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.
Justice
Tiken Jah Fakoly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et ces gens-là on a l'impression qu'ils sont au-dessus
Et que nous on est toujours victimes
Justice réveille-toi
My justice réveille-toi
Justice
Et ces gens-là on a l'impression qu'ils sont au-dessus
Et que nous on est toujours victimes
Justice réveille-toi
My justice réveille-toi
Quand on ouvre des enquêtes sur ces gens-là
Très souvent ces enquêtes n'aboutissent même pas
Quand ils sont en taule
Les mêmes combines reviennent les sortir de là
Mais my justice réveille-toi
My justice réveille-toi
Norbert Zongo demande à parler
Justice réveille-toi
Justice
Justice réveille-toi
Les étudiants africains demandent à parler
Justice réveille-toi
My justice réveille-toi
Justice
Justice réveille-toi
Mumia Aboudjamal demande à parler
Justice réveille-toi
Justice réveille-toi
Marianne Sankara demande à parler
Justice
Justice réveille-toi
The lyrics in Tiken Jah Fakoly's song "Justice" express a plea for justice to awaken and see past the societal limitations that prevent it from being truly just. The song suggests that justice should not only be for a select few but should be accessible to everyone. However, the reality is that some people seem to be above the law and that others are continuously victimized. The lyrics suggest that the frameworks within which justice operates are flawed and must be restructured for it to be effective.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Justice réveille-toi," meaning "Justice wake up." This repetition emphasizes the song's central theme, that justice has to be restored to its proper place in society. The lyrics also mention specific individuals, such as Norbert Zongo, Mumia Aboudjamal, and Marianne Sankara. These individuals are political activists who, at different times, spoke out against injustices committed against them or other people. The song resonates with their struggle and asks for justice to be done in their cases.
"Justice" highlights the importance of standing up for one's rights in the face of injustice. Tiken Jah Fakoly's song reminds us that access to justice should not depend on who you are or who you know, but it should be available to everyone. The song's call to action is significant, as it encourages listeners to act and demand true justice in their communities.
Line by Line Meaning
Justice t'es pas faite pour nous seuls
Justice is not made for us alone
Et ces gens-là on a l'impression qu'ils sont au-dessus
And those people, we get the impression that they are above us
Et que nous on est toujours victimes
And that we are always victims
Justice réveille-toi
Justice wake up
My justice réveille-toi
My justice wake up
Quand on ouvre des enquêtes sur ces gens-là
When investigations are opened on those people
Très souvent ces enquêtes n'aboutissent même pas
Very often these investigations do not even succeed
Quand ils sont en taule
When they are imprisoned
Les mêmes combines reviennent les sortir de là
The same tricks bring them out of there
Norbert Zongo demande à parler
Norbert Zongo demands to speak
Les étudiants africains demandent à parler
African students demand to speak
Mumia Aboudjamal demande à parler
Mumia Aboudjamal demands to speak
Marianne Sankara demande à parler
Marianne Sankara demands to speak
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: TIKEN JAH FAKOLY, U ROY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind