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.
Mangercratie
Tiken Jah Fakoly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a tout compris
On a tout compris
On a tout compris
Allez dire aux hommes politiques
Qu'ils enlèvent nos noms dans leur business
On a tout compris
Qu'ils enlèvent nos noms dans leur business
On a tout compris
Ils nous utilisent comme des chameaux
Dans des conditions qu'on déplore
Ils nous mènent souvent en bateau
Vers des destinations qu'on ignore
Ils allument le feu, ils l'activent
Et après, ils viennent jouer aux pompiers
On a tout compris
Allez dire aux marchands d'illusion
Que nos consciences ne sont pas à vendre
On a tout compris
Ils sont complices de Babylone
Pour nous arnaquer aie aie aie
Ils font semblant de nous aider
A combattre cette injustice
Ils allument le feu, ils l'activent
Et après, ils viennent jouer aux pompiers aie aie aie
On a tout compris
On a tout compris
On a tout compris
On a tout compris
Ils nous utilisent comme des chameaux
Dans des conditions qu'on déplore
Ils nous mènent souvent en bateau
Vers des destinations qu'on ignore
Ils allument le feu, ils l'activent
Et après, ils viennent jouer aux pompiers aie aie aie
On a tout compris
On a tout compris
C'est toujours le même scénario
On a tout compris
Les marchands d'illusion sont là
On a tout compris
A partir de maintenant
On a tout compris
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
On a tout compris
A partir de maintenant
On a tout compris
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
On a tout compris
A partir de maintenant
On a tout compris
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
On a tout compris
A partir de maintenant
On a tout compris
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
On a tout compris
A partir de maintenant
On a tout compris
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
On a tout compris
A partir de maintenant
On a tout compris
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
On a tout compris
A partir de maintenant
On a tout compris
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
On a tout compris....
The song "On A Tout Compris" by Tiken Jah Fakoly is an indictment of politicians and merchants who take advantage of the African people. Tiken Jah Fakoly uses metaphors to convey the message of corruption in the African political scene, where the politicians are portrayed as using the people as camels, taking them through treacherous terrain, and abandoning them when they reach their destination. The merchants of illusion are accused of colluding with the political class to manipulate and deceive the people to their advantage, while pretending to help them fight for justice.
Tiken Jah Fakoly calls on the people to rise up against this corruption by telling the politicians to remove their names from their business dealings, and the merchants of illusion that their consciences are not for sale. The repetition of the catchy chorus phrase "On a tout compris" (meaning "we understand everything") is a call to action for the African people to open their eyes to the corruption and manipulation they face daily.
The song's lyrics and melody are inspired by the roots reggae music of Jamaica, from which Tiken Jah Fakoly draws his musical influences. The message of the song is a reflection of Tiken Jah Fakoly's personal experiences as a musician and as an activist for social justice in Africa. Through the song, he calls on his fellow African people to unite and fight against corruption and exploitation by those in power.
Line by Line Meaning
On a tout compris
We understand everything
On a tout compris
We understand everything
On a tout compris
We understand everything
On a tout compris
We understand everything
Allez dire aux hommes politiques
Go tell the politicians
Qu'ils enlèvent nos noms dans leur business
To take our names out of their business dealings
On a tout compris
We understand everything
Allez dire aux hommes politiques
Go tell the politicians
Qu'ils enlèvent nos noms dans leur business
To take our names out of their business dealings
Ils nous utilisent comme des chameaux
They use us like camels
Dans des conditions qu'on déplore
In conditions that we deplore
Ils nous mènent souvent en bateau
They often lead us on
Vers des destinations qu'on ignore
Towards destinations unknown to us
Ils allument le feu, ils l'activent
They light the fire and stoke it
Et après, ils viennent jouer aux pompiers
And afterwards, they come to play the firefighters
On a tout compris
We understand everything
Allez dire aux marchands d'illusion
Go tell the merchants of illusion
Que nos consciences ne sont pas à vendre
That our consciences are not for sale
Ils sont complices de Babylone
They are accomplices of Babylon
Pour nous arnaquer aie aie aie
To scam us, oh my oh my oh my
Ils font semblant de nous aider
They pretend to help us
A combattre cette injustice
To fight against this injustice
Ils allument le feu, ils l'activent
They light the fire and stoke it
Et après, ils viennent jouer aux pompiers aie aie aie
And afterwards, they come to play the firefighters, oh my oh my oh my
On a tout compris
We understand everything
On a tout compris
We understand everything
On a tout compris
We understand everything
On a tout compris
We understand everything
C'est toujours le même scénario
It's always the same scenario
On a tout compris
We understand everything
Les marchands d'illusion sont là
The merchants of illusion are here
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir de maintenant
From now on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
From today on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir de maintenant
From now on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
From today on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir de maintenant
From now on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
From today on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir de maintenant
From now on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
From today on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir de maintenant
From now on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
From today on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir de maintenant
From now on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
A partir d'aujourd'hui là
From today on
On a tout compris
We understand everything
Contributed by Avery V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@julienflores2442
Quel album magnifique
@mathieufauvet5512
Son meilleur album
2023 on est toujours là
@julienflores2442
Que de bon souvenirs merci a toi
@user-bz9en2jz1g
Rien n'a dire trop fort
@intermanasintermanas8661
Excellent 👊🏿 👍🏿 👊🏿
@user-xi6bo2jx8f
Le Tiken Jah merci pour tous
@laminebamby9264
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Merci Kôrô
@christianlanglet4443
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊 pravo❤❤❤
@azullibre5708
Dédicace à jeano et joana 🥰
@user-pi4rm1yp3s
Fier ❤toi