He was outcast by his family & ostracized by the community, because he was an albino - a sign of bad luck in Mandinka culture. In 1967, he left Djoliba for Bamako, where he joined the government sponsored Super Rail Band de Bamako (aka Super Rail Band). In 1973, Keita joined the group Les Ambassadeurs. Keita and Les Ambassadeurs fled political unrest in Mali during the mid-1970s for Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire & changed the group's name to Les Ambassadeurs Internationales. The reputation of Les Ambassadeurs Internationales rose to the international level in the 1970s and in 1977 Keita received a National Order award from the president of Guinea, Sékou Touré.
Keita moved to Paris in 1984 to reach a larger audience. His music combines traditional West African music styles with influences from both Europe and the Americas, while maintaining an overall Islamic style. Musical instruments that are commonly featured in Keita's work include balafon, djembe, guitar, kora, organ, saxophone, and synthesizer.
His latest album, M'Bemba, was released in October 2005.
This 'Bio' is copied from the Salif Keita page. Apparently there is question about the correct spelling of his name (with single or double dotted i).
Ekolo D'Amour
Salif Keïta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Ka barakélaba ma gninigua
Alé dé sfaso barala, a nyogonté
Ka sénékélaba ma gninigua
Olou yé faso barala, ou nyogonté
Olou yé folimina, ou nyogonté
A bé chanter, Salifou toubabou bé chanter la
E né ma dowéré don
Ekolo d'amour, mon amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Ma guitare, moi je l'aime
Ma guitare, moi je l'aime
Ma guitare, moi je l'aime
Ka tié la sigui musso gninigua
Olouyé tié la siguila nyogonté
Ka djéliké koroba gninigua
Olouyé dounouia lébéna nyogonté
Ma donkéla
I tiékissé lamaga
Makodja, makodja...
I tiékissé lamaga
Alah dé bé i sara la
Sénégali kounialaden dé nyogonté
I tiékissé lamaga
Amadou
Allah dé i dja djin yé
Fatoumata dé diarabi nyogonté
Makodja, makodja...
Ekolo d'amour, mon amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Ma guitare
Djin dalé bolonfola lula
A nyogonté bolonfula
A lé dé bolonfula
A nyogonté gonifola lu
Alé dé gonifola di
Madou djénem dé toumbafola di
Alé dé toumba dola di
Solo nyogonté toumbafola
A nyogonté tombafola lo
A lé dé toumbafola lé
A bé chanter, Salifou toubabou bé chanter la
E né ma dowéré don
Ekolo d'amour, mon amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Que c'est bon l'amour
Ma guitare, moi je l'aime
Ma guitare, mon amour
Moi je l'aime...
The song Ekolo D'Amour by Salif Keita is a celebration of love and music. The lyrics express the joy of being in love and the pleasure of playing music. The opening lines, "Ekolo d'amour, mon amour, que c'est bon l'amour" mean "Love is so good, my love." The repetition of "que c'est bon l'amour" emphasizes the sweetness and satisfaction that love brings.
The song also touches on the theme of cultural identity. The use of the Malian language Bambara in the lyrics and the inclusion of traditional Malian instruments such as the kora and balafon, showcase Keita's pride in his heritage. The verses "Sénégali kounialaden dé nyogonté" and "Fatoumata dé diarabi nyogonté" reference specific individuals and places, further emphasizing the connection to Mali and Senegal.
The line "Ma guitare, moi je l'aime" which translates to "My guitar, I love it" is repeated several times throughout the song. This highlights the importance of music in Keita's life and the role it plays in the celebration of love and culture.
Overall, Ekolo D'Amour is a joyful and celebratory song that showcases Salif Keita's love for music and his pride in his African heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
Ekolo d'amour, mon amour
Echo of love, my love
Que c'est bon l'amour
How good love is
Ka barakélaba ma gninigua
I am asking my heart
Alé dé sfaso barala, a nyogonté
What it feels, it's good
Ka sénékélaba ma gninigua
I am telling my heart
Olou yé faso barala, ou nyogonté
It is something to appreciate
Ka folikélabalou ma gniigua
I am praising my heart
Olou yé folimina, ou nyogonté
It is something great
A bé chanter, Salifou toubabou bé chanter la
I sing, Salifou toubabou sings it
E né ma dowéré don
It comes from my soul
Ma guitare, moi je l'aime
My guitar, I love it
Ka tié la sigui musso gninigua
I hear the sound of Sigui
Olouyé tié la siguila nyogonté
It has such a nice melody
Ka djéliké koroba gninigua
I hear the sound of Koroba
Olouyé dounouia lébéna nyogonté
It has a nice rhythm
Ma donkéla
My destiny
I tiékissé lamaga
It touched my soul
Makodja, makodja...
Makodja, makodja...
Alah dé bé i sara la
Allah will give us what we deserve
Sénégali kounialaden dé nyogonté
This is the beauty of Senegal
Amadou
Amadou
Allah dé i dja djin yé
Allah sends us angels
Fatoumata dé diarabi nyogonté
This is the divine beauty of Fatoumata
Ma guitare
My guitar
Djin dalé bolonfola lula
The sound of bolonfola is echoing
A nyogonté bolonfula
It is such a beautiful sound
A lé dé bolonfula
It feels good
A nyogonté gonifola lu
It is such a wonderful sound
Alé dé gonifola di
It feels so nice
Madou djénem dé toumbafola di
Madou is playing the toumbafola so nicely
Alé dé toumba dola di
It feels so good to hear the sound of toumbafola
Solo nyogonté toumbafola
The sound of the toumbafola is amazing
A nyogonté tombafola lo
The sound of the tombafola is beautiful
A lé dé toumbafola lé
It feels good to hear the sound of toumbafola
Ma guitare, moi je l'aime
My guitar, I love it
Writer(s): Salif Keita
Contributed by Molly V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@romicom
i love it. heard it on radio 2000 and safm in South Africa. Am getting the CD this weekend. Salif Keita a great of African music delivering wonderful songs year in year out. Bravo
@MahmoudAlamaKonate
Je demandais un jour à feu Pathé Diallo quel est son artiste préféré.
Il m'a répondu Salif, Salif, Salif... et dix ans après je ne sais pas qui suit. Il rajoute que dès fois il pense que Salif est un tricheur. Étonné, je lui demande comment cela. Il me dit qu'un être humain ne peut pas chanter aussi bien chanté...
@ilyaamona5079
Je ne comprends rien de ce qu'il dit, mais j'aime bien !!! C'est grace à Africa n°1 que je découvre ce morceau du grand Salif keita.
@djata1176
2023 je kiffe encore 🎵❤️
@mariamediallo5760
j'adore les chansons de salif keita j'adore
@safiatoufouillen7090
Merci Salif national et international longue vie à toi 😍😍😍
@AbessoloClaude
La musique n.a pas de frontière quand je t'écoute mon grand j'ai des frissons longue vie à tou
@moussameite2959
SALIF KEITA, un ange et sois benis.
@mamadoumeite3695
merci de nous jouer la bonne musique
@kadiatouboiro5597
j'aime tout ce qu'il fait