C'est ma terre que tu as semée
C'est ma tere que tu as aimée
Bolingo na ngaï yo omemi
Et ma terre t'a adoptée
C'est ma terre que tu as semée
C'est ma tere que tu as aimée
Ma terre que tu as embrassée
Et ma terre t'a adoptée
Break, c'est ma terre...(4x)
The song "C'Est Ma Terre" by Lokua Kanza is a beautiful and soulful piece that speaks of the importance of feeling grounded and finding a home in a place that may be foreign or new to us. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, with the singer urging his listener to stay and not look back, with the reassurance that he is with them. The song's opening lines set the tone for the rest - "Don't leave, don't turn around. Don't leave, I am with you." The singer encourages them to embrace their new life and the land that they have sown and loved. The singer's words carry a message of comfort, acceptance, and love, suggesting that the listener has found a home and that home has adopted them. The song also has a motif of wind, with the singer imploring the listener to keep their heart open and allow the elements of life to enter.
The lyrics of "C'est Ma Terre" are a reflection of Lokua Kanza's own experiences as an artist who has lived in various countries around the world, but who has ultimately found his home in his native Congo. Kanza's music is often described as being "world music," as he blends African rhythms with contemporary styles to create a distinctive sound that is uniquely his own. This song, in particular, is a tribute to his homeland and is indicative of his deep sense of attachment to the land and its people. The song also speaks to the universality of the human experience - the search for a place to belong and the comfort of finding that home.
Line by Line Meaning
Ne pars pas
Don't leave
Ne te retourne pas
Don't look back
Ne pars pas
Don't leave
Je suis avec toi
I am with you
Ici est ta nouvelle vie
This is your new life
Maintenant si tu dis oui
Now if you say yes
C'est ma terre que tu as semée
It's my land that you have sown
C'est ma tere que tu as aimée
It's my land that you have loved
Bolingo na ngaï yo omemi
My love is with you
Et ma terre t'a adoptée
And my land has adopted you
Ne ferme pas
Don't close
C'est le chant du vent
It's the song of the wind
Ne ferme pas
Don't close
Laisse entrer le vivant
Let the living enter
C'est ma terre que tu as semée
It's my land that you have sown
C'est ma tere que tu as aimée
It's my land that you have loved
Bolingo na ngaï yo omemi
My love is with you
Et ma terre t'a adoptée
And my land has adopted you
C'est ma terre que tu as semée
It's my land that you have sown
C'est ma tere que tu as aimée
It's my land that you have loved
Ma terre que tu as embrassée
My land that you have embraced
Et ma terre t'a adoptée
And my land has adopted you
Break, c'est ma terre...(4x)
Break, it's my land...(4x)
Contributed by Camden L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.