Massilia Sound System re-popularised the city of Marseille in the 1990s, in conjunction with the success of Olympique de Marseille, the local football club. Along with that empowered an entire generation of young Marseillais with a positive identity, proud of their city and their capacity to embrace different cultural traditions.
Lo Tamborn Dei Pòples
Massilia Sound System Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lei camins multiples
Au mitan dei rotas
De còps siás solet.
Coma l'agulha
Que poncha lo pòle
Lo trobar deis òmes
Te farà mestier.
Passe à toute allure
Au milieu des routes
Tu te sens paumé.
Comme la boussole
Indiquant le pôle
Les rimes des hommes
Sont là pour t'aider.
Laissa lei dichas
Dei mestres dau monde
Aquestei racòntes
Faus e messorguiers.
Si vòs d'ajuda
L'aurelha dubèrta
Capta la planeta
Te farà mestier.
Oublies les dires
Les mauvais délires
Des maîtres du monde
Faux et mensongers.
L'oreille ouverte
Capte la planète
Les tambours des peuples
Sont là pour t'aider.
Es-ti la chavana?
La ronda dei fadas?
Lo tròn e l'ulhauç?
Es-ti la tempèsta?
La terra que pèsta
Sota lo bestiau?
Es-ti l'avalanca?
Una èrsa giganta?
Es-ti lo volcan?
Es lo còr que bate,
Lo tamborn dei pòples
Cocha lo malam!
Desde a chuva de meteoros que semeou a terra
Da poeira que escurece o sol (bis)
Até os raios que acendem o céu
Invocando os gritos estridentes das feras
Como no intervalo das marés onde tudo o tempo todo
Se transforma
O que o vento vem trazendo no caminho
Até na incerteza do cãos que se revela.
Niyafé-ka-koloulon dougnaro
Kèlen-na-komandi
Kèlen-kö; kèlen ya magnidée
Kèlen-kèlen komandi
Niyafè ka koloulon dougnaro
Artisilou magninika
Djélilou magninika
Ecrivain nou magninika
Ibaké foudoukèla
Ibaké kanoukèla
Kana kokoré ikounfé
Kélen na komandi.
Será uma tempestade
Orixás que lutam relâmpago trovão?
É o vento que assopra a terra que grita sobre a multidão
É uma avalanche a onda que quebra
Um grande vulcão o coracão que bate
Na batida do povo que dribla o mal.
Boum boum! Mais qu'est-ce que j'entends?
C'est le tambour des peuples qui fait ce boucan
Ce boucan, au loin que j'entends
C'est le tambour des peuples qui sont mécontents
Boum boum! Ca fait dans ma tête
C'est le tambour des peuples qui cogne et résonne
Boum boum! C'est comme une fête
Le tambour des peuples fait danser les hommes…
The lyrics of Massilia Sound System's song "Lo Tamborn Dei Pòples" explore the struggles of life and the need for guidance and support from others. They speak about how life can be difficult and confusing at times, with multiple paths and roads to follow, and how one can feel lost in the midst of it all. The song compares this experience to that of a needle trying to puncture a pole – it can be challenging, but finding one's way is important.
The lyrics also suggest that the words of world leaders and masters are not always helpful or true. Instead, it is important to listen to the wisdom of people and the drumming of communities. The song mentions specific natural phenomena, such as meteor showers and storms, as well as cultural symbols like fairies and the circle of life, to emphasize the breadth and complexity of the human experience.
As the song progresses, it becomes more upbeat and celebratory, dwelling on the power of drumming to bring people together and inspire them to action. The chorus repeats the phrase "Boum boum!" to evoke the sound of the drum, suggesting that it can transform negative emotions into positive ones and create a sense of community.
Overall, the song is a call to action for listeners to trust in their own intuition and seek out the support of others when needed, with the ultimate goal of finding happiness and fulfillment in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Tòrta es la vida
Life is hard
Lei camins multiples
There are many paths
Au mitan dei rotas
In the midst of the roads
De còps siás solet.
Sometimes you feel alone
Coma l'agulha
Like a needle
Que poncha lo pòle
That pierces the pole
Lo trobar deis òmes
The finding of men
Te farà mestier.
