Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally a… Read Full Bio ↴Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band, Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. He also helped drive such genres into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder.

Wonder's single "Fingertips" was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, at the age of 13, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart. Wonder's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s. His "classic period" began in 1972 with the releases of Music of My Mind and Talking Book, the latter featuring "Superstition", which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard. His works Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976) all won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, making him the tied-record holder for the most Album of the Year wins, with three. He is also the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases. Wonder began his "commercial period" in the 1980s; he achieved his biggest hits and highest level of fame, had increased album sales, charity participation, high-profile collaborations (including Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson), political impact, and television appearances. Wonder has continued to remain active in music and political causes.

Wonder is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 100 million records worldwide. He has won 25 Grammy Awards (the most by a solo artist) and one Academy Award (Best Original Song, for the 1984 film The Woman in Red). Wonder has been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday in the U.S. In 2009, he was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, and in 2014, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 13, 1950, the third of five children born to Lula Mae Hardaway, and the second of Hardaway's two children with Calvin Judkins. He was born six weeks premature which, along with the oxygen-rich atmosphere in the hospital incubator, resulted in retinopathy of prematurity, a condition in which the growth of the eyes is aborted and causes the retinas to detach, so he became blind.

Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye
Stevie Wonder Lyrics

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Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye (A seed's a star)
Lolo Ye Kesse De Ye (A star's a seed)
Diame, Diame (peace and more peace)

Overall Meaning

Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye is a song that speaks about the cyclical nature of life. The lyrics are in Twi, a language spoken in Ghana. The first two lines, "Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye" and "Lolo Ye Kesse De Ye" mean "A seed's a star" and "A star's a seed," respectively. These lines have multiple interpretations. One interpretation is that they represent the idea that everything in life is connected and that a seed can grow to become a star, just like a star can fall to become a seed. Another interpretation is that the song speaks to the idea of transformation and evolution; just as a small seed can grow and become a large tree, so can a person continually evolve and grow in life.

The last line, "Diame, Diame," means "peace and more peace." The inclusion of this line reinforces the idea that the cycle of life is meant to be peaceful and harmonious. The song encourages listeners to embrace the cyclical nature of life and find peace in the understanding that everything is connected.

Line by Line Meaning

Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye (A seed's a star)
Just like a seed, anything can grow into a star. A small beginning can lead to something big and bright.

Lolo Ye Kesse De Ye (A star's a seed)
A star that we see shining in the sky is actually a result of a small seed that grew into something great. It reminds us that every accomplishment has humble roots.

Diame, Diame (peace and more peace)
The repeated word 'Diame' means 'peace' and the call for 'more peace' indicates that the message is not just about achieving peace, but also about sustaining it.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stevie Wonder

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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