During his career, Tabu Ley composed up to 3,000 songs and produced 250 albums.
Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu was born in Bagata, in the then Belgian Congo. His musical career took off in 1956 when he sung with Joseph "Le Grand Kallé" Kabasele, and his band L'African Jazz. After finishing high school he joined the band as a full-time musician. Tabu Ley sang in the pan-African hit Indépendance Cha Cha which was composed by Grand Kallé for Congolese independence from Belgium in 1960, propelling Tabu Ley to instant fame. He remained with African Jazz until 1963 when he and Dr Nico Kasanda formed their own group, African Fiesta.[6] Two years later, Tabu Ley and Dr. Nico split and Tabu Ley formed African Fiesta National, also known as African Fiesta Flash. The group became one of the most successful bands in African history, recording African classics like Afrika Mokili Mobimba, and surpassing record sales of one million copies by 1970. Papa Wemba and Sam Mangwana were among the many influential musicians that were part of the group. He adopted the stage name "Rochereau" after the French General Pierre Denfert-Rochereau, whose name he liked and whom he had studied in school.
In 1970, Tabu Ley formed Orchestre Afrisa International, Afrisa being a combination of Africa and Éditions Isa, his record label. Along with Franco Luambo's TPOK Jazz, Afrisa was now one of Africa's greatest bands. They recorded hits such as "Sorozo", "Kaful Mayay", "Aon Aon", and "Mose Konzo". They performed also at the Zaire 74 and therefore are in the documentary film Soul Power.
In the mid 1980s Tabu Ley discovered a young talented singer and dancer, M'bilia Bel, who helped popularise his band further. M'bilia Bel became the first female soukous singer to gain acclaim throughout Africa. Tabu Ley and M'bilia Bel later married and had one child together. In 1988 Tabu Ley introduced another female vocalist known as Faya Tess, and M'bilia Bel left and continued to be successful on her own. After M'bilia Bel's departure, Afrisa's influence along with that of their rivals TPOK Jazz continued to wane as fans gravitated toward the faster version of soukous.
After the establishment of Mobutu Sese Seko regime in the Congo, he adopted the name "Tabu Ley" as part of Mobutu's "Zairization" of the country, but later went into exile in France in 1988.
In 1985, the Government of Kenya banned all foreign music from the National Radio service. After Tabu Ley composed the song "Twende Nairobi" ("Let's go to Nairobi"), sung by M'bilia Bel, in praise of Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi, the ban was promptly lifted. In the early 1990s he briefly settled in Southern California. He began to tailor his music towards an International audience by including more English lyrics and by increasing more international dance styles such as Samba. He found success with the release of albums such as Muzina, Exil Ley, Africa worldwide and Babeti soukous. The Mobutu regime banned his 1990 album "Trop, C'est Trop" as subversive. In 1996, Tabu Ley participated in the album Gombo Salsa by the salsa music project Africando. The song "Paquita" from that album is a remake of a song that he recorded in the late 1960s with African Fiesta.
When Mobutu was deposed in 1997, Tabu Ley returned to Kinshasa and took up a position as a cabinet minister in the government of new President Laurent Kabila. Following Kabila's death, Tabu Ley then joined the appointed transitional parliament created by Joseph Kabila, until it was dissolved following the establishment of the inclusive transitional institutions. In November 2005 Tabu Ley was appointed Vice-Governor of Kinshasa, a position devolved to his party, the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) by the 2002 peace agreements. He also served as provincial minister of culture. In 2008, he was said to have fathered up to 102 children, including the French rapper Youssoupha, with different women.
He has been described as "the Congolese personality who, along with Mobutu, marked Africa's 20th century history." He was dubbed "the African Elvis" by the Los Angeles Times.
Tabu Ley Rochereau died on 30 November 2013, aged 76, at Saint-Luc hospital in Brussels, Belgium where he had been undergoing treatment for a stroke he suffered in 2008. He was buried on 9 December 2013 in the Cimetière Acropolic de la N'sele in Kinshasa, DR Congo, after receiving an official mourning ceremony at the Palais du Peuple.
Bebe
Tabu Ley Rochereau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh qu'il ressemble à son père
Ohhh qu'il est beau le bébé
C'est le trésor de sa mère
Depuis la journée
C'est à la maternité
Que je l'ai emmenée pour accoucher
La main sur le coeur
J'avais une tige, une fleur sous mes fleurs
Ohhh quel Seigneur
Toute la nuit j'ai prié
Ohhh quel Seigneur
Jusqu'au matin, j'ai imploré
La terre se réveille
À l'horizon le soleil
Apparaît comme une éveil dans le ciel
Sous sa flamme dorée
Dans la splendeur allumée
On m'annonce qu'il est né le bébé
Ohhh quelle joie
Quel plaisir
Oh qu'il est né le bébé
Ohhh quel joie
Quel plaisir
Oh qu'il est beau le bébé
J'ai couru la voir
Et fou de toute ma joie
Tous les deux nous nous sommes mis à pleurer
Et rien ne le pense
Ce bébé est tout espoir de notre couple de jeunes mariés
Et quand est venu le jour de les ramener
Le bébé et la maman à la maison
Dans toute la rue
Le monde s'est mis à chanter
Le refrain de sa petite chanson
Ohhh qu'il est né le bébé
Oh qu'il ressemble à son père
Ohhh qu'il est beau le bébé
C'est le cadeau de sa mère
Ohhh pour l'honneur de ma femme
Faites sauter le champagne
Ohhh quel bonheur pour mon homme
Oh ce bébé est la mane
La nuit la plus longue
C'est celle que nous attendions
La venue de ce bébé à la vie
Et le jour le plus long
C'est celui que nous fêtions
La naissance de ce bébé en famille
Oh quelle joie et quel plaisir
de me voir le temps d'un soir
devenir un papa
Nous voici au ciel, rêveurs de lune de miel
C'est l'éternel qui nous offre un bébé
Ohhh qu'il est né le bébé
Oh qu'il ressemble à papa
Ohhh qu'il est beau le bébé
C'est le trésor de mama
Nous voici au ciel, rêveurs de lune de miel
C'est l'éternel qui nous offre un bébé
Ohhh qu'il est né le bébé
Oh qu'il ressemble à papa
Ohhh qu'il est beau le bébé
C'est le trésor de mama
La terre se réveille
À l'horizon le soleil
Apparaît comme une éveil dans le ciel
Ohhh qu'il est beau le bébé
C'est le trésor de sa mère
Ohhh qu'il est né le bébé
Oh qu'il ressemble à papa
Ohhh qu'il est beau le bébé
C'est le trésor de mama
Ohhh qu'il est né le bébé
Oh qu'il ressemble à papa
The song "Bebe" by Tabu Ley Rochereau is a jubilant celebration of the birth of a child. The lyrics speak of the baby's beauty and resemblance to his father, and emphasize his importance as the treasure of his mother. The song proceeds to describe the anxious wait for the baby's birth in the hospital, and the ecstatic joy surrounding his arrival. The parents' happiness is so great that it spills out into the street, with neighbors joining in the chorus in celebration of the new arrival.
The lyrics also suggest the deep spiritual significance of the baby's birth, with the singer thanking God for this wonderful gift. The baby is a symbol of hope and optimism for the couple, reinforcing their love and commitment to each other. The song revels in the pure unalloyed joy of new beginnings and the power of new life to infuse hope and happiness into even the most difficult of situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Ohhh qu'il est né le bébé
The singer expresses his joy and excitement when the baby is born.
Oh qu'il ressemble à son père
The baby bears a striking resemblance to his father.
Ohhh qu'il est beau le bébé
The baby is beautiful and precious.
C'est le trésor de sa mère
The baby is the mother's treasure and pride.
Depuis la journée
From the day the baby is born.
C'est à la maternité
The place where the mother gives birth to the baby.
Que je l'ai emmenée pour accoucher
The singer accompanies his wife to the maternity ward to give birth.
La main sur le coeur
The singer expresses his sincere love and affection for his wife and unborn child.
Pour cacher toute ma peur
The singer tries to hide his fear and anxiety as a first-time father.
J'avais une tige, une fleur sous mes fleurs
The singer brings a flower as a symbol of hope and new life.
Ohhh quel Seigneur
The singer calls on the Lord for strength and guidance during this momentous occasion.
Toute la nuit j'ai prié
The singer spends the entire night praying for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.
Jusqu'au matin, j'ai imploré
The singer continues to pray until morning comes.
La terre se réveille
As the world awakens.
À l'horizon le soleil
The sun rises in the horizon.
Apparaît comme une éveil dans le ciel
The sunrise is like an awakening in the sky.
Sous sa flamme dorée
Under the golden light of the sunrise.
Dans la splendeur allumée
In the bright and beautiful morning light.
On m'annonce qu'il est né le bébé
The singer is informed that the baby is born.
J'ai couru la voir
The singer rushes to see his wife and baby.
Et fou de toute ma joie
The singer is overwhelmed with joy and happiness.
Tous les deux nous nous sommes mis à pleurer
The singer and his wife shed tears of happiness and relief.
Ce bébé est tout espoir de notre couple de jeunes mariés
The baby represents the hope and promise of the young couple's future together.
Et quand est venu le jour de les ramener
When the day comes to take the mother and baby home from the hospital.
Le bébé et la maman à la maison
The baby and the mother go home.
Dans toute la rue
In the whole street.
Le monde s'est mis à chanter
The whole world seems to sing and celebrate the birth of the baby.
Le refrain de sa petite chanson
The refrain of their joyous song.
Ohhh pour l'honneur de ma femme
The singer wishes to honor and celebrate his wife for giving birth to their child.
Faites sauter le champagne
The singer wants to commemorate the occasion with champagne.
Ohhh quel bonheur pour mon homme
The singer's joy and pride as a new father.
Oh ce bébé est la mane
The baby is the source of great blessing and happiness.
La nuit la plus longue
The longest night.
C'est celle que nous attendions
The night they have been anticipating the birth of their child.
La venue de ce bébé à la vie
The arrival of the baby into their lives.
Et le jour le plus long
The longest day.
C'est celui que nous fêtions
The day they celebrate the birth of their child.
La naissance de ce bébé en famille
The baby's birth as a family affair.
de me voir le temps d'un soir
For one evening, the singer is now a proud new father.
devenir un papa
The singer is now a father.
Nous voici au ciel, rêveurs de lune de miel
As the singer and his wife celebrate the birth of their child, they are in a state of pure bliss and happiness.
C'est l'éternel qui nous offre un bébé
The singer gives thanks to God for the gift of their child.
C'est le cadeau de sa mère
The baby is a precious gift from the mother.
Contributed by Savannah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alexander LUOBA
on Sacramento
My best song of all time, I really appreciate the Legend Tabu
Adam
on Monsieur Malonga
Can anyone share lyrics for Monsieur Malonga?
I love how this song sounds and would really like to know what it's about. Thanks in advance!
Tony Menzies
on Kimakango Mpe Libala
I would really love to get the lyrics for Aon Aon. It's been a long time favourite of mine. From the 'Dance d'Afrique' LP's