Effortlessly combining folk, reggae, soul and blues, the singer/songwriter/guitarist , Patrice, exploded onto the music scene with his phenomenal testimonial debut Lions E.P in 1999 aged just 18. With the deep lyrical content and social conscience resonating within his work, Patrice alludes to his late father (a Sierra Leonian political activist and poet) and Bob Marley as the greatest influences on his music. Lions, with its tales of love and social rhetoric coupled with raw acoustic production, perfectly showcased Patrices distinctive fusion of lyrics, sounds and genres. After supporting Lauryn Hill on her much acclaimed Miseducation of Tour, Patrice released his critically acclaimed first album Ancient Spirits in 2000 (European sales in excess of 150,000)
Since 2001, Patrice has toured relentlessly and wooed audiences at gigs across Europe, USA and Africa. Whether solo, acoustic or with his band Shashamani, a big combination of humour, B-boy stage antics, and incredible musicianship have thus far made Patrices live shows a highlight of his career. Five years on, his reputation has been cemented with show stopping headline performances alongside Youssouf N'Dour in Senegal, Manu Chao and Damon Albarn at The Festival In The Desert and the Tamika Reggae Awards in New York amongst many others.
His second largely self produced album How Do You Call It (released in Europe September 2002) saw Patrice evolving his sound with a rich melange of Hip Hop, Soul and Reggae which underpinned twelve well crafted songs. Recorded over a two-month period in Jamaica and with 3 tracks produced in London with Cameron McVey, Massive Attack, Youssouf N'Dour, Andu Baraganescu and Neneh Cherry, How Do You Call It further cemented his unique niche in todays diverse musical landscape. The LP also spawned the Pan European hit Sunshine.
Nile, Patrice's third and most current album (named after the river Nile, representing Life in the African continent) is truly a bold undertaking and can be described as a work of astounding maturity, sincerity and sensitivity. Whether rocking to the amped guitar, explosive drums and African percussion behind Africanize Dem or soaking up the beautiful rendition of the obscure Wailers track It Hurts To Be Alone it's clear that experimentation has lent his work an undeniable urgency and freshness. The present single Soulstorm has provided Patrice with another European hit. The majority of 2005 was spent performing to sell out audiences throughout Europe which included his first headlined show for all the UK fans at The Borderline, in London, and perhaps the pinnacle of his career so far, playing in front of the 6,000 fans who filled out the Zenith in Paris. In the summer of 2006 Patrice released a live DVD which gives the audience an exclusive look at how Nile was recorded, rehearsed and performed throughout the world.
Africanize Dem
Patrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From you feel ashamed â??cause Iâ??nâ??I identify you
You have been found
Pick you off the ground
Iâ??ll dry your tears
Our kingdom is near
Come on now
You have been found
Iâ??ll dry your tears
Our kingdom is near
[Chorus:]
Mi come fi africanize dem
With di drumbeat again
Come fi africanize dem
With die drumbeat again
Let di communicators deal with di matter
Crank up di bass so di tune can get fatter
Got a choir fi bun di hotta fire
I choose music â??cause Iâ??m tired
â??cause music got die power
to unite who was scattered
to rise di hearts and minds of di ones ina di gutter
di genesis of sound di talking
and di chemistry between words
is what only by your soul can be heard
mi go so uh uh â?¦ uh uh (what you got there?)
[Chorus:]
Mi come fi africanize dem
With di drumbeat again
Come fi africanize dem
With di drumbeat again
Di system want fi digitalize dem
With di mark ah di beast
Mi come fi africanize dem
With di mark ah Patrice
I know that you can feel this â??cause itâ??s in you
This goes from me to you
And now it must continue
Cause we have been found
Picked off the ground
Iâ??ll dry your tears
Our kingdom is near
Come on now
You have been found
Pick you off the ground
Iâ??ll dry your tears
Our kingdom is near
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Patrice's song "Africanize Dem" are a call to action to reclaim and embrace African identity and culture, which has been systematically suppressed and denigrated by colonialism and neo-colonialism. The opening lines suggest a sense of disconnection and insecurity, as some may feel ashamed of their African heritage. However, Patrice offers reassurance that he and others have come to uplift and embrace those who may feel lost, hurt, or disconnected. This is mirrored in the repeated refrain "you have been found, pick you off the ground, I'll dry your tears, our kingdom is near," which is like a rallying cry to join the movement.
The song's chorus calls for Africanization through music, specifically through the beat of the drum. Patrice believes that music has the power to bring people together and heal divisions. He suggests that "communicators" (musicians, DJs, etc.) can play a role in promoting Africanization by using music to empower and unify people. In contrast, the "system" (the dominant culture, government, media, etc.) seeks to "digitalize" people, homogenize their cultures and identities, and erase their histories. Patrice suggests that the mark of the "beast" refers to the oppressive forces that seek to erase and degrade African culture and identity (perhaps a reference to the biblical book of Revelation, which talks about a "mark of the beast" that serves as an emblem of submission to an antichrist figure).
In summary, Patrice's song "Africanize Dem" is a powerful and emotional call to take pride in African identity and culture, resist the forces of oppression, and use the power of music to unite and empower people. The song's lyrics evoke a sense of hope, community, and resilience in the face of cultural erasure and oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
From you're scared and soft and don't have no love inside you
If you lack courage, compassion, and empathy, this song is for you
From you feel ashamed â??cause Iâ??nâ??I identify you
If you feel embarrassed about who you are, this song is for you
You have been found
You have been discovered
Pick you off the ground
I will help you get up when you fall down
Iâ??ll dry your tears
I will comfort you when you cry
Our kingdom is near
Our community is coming together
Come on now
Join us now
Let di communicators deal with di matter
Let the messengers spread the message
Crank up di bass so di tune can get fatter
Turn up the volume so the music can be stronger
Got a choir fi bun di hotta fire
We have a group of people who are passionate and ready to sing
I choose music â??cause Iâ??m tired
I choose music because it is a powerful way to express myself
â??cause music got die power
Because music has the power
to unite who was scattered
To bring together those who were divided
to rise di hearts and minds of di ones ina di gutter
To uplift those who are struggling
di genesis of sound di talking
The beginning of sound is speech
and di chemistry between words
and the way words work together
is what only by your soul can be heard
can only be heard by your inner self
mi go so uh uh â?¦ uh uh (what you got there?)
I express myself through music
Di system want fi digitalize dem
The system wants to assimilate them
With di mark ah di beast
With the mark of the beast
Mi come fi africanize dem
I come to remind them of their African roots
With di mark ah Patrice
With the sound of Patrice (referring to the artist)
I know that you can feel this â??cause itâ??s in you
I know you can relate to this because you already have it inside you
This goes from me to you
This message is for you, directly from me
And now it must continue
We must keep going
Our kingdom is near
Our community is coming together
Chorus
Repeating the refrain of the song
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PATRICE BART-WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind