Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born to and partial… Read Full Bio ↴Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born to and partially raised by Chinese parents in Paris and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from the Juilliard School and Harvard University, attended Columbia University, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world. He has recorded more than 92 albums and received 19 Grammy Awards.
In addition to recordings of the standard classical repertoire, Ma has recorded a wide variety of folk music, such as American bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, and Brazilian music. He has also collaborated with artists from a diverse range of genres, including Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus, and Sting.
Ma has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize in 1978, The Glenn Gould Prize in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Kennedy Center Honors in 2011, the Polar Music Prize in 2012, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize in 2022. He was named as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Aside from English, Ma is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and French.
Ma's primary performance instrument is the Davidov cello, made in 1712 by Antonio Stradivari
Ma's mother, Marina Lu, was a singer, and his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist, composer and professor of music at Nanjing National Central University (now relocated in Taoyuan, Taiwan; predecessor of the present-day Nanjing University and Southeast University). They both migrated from the Republic of China to France during the Chinese Civil War. Ma's sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, played the violin and piano professionally before obtaining a medical degree from Harvard and becoming a pediatrician. The family moved to New York City when Ma was seven.
From the age of three, Ma played the drums, violin, piano, and later viola, but settled on the cello in 1960 at age four. When three-year-old Yo-Yo said he wanted a big instrument, his father went to see Etienne Vatelot, a foremost violin maker in Paris who, after a chat, lent him a 1/16th cello. He jokes that his first choice was the double bass due to its large size, but he compromised and took up the cello instead. When his father realized that Yo-Yo was ready for a better teacher, a well-known cello instructor, Mme Michelle Lepinte, was selected. He began performing before audiences at age five and played for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was seven. At age eight, he appeared on American television with his sister in an event introduced by Leonard Bernstein. In 1964, Isaac Stern introduced them on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and they performed the Sonata of Sammartini. He attended Trinity School in New York but transferred to the Professional Children's School, where he graduated at age 15. He appeared as a soloist with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra in a performance of Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.
Ma studied at the Juilliard School at age 19 with Leonard Rose and attended Columbia University, but dropped out. He later enrolled at Harvard College. Prior to entering Harvard, Ma played in the Marlboro Festival Orchestra under the direction of cellist, conductor and Ma’s childhood hero Pablo Casals. He spent four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival after meeting and falling in love with Mount Holyoke College sophomore and festival administrator Jill Hornor during his first summer there in 1972.
Even before that time, Ma gained fame and performed with many of the world's major orchestras. He has also played chamber music, often with pianist Emanuel Ax, with whom he has a close friendship from their days at Juilliard. Ma received his bachelor's degree in anthropology from Harvard in 1976, and in 1991 received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Yo-Yo Ma has been referred to by critics as "omnivorous" and possesses an eclectic repertoire. In addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire, he has recorded Baroque pieces using period instruments; American bluegrass music; traditional Chinese melodies, including the soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the tangos of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla; Brazilian music, recording traditional and contemporary songs composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Pixinguinha; a collaboration with Bobby McFerrin (where Ma admitted to being terrified by McFerrin's improvisation); and the music of modern minimalist Philip Glass, in such works as the 2002 Naqoyqatsi.
Ma is known for his smooth, rich tone, soulful lyricism, and virtuosity. He released a cello recording of Niccolò Paganini's Caprice No. 24 for solo violin and Zoltán Kodály's Solo Sonata.
On May 1, 2019, he performed at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama desert. He said that his interest in astronomy motivated him to visit and perform there.
Ma's albums include recordings of cello concertos, sonatas for cello and piano, works for solo cello, and a variety of chamber music. He has also recorded in non-classical styles, notably in collaboration with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Chris Thile, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus and Sting.
In addition to recordings of the standard classical repertoire, Ma has recorded a wide variety of folk music, such as American bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, and Brazilian music. He has also collaborated with artists from a diverse range of genres, including Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus, and Sting.
Ma has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. He has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize in 1978, The Glenn Gould Prize in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Kennedy Center Honors in 2011, the Polar Music Prize in 2012, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize in 2022. He was named as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. Aside from English, Ma is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and French.
