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.
Ohba Ohba
Tiken Jah Fakoly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ohba Ohba
Tout ça c'était Ohba Ohba
Ohba Ohba
L'Afrique a voulu les dirigeants
n'ont pas pu
Promesses annoncées Promesses oubliées
Et mon peuple pleure
Mon peuple pleure parce qu'il n'en peut plus
refrain
Nous avons voulu
Mais cette fois nous n'avons pas pu
L'éléphant annoncé
Est arrivé avec un pied cassé
Corruption, xénophobie n'ont pas eu d'adversaires
Mais on nous fait croire
On nous fait croire que tout va très bien
Mais ça veut dire ce que ça veux dire
refrain
De l'autre coté, ils continuent de nous faire marcher
Sous le soleil et la pluie
Souvent ils ont des militants
Qui les abandonnent en pleine bataille
Et pendant les élections
Ils vont toujours en rangs dispersés
mais ça veut dire
ce que ça veut dire
ça veut dire
Ko bromalata noula ha ha ha ha Dja bromolatana
Bromolatana noula politicien nibêye wouyafôla
Ko bromalatana noula ha ha ha ha Dja bromalatana
Bromalatana noula politicien nibêye wouyafôla
Abrobrékôrô môgôlou Oloute wouya fôla
Abronouman kôrô môgôlou Oloute tougnan fôla Dja bromalata noula ah ah ah ah
Dja broalatana
ko bromalata
noula politicien
nibêye wouyafôla
Angnewala ngô le Ba Ba
gnewala gnin le ba angnewala
ngô le ba
Ba gnewala gnin le ba ha bromalatana, Dja dja
bromalatana noula oh oh oh
bromalatana
bromalatana, Dja dja
bronamatala noula
Dja bromalatana noula oh oh oh
bromalatana
Ohba Ohba
Tiken Jah Fakoly's song "Ohba Ohba" is a political commentary on the state of affairs in Africa. The song speaks about the high hopes that the people of Africa have had for their leaders, but the leaders have not been able to follow through on their promises. Corruption, xeonophobia, and lack of unity seem to be the major adversaries that prevent progress in the continent. The singer notes that, despite the challenges, the leaders continue to make the people believe that everything is okay, but the reality is far from that. The chorus of "tout ça c'est Ohba Ohba" emphasizes the deception and the need to be more aware of the reality.
The verses talk about the people's struggle and how they have tried to make progress with their leaders, but their efforts have been in vain. The elephant that was promised came with a broken foot, a metaphor for how the leaders have failed the people. The song also speaks about the lack of unity amongst the citizens and how they have abandoned their cause in the face of elections. The lyrics use some local dialect that emphasizes the Africanism of the song.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the political realities in Africa, which are often unpleasant and laced with corruption and other social evils. The song is a call to the citizens of the continent to be more aware of the lies that their leaders tell them and to work together to create a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Tout ça c'est Ohba Ohba
All of this is Ohba Ohba
Ohba Ohba
Ohba Ohba
Tout ça c'était Ohba Ohba
All of that was Ohba Ohba
Ohba Ohba
Ohba Ohba
L'Afrique a voulu les dirigeants
Africa wanted leaders
n'ont pas pu
But they couldn't
Promesses annoncées Promesses oubliées
Promises made, promises forgotten
Corruption, xénophobie n'ont paeu d'adversaires
Corruption, xenophobia have no opponents
Et mon peuple pleure
And my people cry
Mon peuple pleure parce qu'il n'en peut plus
My people cry because they can't take it anymore
refrain
Chorus
Nous avons voulu
We wanted
Mais cette fois nous n'avons pas pu
But this time we couldn't
L'éléphant annoncé
The announced elephant
Est arrivé avec un pied cassé
Arrived with a broken leg
Mais on nous fait croire
But they make us believe
On nous fait croire que tout va très bien
They make us believe that everything is going well
mais ça veut dire ce que ça veux dire
But it means what it means
refrain
Chorus
De l'autre coté, ils continuent de nous faire marcher
On the other side, they continue to lead us on
Sous le soleil et la pluie
Under the sun and rain
Souvent ils ont des militants
Often they have supporters
Qui les abandonnent en pleine bataille
Who abandon them in the middle of battle
Et pendant les élections
And during elections
Ils vont toujours en rangs dispersés
They always go in scattered ranks
mais ça veut dire
But it means
ce que ça veut dire
What it means
Ko bromalata noula ha ha ha ha Dja bromolatana
Ko bromalata noula ha ha ha ha dja bromolatana
Bromolatana noula politicien nibêye wouyafôla
Politicians are not what they seem
Ko bromalatana noula ha ha ha ha Dja bromolatana
Ko bromalatana noula ha ha ha ha dja bromolatana
Bromolatana noula politicien nibêye wouyafôla
Politicians are not what they seem
Abrobrékôrô môgôlou Oloute wouya fôla
Broken down, people are suffering
Abronouman kôrô môgôlou Oloute tougnan fôla Dja bromalata noula ah ah ah ah
They deceive us, ah ah ah
Dja broalatana
Dja broalatana
ko bromalata
ko bromalata
noula politicien
noula politicien
nibêye wouyafôla
nibêye wouyafôla
Angnewala ngô le Ba Ba
Angnewala ngô le Ba Ba
gnewala gnin le ba angnewala
Gnewala gnin le ba angnewala
ngô le ba
Ngô le ba
Ba gnewala gnin le ba ha bromalatana, Dja dja
They deceive us, dja dja
bromalatana noula oh oh oh
Politicians are not what they seem, oh oh oh
bromalatana
Politicians are not what they seem
bromalatana, Dja dja
Politicians are not what they seem, dja dja
bronamatala noula
Bronamatala noula
Dja bromalatana noula oh oh oh
They deceive us, oh oh oh
bromalatana
Politicians are not what they seem
Ohba Ohba
Ohba Ohba
Contributed by Gabriel O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.