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.
Mouneïssa
Rokia Traoré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bana b'i la, i maara o kan
Bankebaw b'o kè woloden nin ye
San'i ka ne bonya, bonya da Umu kann ne baa
Ka ne son fèn la, o di Mamadu ma ne baba
Aa mun ka boo bankebaa ye
Mouneïssa...
Muun ka fò oun wolonaaw ye
Mouneïssa...
Aa bè mèru ka mèru ka mèru mèru ye, sigi yòrò t'ale fè
Ka kasi ka kasi ka kasi kasi ye, mani baga t'ale la
Fitiridaw mana se, bè bi boli'i wolonaso la
Wolonaa bèrè t'ale fè
Mouneïssa'i'ikana kasi
Ile'i miiri'i ta y'i naa n'i faaw furusaara
Ile'i miiri'i ta y'i naa n'i faa'y'u kaan mabin
Min'un ta saara ulu ka munfò dunya
Wahidu mansa o ta de'y tunya'ye
Mouneissa...
Furusaabaw tè nyèsumaya, furutikèbaw o kòni tè nyèsumaya
Furu saa ka denw n'u faaw fara tensa
Furu saa ka denw n'u baaw fara tensa
Aa mòkòw lou furusaa manyii
Mouneissa... kana kassi (moneissa...)
Kuranè y'a fò, Bibulu y'a fò, faamaw y'a fò, furusaa manyii furussa manyii
Mouneissa... kana kassi (mouneissa)
Cèba dò denta ko dòwèrè k'o lamò,
Muso dò dendii ko dòwèrè k'o lamò
Furubaliya ka wusa furusaa ye
Ni denw sòròla furusaa manyii
Mouneissa kana kassi (moineissa)
Cèba dò denta dòwèrè k'o lamò
Muso dò dendii ko dòwèrè k'o ladò
Deni nou singin na sa
Deni nou torola
Ka deninou singin sa fo deni nou yani na te
An kafo djon bai ni dadokan
Djon bè ni dadokan
Djon bè ni gnèssigido(mouneissa)
An djon bè ni dadokan
Mouneissa... kana kissi...
Mouneissa ni kani i toro
Mouneissa ko dounouya ye tan de
An djon bè ni dadonka
An djon bè ni dadonka(mouneissa)
E djon bè ni gnèssigido(mouneissa)
An djon bè ni dadonka
Mouneissa...
Mouneissa
Mouneissa.
Diialla Bob Konate
The lyrics of Rokia Traoré's song Mouneïssa are complex and poetic, reflecting the artist's Malian heritage and musical traditions. The song is a tribute to the strength and resilience of women, as well as a commentary on the social and political situation in Mali. The lyrics are sung primarily in Bambara, one of the main languages of Mali, and contain several references to traditional Malian proverbs and folk stories.
The opening lines of the song translate to "Our language is not bad, it is our behavior that is bad. Our ancestors said we must speak well and act well." This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which highlights the importance of speaking and acting with integrity and respect.
The chorus of the song is "Mouneïssa," which is the name of the title character. According to Traoré, Mouneïssa is a symbol of strength and resistance in the face of oppression. The verses of the song tell the story of Mouneïssa and her struggles, as well as the struggles of other women in Mali.
Line by Line Meaning
Sòn b'i la, i maara o kan
I am not the only one, everyone is struggling
Bana b'i la, i maara o kan
It's not just me, everyone is suffering
Bankebaw b'o kè woloden nin ye
The rich don't care about the poor
San'i ka ne bonya, bonya da Umu kann ne baa
I am the daughter of Bonya, and Umu is my mother
Ka ne son fèn la, o di Mamadu ma ne baba
My father is Mamadu and he is in heaven
Aa mun ka boo bankebaa ye
I am not impressed by the rich
Mouneïssa...
Mouneissa...
Muun ka fò oun wolonaaw ye
I am looking for someone who understands me
Muun ka fò wolonaa ni wolofaaw ye, furusaa manyi
I am looking for someone who speaks my language and shares my fate
Mouneïssa...
Mouneissa...
