Massi's music, which prominently features the acoustic guitar, displays Western musical style influences such as rock, country or the Portuguese fado, rather than traditional Algerian or Raï musical styles performed by most Algerian musicians. Massi sings in Algerian Arabic, French, and occasionally English and Kabyle (Berber language), often employing multiple languages in the same song.
Massi was born in Algiers, Algeria to a poor Muslim family of seven children. Encouraged by her older brother, she began studying music at a young age, singing and playing guitar. Growing up Massi immersed herself in American country and roots music, musical styles that would later heavily influence her songwriting. At the age of seventeen she joined a flamenco band, but quickly grew bored with the group and left.
In the early 1990s, Massi joined the Algerian political rock band Atakor, who were influenced by Western rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and U2. She recorded and performed with the group for seven years, releasing a successful album and two popular music videos. The band, however, with its political lyrics and growing popularity, became a target. Massi disguised herself by cutting her hair and dressing in male clothing, but she nevertheless became the target of a series of death threats. In 1999, she left the band and moved to Paris, France.
In 1999, Massi was invited to perform at the Femmes d'Algerie ("Women from Algeria") festival in Paris, which led to a recording contract with Island Records. In June of 2001, she released her solo debut album Raoui ("Storyteller"), which All Music Guide compared to 1960s American folk music. Sung mostly in French and Arabic, the album became a critical and commercial success in France. The following year she was nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the Radio 3 World Music Awards.
In 2003, she released her second album Deb ("Heart-broken"). The album's lyrics were more personal rather than political and it became one of the most successful North African albums worldwide. Three years later, Massi released her third album Mesk Elil ("Honeysuckle"). The album expanded on the themes of love and loss that had been explored on Deb and featured duets with Daby Toure and Rabah Khalfa.
Studio albums
* 2001: Raoui
* 2003: Deb
* 2006: Mesk Elil
* 2010: Ô Houria
* 2015: El Mutakallimun
* 2019: Oumniya
* 2022: Sequana
https://souad-massi.com/en/
Tant Pis Pour Moi
Souad Massi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mais on ne danse plus ensemble et dans ma solitude
Je pense à toi, je pense à toi
J'ai froid des pluies de larmes que j′éprouvais à peine
Et ces torrents de mots de nos maudites scènes
Je pensais qu'à moi, je pensais qu'à moi
C′est tant pis pour moi si tu as pris le large
Tant pis pour moi nestahel
Fougueuse dans mon désir d′être une dame de cœur
Je pensais qu'à moi, je pensais qu′à moi
Je m'occupais les mains quand tu tendais les tiennes
Encore que chaque jour sourde à tout tes appels
Je pensais qu′à moi, je pensais qu'à moi
C′est tant pis pour moi si tu as pris le large
Tant pis pour moi nestahel
Tu m'as dit oui souvent plein de sollicitude
Mais on ne danse plus ensemble et dans ma solitude
Je pense à toi, je pense à toi
C'est tant pis pour moi si tu as pris le large
Tant pis pour moi nestahel
Et dans la première version, elle termine avec:
Nestahel ghir kemmel ou ana lli ach dani
Nestahel ghir kemel
Tant pis pour moi
The lyrics of Souad Massi's song "Tant Pis Pour Moi" revolve around the theme of regret as the singer addresses a lover who has left her. The opening lines reveal that the lover was once attentive to her needs but now they no longer dance together, and the singer thinks of them constantly in her solitude. She reflects on the persistent tears she shed and the hurtful words they exchanged during their relationship. She continues to lament her preoccupation with herself while disregarding her lover's needs. The chorus "tant pis pour moi si tu as pris le large, tant pis pour moi nestahel" roughly translates to "too bad for me if you have taken off, too bad for me."
Massi addresses her lover directly in the third verse, acknowledging their support and kindness in the past. She notes her own desire to be a "dame de cœur" or lady of the heart, and how she was too self-absorbed to notice her lover extending their hand to her. The final verse is a repetition of the opening verse with slight differences, illustrating the cyclical nature of regret and reflecting on the loved one once more. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, and in the original version, she concludes with the poetic line "Nestahel ghir kemmel ou ana lli ach dani" which means "I will stay alone and deal with my pain, too bad for me."
The lyrics of "Tant Pis Pour Moi" highlight the importance of recognizing the needs of loved ones and the regret that may follow when we take them for granted. The song is a powerful expression of loss and self-reflection that many can relate to in failed relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu m′as dit oui souvent plein de sollicitude
You said yes to me often, full of kindness
Mais on ne danse plus ensemble et dans ma solitude
But we don't dance together anymore and in my solitude, I think of you
Je pense à toi, je pense à toi
I think of you, I think of you
J'ai froid des pluies de larmes que j′éprouvais à peine
I shiver from the rains of tears that I barely felt
Et ces torrents de mots de nos maudites scènes
And those torrents of words from our cursed scenes
Je pensais qu'à moi, je pensais qu'à moi
I thought only of myself, I thought only of myself
C′est tant pis pour moi si tu as pris le large
It's too bad for me if you have gone far away
Tant pis pour moi nestahel
Too bad for me, alas
Tu as pansé mes plaies, enduré mes douleurs
You cared for my wounds, endured my pains
Fougueuse dans mon désir d′être une dame de cœur
Passionate in my desire to be a lady of heart
Je pensais qu'à moi, je pensais qu′à moi
I thought only of myself, I thought only of myself
Je m'occupais les mains quand tu tendais les tiennes
I kept my hands busy when you extended yours
Encore que chaque jour sourde à tout tes appels
Although every day I ignore all your calls
Je pensais qu′à moi, je pensais qu'à moi
I thought only of myself, I thought only of myself
C′est tant pis pour moi si tu as pris le large
It's too bad for me if you have gone far away
Tu m'as dit oui souvent plein de sollicitude
You said yes to me often, full of kindness
Mais on ne danse plus ensemble et dans ma solitude
But we don't dance together anymore and in my solitude, I think of you
Je pense à toi, je pense à toi
I think of you, I think of you
C'est tant pis pour moi si tu as pris le large
It's too bad for me if you have gone far away
Tant pis pour moi nestahel
Too bad for me, alas
Nestahel ghir kemmel ou ana lli ach dani
Alas, only complete darkness remains for me
Nestahel ghir kemel
Alas, only complete darkness
Writer(s): Souad Massi
Contributed by Adrian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@SSLH-ze6mm
👌🏼😌Merci pour ce beau partage 🙂
@yaminaboujjoufasfad5230
♥️♥️♥️
@divafayrouz8531
Chah fiya nestahel.. 👌