Traoré was born in Kolokani, Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group. As her father was a diplomat, she travelled widely in her youth travelling to Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium. As a result of this travel, she was exposed to a wide variety of influences.
The Bambara also had a tradition of griot performing at weddings although members of the nobility such as Traoré are discouraged from performing as musicians. Traoré attended lycée in Mali when her father was stationed in Brussels and started performing publicly. As well as guitar she plays ngoni (lute) and balafon.
In 1997 she linked with Mali musician Ali Farka Touré which raised her profile. She won a Radio France Internationale prize as African discovery of 1997, an honor previously won by Mali's Habib Koité in 1993.
Her first album Mouneïssa (Label Bleu), released in late 1997 in Mali and 1998 in Europe, was acclaimed for its fresh treatment and unqualifiable combinations of several Malian music traditions such as her use of the ngoni and the balafon. It sold over 40,000 copies in Europe.
In 2000, her second album Wanita was released. Traoré wrote and arranged the whole album. The album was widely acclaimed with the New York Times nominating it as one of its critics' albums of the year.
Her 2003 album Bowmboï has two tracks recorded with the Kronos Quartet but still sung in the Bambara language, and was awarded the prestigious BBC 3 World Music Award. As of 2005, she has been nominated three times for this award.
In 2008, her latest album "Tchamantché" was released.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rokia Traoré’s Beautiful Africa will be released on April 1, 2013, by Nonesuch Records in France and April 8, 2013 in Europe, Canada and USA. The record was produced by English musician John Parish (PJ Harvey, Eels, Sparklehorse) and recorded at Toybox Studios in Bristol, UK. Its lyrics are sung in the Malian–born Traoré’s native languages of French and Bambara, as well as some English.
Pitchfork described Traoré’s most recent record, 2009’s Tchamantché, as “a guitar album of a particularly understated bent...hauntingly spare yet ridiculously well-defined, the timbre and tone of every string presented in perfect resolution.” And the BBC World Service called it “One of the best albums of the year. An absolute stunner.” Tchamantché also won a Victoires de la Musique (the equivalent of a Grammy Award in France) and a Songlines Artist of the Year Award for Traoré.
The daughter of a Malian diplomat who was posted to the US, Europe, and the Middle East, Traoré studied sociology in Brussels before embarking on her musical career. Although based in Bamako, Traoré has, for her son’s safety, temporarily relocated to Paris due to the current conflict in Mali. Her music draws upon her homeland’s traditions as well as the European and American rock and pop she has listened to throughout her life.
Traoré has explored a breadth of directions in her career. She recently collaborated with Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison and MacArthur “Genius” Grant winning director Peter Sellars on the theater piece Desdemona. The piece premiered in Vienna in the summer of 2011 and received its New York premiere at Lincoln Center that fall; its UK premiere was at the Barbican in London in the summer of 2012. The Guardian called it “a remarkable, challenging and bravely original new work.”
The Barbican also produced a three-night series of shows by Traoré that summer, entitled Donguili – Donke – Damou (Sing – Dance – Dream). For the Sing evening, held at the Barbican, Traoré and mandolinist/former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones joined young musicians from Traoré’s training program in Mali, Foundation Passerelle. Dance, at the Village Underground rock club, featured Traoré and her band playing the high-energy, danceable shows she is well known for—joined by Parish on guitar. And for Dream, which took place in an East End theater, Traoré narrated an ancient Malian tale, with occasional musical interludes. Australia’s Sydney Festival also presented Donguili – Donke – Damou in January 2013. Traoré was awarded the inaugural Roskilde Festival World Music Award in 2009 for her work with Foundation Passerelle.
In the autumn of 2012, Traoré joined Damon Albarn’s UK train tour Africa Express, performing scheduled concerts in Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, and London as well as pop-up performances at railway stations, schools, factories, offices, shopping centers, and private homes. Other musicians on the tour included John Paul Jones, Amadou Bagayoko, Baaba Maal, and Paul McCartney.
A Ou Ni Sou
Rokia Traoré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every night I dream a little dream
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
The he for me
Although I realize as well as you
It is seldom that a dream comes true
To me it's clear
That he'll appear
Some day he'll come along
The man I love
And he'll be big and strong
The man I love
And when he comes my way
I'll do my best to make him stay
He'll look at me and smile
I'll understand
And in a little while
He'll take my hand
And though it seems absurd
I know we both won't say a word
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
Maybe Monday, maybe not
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day
He'll build a little home
Just meant for two
From which I'll never roam
Who would, would you?
And so all else above
I'm waiting for the man I love
The lyrics to Rokia Traoré's song A Ou Ni Sou are in the Bambara language and are not related to the lyrics of the song "The Man I Love" quoted above. A Ou Ni Sou is a soulful song that starts with the artist declaring that she is missing someone she loves badly. She reminisces about the moments they shared together, describing how beautiful their love was, and how they enjoyed good times together. However, she now finds herself in a place of sadness and uncertainty because she can't seem to find this person, and she's desperate for a reunion with him. She believes that their love story is not yet over and that they will soon be reunited.
The song's melody and instrumentation reflect the artist's use of her native Malian instruments, such as the kora and ngoni, to create a blend of traditional and modern sounds. The soulful and emotional delivery of the vocals further emphasizes the pain and longing in the artist's voice. The Bambara language adds to the authenticity and depth of the song, making it more relatable to the African audience.
Line by Line Meaning
When the mellow moon begins to beam
At night when the moon is full and bright
Every night I dream a little dream
I have a fantasy every evening
And of course Prince Charming is the theme
It's always about finding my ideal man
The he for me
The one who is meant for me
Although I realize as well as you
I understand like you do
It is seldom that a dream comes true
It's rare for a dream to become reality
To me it's clear
I'm certain
That he'll appear
That he will come to me
Some day he'll come along
One day he will arrive
The man I love
The man I have affection for
And he'll be big and strong
He will be physically powerful
And when he comes my way
When he arrives near me
I'll do my best to make him stay
I'll try to convince him to stick around
He'll look at me and smile
He'll gaze upon me and grin
I'll understand
I will comprehend his intentions
And in a little while
In a short period of time
He'll take my hand
He'll hold onto my hand
And though it seems absurd
Even though it seems unlikely
I know we both won't say a word
I know we won't verbalize anything
Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
Perhaps I will encounter him on Sunday
Maybe Monday, maybe not
Perhaps on Monday or perhaps not
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Despite the uncertainty, I'm confident I'll see him
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day
Perhaps Tuesday will bring good news to me
He'll build a little home
He'll create a small abode
Just meant for two
Intended only for both of us
From which I'll never roam
I won't wander from there
Who would, would you?
Would anyone, including you?
And so all else above
And therefore, everything else
I'm waiting for the man I love
I'm anticipating the appearance of the man I love
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on Laidu
What is the translation for the lyrics