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/
Yemma
Souad Massi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
El reih maynqusnich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Drahem maykhussunich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Dmou3 mate3refnich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Nchouf fi 7atta wa7ed
Hal keich rani qa3da?
W keich wallef ki 3al bard da?
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
El reih maynqusnich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Drahem maykhussunich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Barra maysebbunich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik (X 2)
Yemma twahhacht el chams
Hal keich rani chadda?
El tayr elli ayech fel qafs
Ma 3indo hatta fayda
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
El reih maynqusnich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Drahem maykhussunich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Barra maysebbunich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik (X 2)
Low kan djat el ard tentaa
Rahi menna tetbarra
El kheir ma sma yetdaffa
Kayen elli bato fe barra
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
El reih maynqusnich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Drahem maykhussunich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Barra maysebbunich
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik (X 2)
The lyrics to Souad Massi's song "Yemma" seem to be a conversation between a daughter and her mother. The daughter is telling her mother that she needs to complain about something to her, using the refrain "Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik" which means "Mother, I need to complain about you, I have to complain about you." The daughter then brings up various things that are bothering her. For example, she says the wind is making her cold, but her mother hasn't given her enough blankets. She also mentions that she needs money, but her mother isn't giving her any. Additionally, the daughter talks about how she's sitting outside and wondering why her mother didn't warn her about the cold weather, and why she's sitting outside instead of being indoors.
Towards the end of the song, the daughter asks her mother if she's missing the sun. She wonders why her mother is sitting outside in the cold instead of being in the warmth of the sun. She also asks why the birds are still flying around in the cold. The daughter then talks about how if there was an earthquake, her mother would be the one to protect her. She ends the song by saying that she needs to complain to her mother, but ultimately she loves her.
Line by Line Meaning
Yemma nekdeb 3alik, lazem nekdeb 3alik
Mother, I have to confess to you, I must confess to you
El reih maynqusnich
The wind is not enough to cool me down
Drahem maykhussunich
Money is never enough for me
Dmou3 mate3refnich
The pain you feel, only you can understand
Hena Kayen ghir el bard
Here, all there is, is cold
Nchouf fi 7atta wa7ed
I see no one around me
Hal keich rani qa3da?
What am I doing here?
W keich wallef ki 3al bard da?
And why did I come to this cold place?
Barra maysebbunich
Outside is suffocating me
Yemma twahhacht el chams
Mother, I miss the sun
Ma 3indo hatta fayda
It has nothing to offer a bird
Low kan djat el ard tentaa
If the world was collapsing
Rahi menna tetbarra
People would run away from it
El kheir ma sma yetdaffa
Goodness does not disappear
Kayen elli bato fe barra
There are those who are just watching from afar
Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ICIMONTREAL
Une lettre d'une fille qui vit à l'étranger a sa mère au bled (ma traduction)
Maman je te mens, je dois te mentir, le froid ne me touche pas.
Maman je te mens, je dois te mentir, à l'étranger, personne ne m'insulte.
Maman je te mens, je dois te mentir, les larmes ne me connaissent pas
Maman je te mens, je dois te mentir.
Ici il n'y a que le froid.
Personne ne te regarde.
À continuer..............................
@douazizakaria6887
Yemma je te mens, je suis obligé de te mentir
je ne manque de rien
Yemma je te mens, je suis obligé de te mentir
l'argent ne me mnque pas
Yemma je te mens, je suis obligé de te mentir
dehors on m'insulte pas
Yemma je te mens, je suis obligé de te mentir les larmes ne coulent pas sur mon visage
ici il fait tres froid personne ne fait attention à moi
comment ai-je fait pour rester ?
et comment me suis-je habitué au sol froid
Yemma je me languis du soleil
comment fais-je pour tenir?
Yemma l'oiseau qui dans une cage ne sert a rien
si la terre arrivait a parler
elle nous bannirait
les richesses tombent du ciel et il y des gens qui meurent de faim
@alial-khalili6484
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الريح ما يقيسنيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الدراهم ما يخصونيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الدموع ما تعرفنيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
[المقطع الأول]
هنا كاين غير البرد
ما يشوف فيك حتى واحد
حرت كاش راني قاعدة
وكاش والفت القاع الباردة
[اللازمة]
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الريح ما يقيسنيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الدراهم ما يخصونيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
برا ما يسبونيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
[المقطع الثاني]
يما توحشت الشمس
حرت كاش راني شادة
الطير لي عايش في القفص
ما عندو حتى فايدة
[اللازمة]
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الريح ما يقيسنيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الدراهم ما يخصونيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
برا ما يسبونيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
[المقطع الثالث]
لو كان جات الارض تنطق
راهي منا تتبرّى
الخير من السماء يتدفق
كاين لي باتوا ف برّا
اللازمة
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الريح ما يقيسنيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
الدراهم ما يخصونيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
برا ما يسبونيش
يما نكذب عليك، لازم نكذب عليك
@rachidlahial9717
انا بعيد عن والدتي في وطن غير وطني .. كل لحظة افكر في والدتي اسمع لهده الاغنية بتفكرني في حنان امي ودفئها ... توحشتك يا يما 😢
@ICIMONTREAL
Ca fait une dizaine d'années, j'ai tombé sur un CD de Souad Massi, dès le premier écoute, j'ai tombé sur le charme de sa musique et de son interprétation, elle m'a rappelée aussi une autre chanteuse du même style que j'ai adoré quand j'étais petit la marocaine Saida Fikri, pour moi toutes les deux me ramenait dans un autre monde plein de tristesse mais d'espoir, je vous adore toutes les deux, Merci!
@ilyassou84
Tu parles de moi 😮?
نفس شي بالصدفة اول اغنية سمعتها فشي cd ديال غير انت .. صافي تبليت بيها .. و سعيدة فكرة كنت كانعشفها
@YOUNANsDolls
شكرًا لك سعاد ماسي ❤️
انا من الناس الي هجرت الأغاني العربية و لم أعد اسمع عربي 😔
و لكن صاحبة هذا الصوت الرائع اعادت لي ذكريات لم أعشها و سافرت الى بلاد لم أزرها قط
مجرد ان استمع لها و الى صوتها العذب اسافر معها الى عالم جميل لا اريد ان اعود الى ارض الواقع
فاشكرا لك انت رمز للفخر و الرقي و الجمال 💖✨
سعاد ماسي تحية لك من اعماق قلبي ❤️
@cengizhanbozkurt34
Very beautiful. Greetings from Turkey🇹🇷 07/03/2022
@wesam2003
love from ramallah, miss u souad in ramalllah- Palestine
@ivesence
Beautiful. Love from Serbia.
@rousislem9606
Thank's from Algeria
@malekm8740
Ivana A. Souad massi your fron is algérien
@evaozlam6537
سعاد تصنع السعادة رغم الدموع, مهما هبت الرياح لن تنطفا الشموع