In 1989, at age 22, Bona moved to Paris and soon began working with such leading French musicians as violinist Didier Lockwood and bassist Marc Ducret as well as such African stars as Manu Dibango and Salif Keita. During his seven years in Paris, Richard refined his writing skills while further immersing himself in the music of jazz greats like Miles Davis, Chet Baker and Ben Webster.
Since arriving in New York in 1995, bassist-vocalist-composer Richard Bona has been one of the most sought-after talents on the scene.
Bona Petit
Richard Bona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ki ça y aie y aie
Mais ki ki ça yaie y aie
Dis-le moi petite douce
Irrésistible ton regard
C’est des mots
C’est tellement beau
Et c’est comme un souffle
Un soupir qui fait du bien
Qui passe à petits pas près de toi là
Ecoute, le souffler
Comme une belle sensation
Parfois chaude et des frissons
Comme le vent là-bas à Rio
En haut du Kilimanjaro
Et c’est comme un enfant
Qui prend ta main
Qui marche à petits pas près de toi là
Ecoute
Mbala qui ça kiki ça
Mais !!! Qui est-ce qui mais…
Aie na mala mba na mala mba na pai
Oie na mala na mal na wo mba
Oie na mala mba na mala mbana wo
Oie makata makata ma wo mba
Oie na taka na taka na wo
Aie ya aie ya aie ya
The lyrics to Richard Bona's song "Bona Petit" are a mix of different languages and phrases, making it a challenge to interpret their meaning. However, there are some key phrases that can be understood. Bona opens the song with a repeated phrase "Aie y aie y aie yaya i", which is more like a sound than words. This phrase is followed by a question "Ki ça y aie y aie, Mais ki ki ça yaie y aie", which roughly translates to "What is happening? But what is happening there?".
The following lines shift the focus to a "petite douce" or a sweet little girl with an irresistible gaze. Bona describes the beautiful words that she speaks, which come in a soft whisper like a gentle breeze. The words are a beautiful sensation that can be both warm and chilling, like the wind in Rio or high up in Kilimanjaro. The phrase "Mbala qui ça kiki ça, Mais!!! Qui est-ce qui mais…" seems to be a playful jab at someone or something, but the meaning is again somewhat of a mystery.
Overall, "Bona Petit" is a song that celebrates the beauty of language itself, and the many different ways that it can be used to express emotions, sensations and ideas. It's a vibrant, energetic and uplifting song that showcases Bona's skill as a musician and lyricist.
Line by Line Meaning
Aie y aie y aie yaya i
Expressing an energetic and lively feeling
Ki ça y aie y aie
Wondering what might be the reason of the energetic feeling
Mais ki ki ça yaie y aie
Further inquiring about the reason behind the energetic feeling
Dis-le moi petite douce
Asking the listener, who is addressed as 'petite douce', to tell the reason of this feeling
Irrésistible ton regard
Complimenting the listener's irresistible gaze
C’est des mots
Describing the feeling in words
C’est tellement beau
Emphasizing the beauty of the feeling
Qui parlent à petits mots
Saying that these words are expressed in small, intimate ways
Et c’est comme un souffle
Comparing the feeling to a gentle breath
Un soupir qui fait du bien
Suggesting that the breath brings relief and pleasure
Qui passe à petits pas près de toi là
Indicating that the feeling is close to the listener
Ecoute, le souffler
Encouraging the listener to pay attention to this feeling
Comme une belle sensation
Describing the feeling as a beautiful sensation
Parfois chaude et des frissons
Suggesting that this feeling can sometimes be warm or give shivers
Comme le vent là-bas à Rio
Comparing the feeling to the wind in Rio
En haut du Kilimanjaro
Mentioning the Kilimanjaro mountain to convey a lofty feeling
Et c’est comme un enfant
Comparing the feeling to a child
Qui prend ta main
Suggesting that the feeling holds the listener's hand
Qui marche à petits pas près de toi là
Indicating that the feeling is walking alongside the listener
Ecoute
Urging the listener to listen closely
Mbala qui ça kiki ça
Using a playful and meaningless phrase
Mais !!! Qui est-ce qui mais…
Expressing surprise or confusion with a nonsensical phrase
Aie na mala mba na mala mba na pai
Using a repetitive and nonsensical expression
Oie na mala na mal na wo mba
Another instance of using repetition and nonsense
Oie na mala mba na mala mbana wo
More of the same nonsensical phrase
Oie makata makata ma wo mba
Using nonsensical words
Oie na taka na taka na wo
More repetition of nonsense
Aie ya aie ya aie ya
Repeating the energetic and lively sound from the beginning
Contributed by Keira I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
George Nyavor
on Dunia E
omg!!! I have been looking for the meaning of this masterpiece that hits my spirits so hard and yet so comforting. Thanks Nathaniel for what you are doing. i am a Ghanaian and since I discovered Richard Bona, he assumed some sort of revered status in my mind. The guy is good and talented! Thanks so much for bringing the meaning of Suninga too. I wish I can pay you cos at some I linked up with a few friends from Cameroon. They didn't help much since they said the language of the song is not what they speak. I am grateful for this.
Nguebeh Collyn
on Souleymane
Mulema is a name
Yeikete is another name and means something unknown or undefined
They talk about us but we don't know what they're saying
It's a secret language that they're using
They talk about us but we can feel the energy of the gossip
We are not part of their discussion
There is a lot of drama and intrigue surrounding us
We try to stay grounded and not let their gossip affect us
We are caught in the middle of something we don't fully understand
We are not part of their conversation
We are surrounded by people who talk about us, and it makes us feel uncomfortable
We feel small and insignificant in the face of their gossip
Their gossip is like a snake that creeps up on us from behind
We feel helpless and vulnerable to their criticism
Mulema is still a part of this gossip
Yeikete is still here too
They are still talking about us
Their secret language still leaves us in the dark
We are still trying to absorb their negative energy
We still don't really know what they're saying
The drama and intrigue still surround us
We are still trying to stay grounded
We are still in the middle of something that is confusing and uncomfortable
Their conversation is about to come to an end
There is an interruption in their conversation
Someone is trying to change the subject or end the conversation
A car comes to a screeching halt nearby
The conversation comes to a complete stop
Someone interrupts to ask who we are
Our name is Souleymane, and we introduce ourselves
We repeat our name to make sure they understand
We are still part of this discussion but now we're taking control of the conversation
We are no longer in the dark about what they're talking about
We repeat our name with confidence
We are proud of who we are, even though others might not understand us
We are the ones who decide what we want to say
Our words are like flames that cannot be extinguished
We speak with authority and power
Our words echo like the beating of a drum
We are still part of this conversation, but now we are leading it
We know what they're saying, and we're not afraid
We are using our words to bring people together
Our words are a call to action
Our words are fierce and powerful
We are inspiring others to find their own voice
Our name is Souleymane, and we are taking control of this conversation
We are confident and empowered
We are no longer just part of this conversation, but leading it
We are no longer in the dark about what they're saying
We are unafraid and proud of who we are
We are taking control and making our voices heard
We are leading this conversation with power and authority
We have taken control of this conversation and will not be silenced
We are proud of who we are and will never be silenced
We are unafraid to speak up and make our voices heard
We are the ones who control the conversation now
We are the ones who will be remembered, not those who gossip about us
Our words have power and will inspire others to speak up too
Claudio
on Invocation
Lyric of Invocation is wrong. The lyric is from other song called "Dina Lam" and is the chorus of that song, from 2'47''. You can see that.