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.
Dianguina
Rokia Traoré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taayòrò baana
Kònò bi jèrè jiriba la, o tun'ye Jangina
Jègè tè bugu ni bajiba tè, o tun′ye Jangina
Jiri n'gòmò tè tingiriman ye, n'ga n′i yo gèrè nyua′na
Jurukisè b'o giriya
O tun′ye Jangina ye
Ee Jangina e sòna nin kè ne la...
Se kène ye, e tun bèkè kiriba ye min tè bin
Se kè ne ye, e tun bèkè bajiba ye min tè jaa
E dayòrò lankoloya la, e sikiyòrò lankoloya la, e jòyòrò
Lankoloya la
E sòna nii kè ne la...
Cè jò n'kaa′n tile kè, jòn tile tè dunya baan
Jò ne kaa'n tile kè, jòn tile ma dunya baan
Wa anka goloba sa′unfaa, sabu maa ti taa kuma dòn
E taa'nye sira min fè, Nyankòrò tar'o sira fè, Tèninsu
Tar′o sira fè
Jò n′kaa'n tile kè, jòn tile tè dunya baan
Saa yèrè ka gwèlèn sa, sabu maa t′i taa kuma dòn
Maa t'i nyèko dòn...
Dunya latikè goloba sa′unfaa, sabu maa t'i taa kuma dòn
Worokiya bè dònkili da, jòn tile tè dunya baan
Dunya latikè diya nyuwan bolo, sabu maa t′i taa kuma
Dòn
The lyrics of Rokia Traoré's song "Dianguina" convey a powerful message about the importance of unity and resilience in the face of adversity. The song starts by highlighting the strength of the community and the need to come together ("Ne bi doo minin dee, doyòrò tè n′a, ne bi taa minin dee"). It emphasizes the collective power of the people ("Jiri n'gòmò tè tingiriman ye, n'ga n′i yo gèrè nyua′na") and the need to stand firm in the face of challenges ("Jègè tè bugu ni bajiba tè").
The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Ee Jangina, e sòna nin kè ne la," serves as a rallying cry and a call for unity. Jangina is a person or a place that represents strength and resilience. The song encourages individuals to come together and support each other in difficult times.
The second verse further emphasizes the importance of unity and collective action ("Se kène ye, e tun bèkè kiriba ye min tè bin"). It emphasizes the need to move forward together and face the world as a united front ("Jò ne kaa'n tile kè, jòn tile ma dunya baan"). The lyrics also speak to the pride and identity of the community, expressing the desire to preserve and celebrate their heritage ("Worokiya bè dònkili da").
Overall, "Dianguina" is a powerful anthem that celebrates the strength of community, encourages unity, and acknowledges the importance of resilience in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ne bi doo minin dee, doyòrò tè n′a, ne bi taa minin dee
I am not a small person, I have great value, I am not insignificant
Taayòrò baana
The value of a human being
Kònò bi jèrè jiriba la, o tun'ye Jangina
Even if I am surrounded by difficulties, I can overcome them
Jègè tè bugu ni bajiba tè, o tun′ye Jangina
I have inner strength and determination, I can overcome challenges
Jiri n'gòmò tè tingiriman ye, n'ga n′i yo gèrè nyua′na
I am not bound by societal expectations, I am free to be myself
Jurukisè b'o giriya
I am here to express myself
O tun′ye Jangina ye
I can overcome anything
Ee Jangina, e sòna nin kè ne la...
Oh Jangina, I am proud to be yours...
Se kène ye, e tun bèkè kiriba ye min tè bin
This is who I am, I will fight for my rights
Se kè ne ye, e tun bèkè bajiba ye min tè jaa
This is who I am, I will stand up for myself
E dayòrò lankoloya la, e sikiyòrò lankoloya la, e jòyòrò Lankoloya la
I have the power to overcome sadness, to conquer sadness, to celebrate sadness
E sòna nii kè ne la...
I am proud to be myself...
Cè jò n'kaa′n tile kè, jòn tile tè dunya baan
I will not let others define me, I will define my own world
Jò ne kaa'n tile kè, jòn tile ma dunya baan
I will not let anyone control me, I will create my own world
Wa anka goloba sa′unfaa, sabu maa ti taa kuma dòn
I will be free from limitations, because I believe in myself
E taa'nye sira min fè, Nyankòrò tar'o sira fè, Tèninsu Tar′o sira fè
I am the composer of my own destiny, I hold the power to shape my own destiny
Saa yèrè ka gwèlèn sa, sabu maa t′i taa kuma dòn
I will not let fear hold me back, because I believe in myself
Maa t'i nyèko dòn...
I will not be controlled...
Dunya latikè goloba sa′unfaa, sabu maa t'i taa kuma dòn
I will transcend worldly limitations, because I believe in myself
Worokiya bè dònkili da, jòn tile tè dunya baan
I am a unique being, I will create my own world
Dunya latikè diya nyuwan bolo, sabu maa t′i taa kuma Dòn
I will rise above the noise of the world, because I believe in myself
Writer(s): Rokia Traore
Contributed by Charlotte F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ismaeldiakite9784
une meilleure pour moi et l'artiste complète. j'ai beaucoup aime
@alaminedjon388
Vraiment .Eeee Rokia ta voix me fait pleure..Tellement j aime ta musique.Ni je me ose commenter😘😘😘😘😘😘Tjr que j' écoute ta voix Rokia. .Ça me manque des mots..Eeee.Rokia Que Dieu te prête une longue pleines de succès et exauce tes voeux ...Je t' adore😘😘😘
@gerretpaulsen2300
thanks for loading this up :-)
what a wonderful voice and lovely music,
reminds us, where mankind originates from...
@mariamsamacoulibaly9240
It's from Mali
@matsgustavsson9359
Roots. All you rock and blues musicians this is where the roots origin from.
@mariamsamacoulibaly9240
It's from Mali
@julioalonsobarroso694
Los llevo en mi corazón la rrasa más sufrida de la tierra y para mi las hembras más bella de la creación de nuestro padre celestial. Saludos mis respeto para todos
@TreeswithKnees
Too many sleeping on this...