The album
Entitled Tres Tres Fort, the band's debut album was released on Crammed Discs in March 2009. It was produced over the course of three years by Crammed's Vincent Kenis (known for introducing and producing bands such as Konono No1, Kasai Allstars, and for the Congotronics series). Kenis recorded the band mostly in the Kinshasa zoo. The album also contains four of Barret & de la Tullaye's videos
Website links: https://myspace.com/staffbendabilili
Moto Moindo
Staff Benda Bilili Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Telema veo talaï
Putabo coco layo
Yo zalice kolala
La muka nano yotala
Denemoye bimié
Talali bosso nayo
valo la misso lassima
Zamba etoni vayama navandéké
Vabele oyoyo telemi
Etoni diamaï nawolo
Moto moïndooo...
Motomoï do la mukaa
Telema veo yebao
Toco macolia
"sosso papo ma liberaa..."
Toco ma colia mamaa
"iciba tama la carton..."
toco ma colia é
"yama yaposso yazete..."
Taco macoca vilayo
"yassou loupoula mala e anteke
Motomoï
"dabouka tele ma polio tipa..."
Africa
wele pumida
Europa
mega pofessa
...Mali Senegale
RSO Brazzaville
The song Moto Moindo by Staff Benda Bilili is primarily written in Lingala, a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The lyrics are poetic and evoke vivid imagery of nature and traditional African culture as well as concern for social issues. The song begins with the phrase "Motomoï do la muka" which means "I have a problem". This introduction sets the tone for the rest of the song as it describes the difficult living conditions and poverty that the people in Congo face.
The lyrics continue to describe various hardships and struggles faced by the people such as "la misso lassima" which means "the lack of water" and "toco ma colia é" which means "I eat only cassava". The song also describes the joy of music and dancing as an escape from the difficult living conditions. The phrase "Moto moïndooo..." which is repeated throughout the song translates to "Hold on tight" and can be interpreted as a call to fight against the challenges life presents.
Line by Line Meaning
Motomoï do la muka
The fire burns brightly.
Telema veo talaï
The stars shine up above.
Putabo coco layo
I take tobacco to keep me awake.
Yo zalice kolala
I am very tired.
La muka nano yotala
The moon is shining on the trees.
Denemoye bimié
I hear the sound of drums.
Talali bosso nayo
We are on a journey.
Evale to nim'bissi
We will face many difficulties.
valo la misso lassima
The road is long and hard.
Zamba etoni vayama navandéké
We must stay strong and persevere.
Vabele oyoyo telemi
Our spirits are lifted.
Etoni diamaï nawolo
Our hearts are filled with hope.
Moto moïndooo...
We keep moving forward...
Motomoï do la mukaa
The fire still burns brightly.
Telema veo yebao
The stars continue shining.
Toco macolia
I smoke my pipe.
"sosso papo ma liberaa..."
"Freedom is my only wish..."
Toco ma colia mamaa
I smoke my pipe, Mama.
"iciba tama la carton..."
"The cardboard box is my home..."
toco ma colia é
I smoke my pipe, yes.
"yama yaposso yazete..."
"I have friends who sleep under the stars..."
Taco macoca vilayo
I share my tobacco with you.
"yassou loupoula mala e anteke
"My life is not easy, but I am content...
Motomoï
The fire still burns brightly.
"dabouka tele ma polio tipa..."
"The drums keep us moving forward..."
Africa
We are in Africa.
wele pumida
The sun is setting.
Europa
Europe is far away.
mega pofessa
But we will never forget it.
...Mali Senegale
...We come from Mali and Senegal.
RSO Brazzaville
Our destination is Brazzaville, in the Republic of the Congo.
Contributed by Leo E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@myamballasgianny6464
tres fort j'adore depuis le Gabon respect les gars
@patriciagoverstesch6935
Fantastic, makes me miss Congo..
@13triki
True music! From the heart, Tres, Tres Fort!!! To You Great Spirit -grant each and everyone of your Children Their Ring or POWER! Viva Benda Belili and Viva everyone at this hour who lives a special life, I am with you Sisters and Brothers!
@luisvejar7876
Extraordinarios, saludos desde Chile..!
@MyfriendMbayonumbi
Ils sont vraiment fort et formidable avec leur mélodies constructif (en gros l'union fait la force ) 💪💪💪
@kikibell
en tout cas nous sommes fieres de ce group, nous africains surtout ne vous divise pas maintenant
@17023691
Il n'ont malheureusement pas eu le temps de lire, comprendre et d'assimiler votre prophétique message. Non seulement, ils se sont séparés au lendemain de la publication de votre message. Ironie du sort, le pire c'est dans cette chanson, ils évoquent la terrible STUPIDITE de l'homme noir. Vous ne pensiez pas prédire la réalité de leur éphémère et funeste destin 😭😭😭😭😭😭
@mitzuki2461
ça donne envie de bouger ! j'adore !
@milsani1991
Don't have any words to describe this ... *.*, sooooooooo beautiful....
@luciamesquitableasby8619
O estilo Rumba , ritmo que se baseia em quatro tempos em cada compasso, dos quais o quarto é o mais forte ,ritmo este, que é ainda hoje executado em rituais e de forma festiva pelo povo Macua em determinada zonas Norte de Moçambique. Amei.....