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.
Eyala
Richard Bona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni ma bole bino ma mbenda
Eyala
Ngo ye nde ya ndolo
Nde je pe so e bodi e
Be no peso wala
Ba wa nde ba si langue to mbale
To bana basu mo ba titi njoma bosinga
E mende no be na ba tese babo mbon
Yala Ohh yala ohh
Yala ohh yala ohh
Lambo te mo la nde bila mao
Di toukwe mo di be nde ndolo
Nde be no peso o wala
Se o djana djana bila
Ba wa
Nde ba si langwe to mbale
To bana basu mo ba titi njoma bosinga
E mende no be na ba tese babo mbon
Yala ohh yala ohh
Yala ohh yala ohh
The lyrics in Richard Bona's song 'Eyala' are in the Duala language, spoken in parts of Cameroon and Gabon. The opening lines 'Na titi pon ni sonja, Ni ma bole bino ma mbenda, Eyala' can be loosely translated to mean 'Give me your hand my friend, Let's go together to the party, Eyala'. The song seems to be about celebrating love and the bond of friendship. The lines 'Ngo ye nde ya ndolo, Nde je pe so e bodi e' could possibly mean 'we are in the midst of love, let's move our bodies'. The song emphasizes the need for togetherness and sharing moments with friends and family.
The chorus 'Yala ohh yala ohh' is a call and response type of chorus where the lead singer chants the word 'Yala' and the supporting singers respond with 'ohh yala ohh'. This creates a sense of unity and participation amongst the audience. The line 'Lambo te mo la nde bila mao' refers to the wearing of traditional attire to the party. The song seems to be a celebration of African culture and traditions.
Line by Line Meaning
Na titi pon ni sonja
I saw the sun rise
Ni ma bole bino ma mbenda
Its light shone everywhere
Eyala
Beautiful
Ngo ye nde ya ndolo
In my heart
Nde je pe so e bodi e
It fills me up
Be no peso wala
The world is big
Se o jana bila
How much more can it grow?
Ba wa nde ba si langue to mbale
People speak different languages
To bana basu mo ba titi njoma bosinga
Children play under the shade of trees
E mende no be na ba tese babo mbon
And I wish I was with them
Yala Ohh yala ohh
Beautiful, oh beautiful
Lambo te mo la nde bila mao
The world is full of surprises
Di toukwe mo di be nde ndolo
We must keep our hearts open
Se o djana djana bila
How much can we learn?
Ba wa
People
Nde ba si langwe to mbale
They speak different languages
Yala ohh yala ohh
Beautiful, oh beautiful
Contributed by Keira G. 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.