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.
Y'en A Marre
Tiken Jah Fakoly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
L'Afrique en a marre marre marre
On en a marre
Le peuple en a marre marre marre
Des journalistes assassinés
Parce que des présidents assassins
Des généraux aux commandes
Des aides aux pays détournées
Des populations affamées
Les fonds du pays dilapidés
Les droits de l'homme ignorés
On en a marre
L'Afrique en a marre marre marre
On en a marre
Le peuple en a marre marre marre
Après l'abolition de l'esclavage
Ils ont créé la colonisation
Lorsque l'on a trouvé la solution
Ils ont créé la coopération
Comme on dénonce cette situation
Ils ont créé la mondialisation
Et sans expliquer la mondialisation
C'est Babylone qui nous exploite
On en a marre
L'Afrique en a marre marre marre
On en a marre
Le peuple en a marre marre marre
Faut qu'on arrête de cautionner ça,
La vie de nos frères ne compte pas pour cette bande de vanpayas
Stoppons les guerres, gardons la foi
Faya sur tous les chefs d'état qui nous envoient tuer nos brothers
Ils ne nous respectent pas c'est la même chose pour leurs lois
Ils ne regardent même pas quand le peuple réclame ses droits
Ils ne partagent surtout pas l'argent c'est pas qu'y en a pas
Ils ne font rien pour nos sisters qui se vendent pour vivre dans ce monde-là
On en a marre
L'Afrique en a marre marre marre
On en a marre
Le peuple en a marre marre marre
Des présidents assassins
On veut plus
Des généraux aux commandes
On n'en veut plus
Des enfants militaires
On veut plus
Des orphelins de guerre
On n'en veut plus
On en a marre
L'Afrique en a marre marre marre
On en a marre
Le peuple en a marre marre marre
L'Afrique en a marre
De toutes ces machinations
Mon peuple en a marre
De toutes ces manipulations
L'Afrique en a marre
De toutes ces exploitations
Mon peuple en a marre
De toute cette oppression
L'Afrique en a marre
The lyrics of the song Y'en A Marre by Tiken Jah Fakoly Feat. Yaniss Odua express the frustration and discontent of the African people with the current state of their continent. They denounce the assassination of journalists by corrupt presidents and the oppression of the population by military leaders. They also talk about the embezzlement of aid meant for the development of the country, leaving the people hungry and impoverished. The injustices against the people are further compounded by the violation of human rights and the lack of accountability by the government.
The song continues with a historical perspective, pointing out how the abolition of slavery was replaced by colonization, which was replaced by economic exploitation through globalisation. The lyrics imply that Africans have always been exploited and that it is time for them to unite and stand against this oppression. The lyrics call for an end to violence and war, for a change in the way leaders approach governance, and for the empowerment and protection of the people.
Line by Line Meaning
On en a marre
We are fed up
L'Afrique en a marre marre marre
Africa is tired, very tired
Le peuple en a marre marre marre
The people are tired, very tired
Des journalistes assassinés
Journalists being killed
Parce que des présidents assassins
Because of corrupt presidents
Des généraux aux commandes
Generals in charge
Des populations opprimées
Oppressed populations
Des aides aux pays détournées
Aid money being misused
Des populations affamées
Hungry people
Les fonds du pays dilapidés
The country's funds being wasted
Les droits de l'homme ignorés
Human rights being ignored
Après l'abolition de l'esclavage
After the abolition of slavery
Ils ont créé la colonisation
They created colonization
Lorsque l'on a trouvé la solution
When we found the solution
Ils ont créé la coopération
They created cooperation
Comme on dénonce cette situation
As we denounce this situation
Ils ont créé la mondialisation
They created globalization
Et sans expliquer la mondialisation
And without explaining globalization
C'est Babylone qui nous exploite
Babylon is exploiting us
Faut qu'on arrête de cautionner ça,
We need to stop endorsing this
La vie de nos frères ne compte pas pour cette bande de vanpayas
Our brothers' lives don't matter to this group of scoundrels
Stoppons les guerres, gardons la foi
Let's stop the wars, keep the faith
Faya sur tous les chefs d'état qui nous envoient tuer nos brothers
Fire on all the heads of state who send us to kill our brothers
Ils ne nous respectent pas c'est la même chose pour leurs lois
They don't respect us, the same goes for their laws
Ils ne regardent même pas quand le peuple réclame ses droits
They don't even look when the people demand their rights
Ils ne partagent surtout pas l'argent c'est pas qu'y en a pas
They don't share the money, it's not that there isn't any
Ils ne font rien pour nos sisters qui se vendent pour vivre dans ce monde-là
They do nothing for our sisters who sell themselves to survive in this world
Des présidents assassins
Corrupt presidents
On veut plus
We don't want them anymore
Des généraux aux commandes
Generals in charge
On n'en veut plus
We don't want them anymore
Des enfants militaires
Child soldiers
On veut plus
We don't want them anymore
Des orphelins de guerre
War orphans
On n'en veut plus
We don't want them anymore
L'Afrique en a marre
Africa is tired
De toutes ces machinations
Of all these schemes
Mon peuple en a marre
My people are tired
De toutes ces manipulations
Of all these manipulations
L'Afrique en a marre
Africa is tired
De toutes ces exploitations
Of all these exploitations
Mon peuple en a marre
My people are tired
De toute cette oppression
Of all this oppression
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: Zakaria MAMBOUE, Yannis CANDUN, TIKEN JAH FAKOLY, Issa KOUROUMA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind