Tiken Jah Fakoly (1968) is a reggae singer from Odienné, Côte d’Ivoire (a.k… Read Full Bio ↴Tiken Jah Fakoly (1968) is a reggae singer from Odienné, Côte d’Ivoire (a.k.a Ivory Coast).

Tiken Jah was born into a family of griots and christened Doumbia Moussa Fakoly on June 23, 1968 in Odienne, north-western Côte d'Ivoire. He discovered reggae at an early age, assembling his first group, Djelys, in 1987. He became well-known at a regional level, but would soon ascend to national recognition.

Concerned by the social and political evolution of his country, it was not long before Tiken Jah was writing incisive works on the political environment in Côte d'Ivoire. One such work was on the death of Felix Houphouet-Boigny in 1993, which resulted in a surge of popularity amongst the nation's youth. In 1998, Fakoly made his first international appearance in Paris.

Tiken Jah Fakoly plays music "to wake up the consciences". His music speaks about many injustices done to the people of his country, and those over Africa. As such, African listeners feel a deep affinity with his lyrics as Fakoly speaks for people whom are under oppression. This connection has helped make Tiken Jah Fakoly a much-listened artist throughout both Europe and Africa.

Discography

1. 1993: Les Djelys (cassette only - discontinued)
2. 1994: Missiri (cassette only - discontinued)
3. 1996: Mangercratie
4. 1999: Cours d'histoire
5. 2000: Le Cameleon (exclusive to West Africa)
6. 2002: Françafrique (a term coined by Francois Xavier-Verschave)
7. 2004: Coup de gueule
8. 2005: Africa wants to be free, compilation to support fr:Survie (association)

NOTE: Mangercratie was released in France in 1999 and in Canada in 2000. Cours d'histoire was released in France in 2000 and in Canada in 2001. The first two albums were only released in Côte d'Ivoire.

Outside Projects

Tiken Jah Fakoly has recorded various tracks with other artists. He is featured on Steel Pulse: African Holocaust, on Rike: Airt Frais, on Bernard Laviliers: Carnet De Bord, on Amadou & Marima: Dimanche A Bamaco, on Dub Incorporation: Life, and on Tata Pound: Cikan. He also appears on the compilation African Consiences with Mebgane N'Dour. He will be featured in the upcoming movie Les Oiseaux Du Ciel, directed by Eliane De Latour.

Awards:

2003: Victoires de la Musique 2003, in the category of Reggae Album/Ragga/World with the album Françafrique.

Brigadier Sabari
Tiken Jah Fakoly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Soufé yara magni de
Niya sebe man dafa
N'ko bandiya mangni fesse fesse
Horonya lé gnongon tessan

Opération coup de poing
Opération coup de poing
Opération coup de poing yeh!

Opération coup de poing

Néko wohouho woyo yohi
Brigadier Sabari
Néko Aïe Aïe Aïe Aïe
Brigadier Sabari
Néko koutoubou sakidi!
Brigadier Sabari
Néko Pati sanganan!
Niyongon téné sorotougou
Brigand ya mangni de de N'Téri
Horonya lé gnongon tessan
Soufé yara mangni fesse fesse
Nyia sebe man dafa

Opération coup de poing
Opération coup de poing
Opération coup de poing
Opération coup de poing

Néko wohouho woyo yohi
Brigadier Sabari
Néko Aïe Aïe Aïe Aïe
Brigadier Sabari
Néko koutoubou sakidi!
Brigadier Sabari
Néko Pati sanganan!
Niyongon téné sorotougou

Néko wohouho woyo yohi
Brigadier Sabari
Néko Aïe Aïe Aïe Aïe
Brigadier Sabari
Néko koutoubou sakidi!
Brigadier Sabari
Néko Pati sanganan!
Niyongon téné sorotougou

Néko wohouho woyo yohi
Brigadier Sabari
Néko Aïe Aïe Aïe Aïe
Brigadier Sabari
Néko koutoubou sakidi!
Brigadier Sabari

Néko Aïe Aïe Aïe Aïe
Brigadier Sabari

Overall Meaning

The song Brigadier Sabari by Tiken Jah Fakoly is a track that speaks out against police brutality and corruption in Africa. The first verse sets the scene with a description of police officers ("brigadiers") who are rough with the people they come into contact with. They are also involved with criminal activity, as evidenced by the line "N'ko bandiya mangni fesse fesse" which roughly translates as "the police officer has stolen many things".

The chorus then repeats the phrase "Opération coup de poing" which means "punch operation". This can be interpreted as a reference to the police using physical force to control the people, and also as a call to action for the people to fight back against the police.

The second half of the song is made up of three verses, all of which repeat the line "Néko wohouho woyo yohi, Brigadier Sabari". This line is a play on words, as "néko" means both "here" and "listen" in the Bambara language, and "wohouho woyo yohi" is just a playful sound. "Brigadier Sabari" is a reference to a specific police officer, who is being called out for his corruption and brutality.

Overall, Brigadier Sabari is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the struggles faced by many people in Africa who have to deal with oppressive police forces. It encourages people to take action and fight back against the violence and corruption that they face every day.

Line by Line Meaning

Soufé yara magni de
We are tired of suffering

Niya sebe man dafa
Every day we face problems

N'ko bandiya mangni fesse fesse
We are oppressed by those in power

Horonya lé gnongon tessan
Our lives are full of misery

Opération coup de poing
The authorities are using force to control us

Néko wohouho woyo yohi Brigadier Sabari
We are afraid of the police officer Brigadier Sabari

Néko Aïe Aïe Aïe Aïe Brigadier Sabari
We suffer when we encounter Brigadier Sabari

Néko koutoubou sakidi! Brigadier Sabari
Brigadier Sabari is cruel and merciless

Néko Pati sanganan! Niyongon téné sorotougou
We are subjected to violence and abuse by those in power

Brigand ya mangni de de N'Téri
The bandits are victimizing people in the town of N'Téri

Soufé yara mangni fesse fesse
We are being oppressed and exploited