Will be necessary
La vie est dure
Life is hard
Passe à toute allure
Passes at full speed
Au milieu des routes
In the middle of the roads
Tu te sens paumé.
You feel lost
Comme la boussole
Like a compass
Indiquant le pôle
Pointing to the pole
Les rimes des hommes
The rhymes of men
Sont là pour t'aider.
Are there to help you
Laissa lei dichas
Leave the sayings
Dei mestres dau monde
Of the masters of the world
Aquestei racòntes
These stories
Faus e messorguiers.
False and deceitful
Si vòs d'ajuda
If you need help
L'aurelha dubèrta
Open your ear
Capta la planeta
Capture the planet
Te farà mestier.
Will be necessary
Oublies les dires
Forget the words
Les mauvais délires
The bad delusions
Des maîtres du monde
Of the masters of the world
Faux et mensongers.
False and liars
L'oreille ouverte
The open ear
Capte la planète
Capture the planet
Les tambours des peuples
The drums of the people
Sont là pour t'aider.
Are there to help you
Es-ti la chavana?
Are you the hurricane?
La ronda dei fadas?
The fairy's round?
Lo tròn e l'ulhauç?
The throne and the owl?
Es-ti la tempèsta?
Are you the storm?
La terra que pèsta
The earth that stomps
Sota lo bestiau?
Under the beast?
Es-ti l'avalanca?
Are you the avalanche?
Una èrsa giganta?
A giant bear?
Es-ti lo volcan?
Are you the volcano?
Es lo còr que bate,
It's the beating heart
Lo tamborn dei pòples
The drum of the people
Cocha lo malam!
Defeats the evil!
Desde a chuva de meteoros que semeou a terra
Since the meteor shower that sowed the earth
Da poeira que escurece o sol (bis)
From the dust that darkens the sun (2x)
Até os raios que acendem o céu
Even the lightning that lights up the sky
Invocando os gritos estridentes das feras
Invoking the loud screams of animals
Como no intervalo das marés onde tudo o tempo todo
Like in the interval of the tides where everything all the time
Se transforma
Is transformed
O que o vento vem trazendo no caminho
What the wind brings on the way
Até na incerteza do cãos que se revela.
Even in the uncertainty of the chaos that reveals itself.
Niyafé-ka-koloulon dougnaro
Niyafé, you who are very resilient
Kèlen-na-komandi
You who command the language
Kèlen-kö; kèlen ya magnidée
You have mastery of all knowledge
Kèlen-kèlen komandi
You command everything
Niyafè ka koloulon dougnaro
Niyafé, you who are very resilient
Artisilou magninika
You who create art
Djélilou magninika
You who tell tales
Ecrivain nou magninika
You who write stories
Ibaké foudoukèla
You who have the power of transformation
Ibaké kanoukèla
You who have the power of creation
Kana kokoré ikounfé
You are the celestial fire
Kélen na komandi.
You who command everything.
Será uma tempestade
It will be a storm
Orixás que lutam relâmpago trovão?
Orishas who fight thunder and lightning?
É o vento que assopra a terra que grita sobre a multidão
It's the wind that blows the earth that screams over the crowd
É uma avalanche a onda que quebra
It's an avalanche, the wave that breaks
Um grande vulcão, o coracão que bate
A big volcano, the beating heart
Na batida do povo que dribla o mal.
In the rhythm of the people that defeats the evil.
Boum boum! Mais qu'est-ce que j'entends?
Boom boom! But what do I hear?
C'est le tambour des peuples qui fait ce boucan
It's the drum of the people making this noise
Ce boucan, au loin que j'entends
This noise, that I hear in the distance
C'est le tambour des peuples qui sont mécontents
It's the drum of the people who are discontent
Boum boum! Ca fait dans ma tête
Boom boom! It's ringing in my head
C'est le tambour des peuples qui cogne et résonne
It's the drum of the people beating and resonating
Boum boum! C'est comme une fête
Boom boom! It's like a party
Le tambour des peuples fait danser les hommes…
The drum of the people makes the people dance...
Contributed by Cameron O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.