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 album, M'Bemba, was released in October 2005.
Begin the Beguine
Salif Keita Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It brings back the sound of music so tender
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
It brings back a memory ever green
I'm with you once more under the stars
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
To live it again is past all endeavor
Except when that tune clutches my heart
And there we are, swearing to love forever
And promising never, never to part
What moments divine, what rapture serene
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
I know but too well what they mean
So don't let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When they begin the beguine
Salif Keita’s song Begin the Beguine is a romantic ballad that transports the listeners back to a night of tropical splendour. The iconic tune ‘Begin the Beguine’ acts as a trigger that brings back memories of divine moments and raptures experienced by the singer in the company of their lover. The singer recalls listening to an orchestra playing on the shore while they were enjoying a starry night. When they hear the song today, it reminds them of the moments they shared with their lover. They recall that under the spell of the song, they had pledged to love each other forever and never part.
However, the singer acknowledges that the memories that they cherish were disrupted by unforeseen events. The music was disrupted by the clouds, which dispersed the joyous moment they had shared. For the singer, this song is a powerful reminder of the fragile nature of life; it brings back the memory of the passionate love they once shared but is also a reminder of the chance they had missed. The singer pleads with the band not to let the song-begin since it can reignite the longing for an unrecoverable love that was lost.
In conclusion, the song Begin the Beguine by Salif Keita is an ode to the memories of a tropical and romantic night that the singer shared with their lover. It highlights the power of music in invoking memories of the past and calls attention to the ephemeral nature of life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
When they begin the beguine
The start of the beguine song begins to play
It brings back the sound of music so tender
The music is a reminder of tender moments
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
The music reminds of a beautiful tropical night
It brings back a memory ever green
The music evokes a vivid and everlasting memory
I'm with you once more under the stars
The memory of being together under the stars is revived
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
The sound of the orchestra playing by the shore is heard again
And even the palms seem to be swaying
The music makes the palms appear to sway along with it
To live it again is past all endeavor
Reliving those moments is impossible
Except when that tune clutches my heart
Only the tune has the power to transport us back to that time
And there we are, swearing to love forever
The memory makes us promise to love each other forever
And promising never, never to part
And to never separate from each other
What moments divine, what rapture serene
What peaceful and magnificent moments
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
Until sadness came and destroyed the happiness we shared
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
When people regret the missed opportunity to experience that joy again
I know but too well what they mean
I deeply understand their feeling because I've experienced it too
So don't let them begin the beguine
Don't let the song start because it brings too much emotion
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
Let the love from that time remain a small spark
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
Let it rest like a dead desire that I only remember
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Oh, yes, let them start playing the song
Till the stars that were there before return above you
Until the stars from that time appear above you again
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
Until you tell me again how much you love me
Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
Then we realize we're in heaven
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When the beguine song begins to play again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Moaba
on Tono
These lyrics dont sound anything like whats being sung-Backing or lead
Bocar
on Tekere
C'est de la merde cette traduction
C'est faux !
Flo
on Bolon
Original africa lyrics
https://youtu.be/YOrQjpD4dLY
Baye Fall
on Sanni Kegniba (Sanni The Beautiful)
https://youtu.be/YWb-6GejO1E
Nqobile Sibiya
on Seydou
Can somebody translate this song for me into English plz. Tnx
Lucy Lucy Crystal Dio
on Sada
This song is not Sada. I´d like the lyric from Sada song please
Lucy Lucy Crystal Dio
on Sada
This song is not Sada. I´d like the lyric from Sada song please.