Malavoi's style mixes French Antillean music with modern influences from across the Americas, especially Caribbean and Brazilian music, as well as jazz. Their early popular singles included "Albé" and "En lè mon là". The band was soon expanded to include saxophonist Bib Monville and pianist Paulo Rosine. The singers alternated and included Raymond Mazarin, Pierre Jabert, Maurice Marie-Louise, Pierre Pastel and Julien Constance.
Malavoi's first album was Malavoi, released in 1978 and featuring singer Ralph Thamar. The band broke up soon after, however, and didn't perform again until re-uniting under Rosine's leadership in 1981. Rosine greatly expanded the fiddle section, first to ten performers, then down to four with Philippe Porry taking over for Dantin, and also added Jean-José Lagier on cello. Malavoi's fame soon spread across the Caribbean and abroad with the 1983 album Zouel, featuring Thamar on vocals along with Marie-José Alie. They played at the Printemps de Bourges in 1983 and at the Caribbean festival in Cartagena, and won the Caribbean music prize, the Maracas d'Or, as well as scoring the film Rue Case Nègres.
They continued touring widely into the late 1980s, in the United States, France, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Canada and Ecuador. Thamar was replaced by Pipo Gertrude in 1988. In the early 1990s, the band's popularity continued to grow, and the membership expanded with the addition of singer Tony Chasseur. Their 1992 Matebis included collaborations with numerous Caribbean musicians, including Jocelyne Beroard, Bethova Obas, Kali (musician), Edith Lefel and Tanya Saint-Val.
Malavoi's leader, Paulo Rosine, died in 1993. He was replaced by José Privat, while two French violinists, Jean-Luc Pino and Daniel Dato, also joined; the band's leader became Jean-Paul Soïme.
Mama
Malavoi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We want the same things
We dream the same dreams
Alright, alright?
I got it all cause she is the one
Her mom calls me love
The dad calls me son
I know, I know, I know for sure
Everybody want to steal my girl
Everybody want to take her heart away
Couple billion in the whole wide world
Find another one cause she belongs to me
Everybody want to steal my girl
Everybody want to take her heart away
Couple billion in the whole wide world
Find another one cause she belongs to me
Na na na na na (oh yeah)
Na na na na na (alright)
Na na na na na
Na na na na na
She belongs to me
Kisses like a queen, her walk is so lean
And every jaw drops when she's in those jeans
Alright, alright?
I dont exist if I dont have her
The sun doesn't shine, the world doesn't turn
Alright, Alright?
But I know, I know, I know for sure
Everybody want to steal my girl
Everybody want to take her heart away
Couple billion in the whole wide world
Find another one cause she belongs to me
Everybody want to steal my girl
Everybody want to take her heart away
Couple billion in the whole wide world
Find another one cause she belongs to me
Na na na na na (oh yeah)
Na na na na na (alright)
Na na na na na
Na na na na na
She knows, she knows
That I never let her down before
She know, she knows
That I'm never gonna let take another take her love from me
Now
Everybody want to steal my girl
Everybody want to take her heart away
Couple billion in the whole wide world
Find another one cause she belongs to me
Na na na na na (oh yeah)
Na na na na na (alright)
Na na na na na
Na na na na na
She belongs to me
Na na na na na (oh yeah)
Na na na na na (alright)
Na na na na na
Na na na na na
She belongs to me
Malavoi's song "Mama" reflects on a devoted romantic relationship between two people. The lyrics show that they have been together since they were sixteen and they share the same dreams and desires. The writer describes his partner as his queen, and he is proud of his significant other. The song highlights that he possesses everything because he has her by his side, and their parents have accepted their love. He acknowledges that numerous people want to take her heart away, but he knows that she belongs to him, and he possessively claims her.
In the second verse, he mentions how she walks and how people's jaws drop when she wears jeans. He remarks that he breathes because of her and that he doesn't exist without her, which implies that she is everything to him. The lyrics repeat the notion that everyone wants to steal his girl; however, he asserts that she belongs only to him, and no one can take her away. The song's chorus asserts the singer's love and loyalty and the ultimate truth that his significant other belongs to him.
Line by Line Meaning
She be my queen since we were sixteen
I have regarded her as my queen since we were both sixteen.
We want the same things
We both desire and aim for similar things.
We dream the same dreams
Our aspirations and dreams are aligned and identical.
Alright, alright?
It's all going well, isn't it?
I got it all cause she is the one
I have everything I need because she is the one who completes me.
Her mom calls me love
Her mother has affectionately called me love.
The dad calls me son
Her father has referred to me as his own son.
I know, I know, I know for sure
I'm absolutely certain and confident that...
Everybody want to steal my girl
Everybody wants to take her away from me.
Everybody want to take her heart away
Everyone has the desire to take her love from me.
Couple billion in the whole wide world
Even if there were billions of people in the world...
Find another one cause she belongs to me
...they should find someone else to be with because my girl belongs to me.
Na na na na na (oh yeah)
Na na na na na (alright)
Na na na na na
Na na na na na
She belongs to me
She is mine and nobody else's.
Kisses like a queen, her walk is so lean
She kisses like a queen and has a graceful gait when she walks.
And every jaw drops when she's in those jeans
Everyone stares and admires her when she wears those jeans.
Alright, alright?
Everything is still going well, isn't it?
I dont exist if I dont have her
I feel like I wouldn't exist if I didn't have her in my life.
The sun doesn't shine, the world doesn't turn
The world would come to a halt if I didn't have her in my life.
But I know, I know, I know for sure
However, there's one thing that I know for sure which is...
She knows, she knows
She is aware and knows that...
That I never let her down before
...I have never disappointed or failed her before.
She know, she knows
She is aware and knows that...
That I'm never gonna let take another take her love from me
...I will never let anyone else take her love away from me.
Now
At present...
She belongs to me
She is still mine and nobody else's.
Na na na na na (oh yeah)
Na na na na na (alright)
Na na na na na
Na na na na na
She belongs to me
She is still mine and nobody else's.
Contributed by Lily E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Antwan Ferrer
on Anasthasie
NAP TOUNIN