Obrint Pas was formed in 1993, and one year later, in 1994, they recorded their first tape which took them to win the 3rd "Tirant de Rock" (a rock festival). During the following years, the band also took part in several festivals that helped them to consolidate their music. Band members are: Xavi Sarrià (Guitar & vocals), Josep Pitarch, (Bass), Miquel Gironès (Dolçaina), Marc Guardiola (Drums), Robert Fernández (Guitar), Miquel Ramos ( Vocals & Keyboards).
Their first album came out in 1997 with the title La revolta de l'anima (The Soul's Revolution). Three years later, came Obrint Pas (2000), their first album with the record label Propaganda pel Fet. The consolidation of the group came with Terra(Land) in 2003, trying new styles. A year later, in 2004, they recorded La Flama (The Flame), which launched them onto the international scene with gigs in countries like Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Morocco and The Western Sahara.
Their last work En Moviment (Moving)(2005) is a live album with many collaborations such as Alex from Inadaptats, Fermin Muguruza, Al Tall... It was recorded in a tributing gig to Ovidi Montllor in Valencia ten years after his death. This work reached the TOP 20 bestseller albums in Spain (The only group singing in Catalan).
Dakar
Obrint Pas Lyrics
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A les dunes dels teus ulls
A les aigües dels riu Níger
Entre Bamako i Tumbuctú
Al rally de la vergonya
Al Llac Rosa de Dakar
A les tanques de Melilla
Africa al meu cor!
A les mans entrellaçades
A les nits sense salpar
En el fred de les mirades
En la pluja dins del mar
En la mort sense memòria
En la vida sense existir
Als matins de Barcelona
Als suburbis de París
No t'oblide, no t'oblide
En la vida i en la mort
No et vull perdre, no em vull perdre
En la tristesa del meu cor(x2)
The song "Dakar" by Obrint Pas is a heartfelt tribute to Africa, specifically the regions of the Sahara Desert, Mali, and Morocco, as well as the immigrant experience. The lyrics describe the desert of sadness, the dunes of your eyes, and the waters of the Niger River between Bamako and Timbuktu. The singer goes on to reference the Dakar Rally, a famous off-road racing event held in Senegal, as well as the pink lake that serves as one of its destinations. The lyrics then shift to the injustice of the Melilla border fence separating Morocco and Spain and the difficult nights spent in Gibraltar. All the while, the refrain of "Africa in my heart" is repeated, demonstrating the singer's deep love and connection with the continent.
The second verse of the song takes a more introspective tone, exploring themes of love, loss, and memory. The singer describes holding hands and spending sleepless nights together, facing the cold stares of others, and being lost in the rain of the sea. They then contrast the emptiness of life without memories to the busy mornings of Barcelona and the suburbs of Paris, likely referencing the experiences of immigrants living in those cities. The refrain is repeated twice more in the final lines, emphasizing the importance of remembering and not wanting to lose oneself in the sadness of the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Al desert de la tristesa
In the vast emptiness of sadness
A les dunes dels teus ulls
In the sand dunes of your eyes
A les aigües dels riu Níger
In the waters of the Niger River
Entre Bamako i Tumbuctú
Between Bamako and Timbuktu
Al rally de la vergonya
In the rally of shame
Al Llac Rosa de Dakar
At the Pink Lake of Dakar
A les tanques de Melilla
At the fences of Melilla
A les nits de Gibraltar
In the nights of Gibraltar
Africa al meu cor!
Africa in my heart!
A les mans entrellaçades
In the interlocked hands
A les nits sense salpar
In the nights without sailing
En el fred de les mirades
In the coldness of the glances
En la pluja dins del mar
In the rain within the sea
En la mort sense memòria
In the death without memory
En la vida sense existir
In the life without existence
Als matins de Barcelona
In the mornings of Barcelona
Als suburbis de París
In the suburbs of Paris
No t'oblide, no t'oblide
Don't forget, don't forget
En la vida i en la mort
In life and in death
No et vull perdre, no em vull perdre
I don't want to lose you, I don't want to lose myself
En la tristesa del meu cor(x2)
In the sadness of my heart (x2)
Contributed by Alexis D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.