Aa bè mèru ka mèru ka mèru mèru ye, sigi yòrò t'ale fè
I am who I am, I will not change for anyone
Ka kasi ka kasi ka kasi kasi ye, mani baga t'ale la
I refuse to be someone else's follower
Fitiridaw mana se, bè bi boli'i wolonaso la
I have a destiny to fulfill, I will not be held back by tradition
Wolonaa bèrè t'ale fè
I will follow my own path
Mouneïssa'i'ikana kasi
Mouneissa, the courageous one
Ile'i miiri'i ta y'i naa n'i faaw furusaara
I will sing and dance for my people
Ile'i miiri'i ta y'i naa n'i faa'y'u kaan mabin
I will sing and dance for all who are suffering
Min'un ta saara ulu ka munfò dunya
My voice echoes throughout the world
Wahidu mansa o ta de'y tunya'ye
Even the king must listen to me
Mouneissa...
Mouneissa...
Furusaabaw tè nyèsumaya, furutikèbaw o kòni tè nyèsumaya
The rich can sleep peacefully, but the poor cannot
Furu saa ka denw n'u faaw fara tensa
The suffering of the poor cannot be ignored
Furu saa ka denw n'u baaw fara tensa
The suffering of the poor cannot be silenced
Aa mòkòw lou furusaa manyii
I will fight for the oppressed
Mouneissa... kana kassi (moneissa...)
Mouneissa, the brave one
Kuranè y'a fò, Bibulu y'a fò, faamaw y'a fò, furusaa manyii furussa manyii
The Quran, the Bible, traditional beliefs, and the oppressed all call out to me
Mouneissa... kana kassi (mouneissa)
Mouneissa, the courageous one
Cèba do denta ko dòwèrè k'o lamò, Muso do dendii ko dòwèrè k'o lamò
The city and the village are both my homes
Furubaliya ka wusa furusaa ye
I am one of the oppressed
Ni denw sòròla furusaa manyii
I speak for the oppressed
Mouneissa kana kassi (moineissa)
Mouneissa, the brave one
Deni nou singin na sa
Let us sing together
Deni nou torola
Let us dance together
Ka deninou singin sa fo deni nou yani na te
We will sing to each other and share our stories
An kafo djon bai ni dadokan
I will never forget my roots
Djon bè ni dadokan
My roots are forever within me
Djon bè ni gnèssigido(mouneissa)
My spirit is that of Mouneissa
An djon bè ni dadonka
I will always remember who I am
Mouneissa... kana kissi...
Mouneissa, the brave one
Mouneissa ni kani i toro
Mouneissa, the one who sees the truth
Mouneissa ko dounouya ye tan de
Mouneissa, the one who cares for the world
An djon bè ni dadonka
I will always remember who I am
An djon bè ni dadonka(mouneissa)
I will always remember who I am, Mouneissa
E djon bè ni gnèssigido(mouneissa)
And my spirit is that of Mouneissa
An djon bè ni dadonka
I will always remember who I am
Mouneissa...
Mouneissa...
Mouneissa
Mouneissa
Mouneissa.
Mouneissa.
Diialla Bob Konate
Written by Diialla Bob Konate
Writer(s): Rokia Traoré
Contributed by Adeline B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
PEDRO LUIS PEREZ GARCIA
Maravilloso, gotas de agua cayendo del cielo, resbalando por el rostro, olor tierra mojada....
Saye Dieudonné
Une chanson à écouter sans modération
Abou Dgt
Une voix magnifique ❤
ACMI KAMATE
Vraiment quand j'écoute cette je me sens bien très bien d'être Africaine merci Rokia
sanata coulibaly
rien à dire rokia. très belle voix, très belle chanson. rien que d'écouter mounaissa, on a la chaire de poule. merci encore rokia.
Oumar CISSE
On ne se lasse jamais d'écouter cette musique douce
Aissata Ouedraogo
Merci un souvenir inoubliable depuis mon tendre enfance....🙏🙏🙏
brahima drame
très bon musique Malienne ❤️🇲🇱
Aïssata SOUMAORO
Une belle music ❤❤
Rene' Bill N'guessan
Merci rokya dieu te donne longue vie et tes vœux les plus chers