Ma's primary performance instrument is the Davidov cello, made in 1712 by Antonio Stradivari
Ma's mother, Marina Lu, was a singer, and his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist, composer and professor of music at Nanjing National Central University (now relocated in Taoyuan, Taiwan; predecessor of the present-day Nanjing University and Southeast University). They both migrated from the Republic of China to France during the Chinese Civil War. Ma's sister, Yeou-Cheng Ma, played the violin and piano professionally before obtaining a medical degree from Harvard and becoming a pediatrician. The family moved to New York City when Ma was seven.
From the age of three, Ma played the drums, violin, piano, and later viola, but settled on the cello in 1960 at age four. When three-year-old Yo-Yo said he wanted a big instrument, his father went to see Etienne Vatelot, a foremost violin maker in Paris who, after a chat, lent him a 1/16th cello. He jokes that his first choice was the double bass due to its large size, but he compromised and took up the cello instead. When his father realized that Yo-Yo was ready for a better teacher, a well-known cello instructor, Mme Michelle Lepinte, was selected. He began performing before audiences at age five and played for presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy when he was seven. At age eight, he appeared on American television with his sister in an event introduced by Leonard Bernstein. In 1964, Isaac Stern introduced them on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and they performed the Sonata of Sammartini. He attended Trinity School in New York but transferred to the Professional Children's School, where he graduated at age 15. He appeared as a soloist with the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra in a performance of Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.
Ma studied at the Juilliard School at age 19 with Leonard Rose and attended Columbia University, but dropped out. He later enrolled at Harvard College. Prior to entering Harvard, Ma played in the Marlboro Festival Orchestra under the direction of cellist, conductor and Ma’s childhood hero Pablo Casals. He spent four summers at the Marlboro Music Festival after meeting and falling in love with Mount Holyoke College sophomore and festival administrator Jill Hornor during his first summer there in 1972.
Even before that time, Ma gained fame and performed with many of the world's major orchestras. He has also played chamber music, often with pianist Emanuel Ax, with whom he has a close friendship from their days at Juilliard. Ma received his bachelor's degree in anthropology from Harvard in 1976, and in 1991 received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
Yo-Yo Ma has been referred to by critics as "omnivorous" and possesses an eclectic repertoire. In addition to numerous recordings of the standard classical repertoire, he has recorded Baroque pieces using period instruments; American bluegrass music; traditional Chinese melodies, including the soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the tangos of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla; Brazilian music, recording traditional and contemporary songs composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Pixinguinha; a collaboration with Bobby McFerrin (where Ma admitted to being terrified by McFerrin's improvisation); and the music of modern minimalist Philip Glass, in such works as the 2002 Naqoyqatsi.
Ma is known for his smooth, rich tone, soulful lyricism, and virtuosity. He released a cello recording of Niccolò Paganini's Caprice No. 24 for solo violin and Zoltán Kodály's Solo Sonata.
On May 1, 2019, he performed at Paranal Observatory in the Atacama desert. He said that his interest in astronomy motivated him to visit and perform there.
Ma's albums include recordings of cello concertos, sonatas for cello and piano, works for solo cello, and a variety of chamber music. He has also recorded in non-classical styles, notably in collaboration with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Carlos Santana, Chris Botti, Chris Thile, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Miley Cyrus and Sting.
Mama
Yo-Yo Ma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
"There are a few things I want to explain to you..
and I'll try to define, to the best of my ability"
"Mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"I'ma tell you one more thing;
and won't tell y'all nothin else"
"Mama.."
[Yo-Yo]
Growin up was crazy, in my days we got our ass kicked
Mama didn't play no ? cause talkin back is foul play
She had her own way of gettin across, which was a belt of steel
She'd tell us from the work we could all but kneel
Gettin nasty in front of guests was the way she'd like to do it
She'll say straighten your shit up, or you can stop em from comin
And yo guys knew what time it was, even they was checked
I got a down ass mama ("that's right") mama don't take no mess
Now shit got hectic, cause mama was tipped
She'll tell you in a minute don't let your mouth get yo' ass whipped
Mama did it all by herself, King and Queen of this house
Yellin, "I want my Daddy" would get your ass thrown out
Now when it came to partyin, moms got wild
Don't nuttin get old but clothes, and they come back as styles
("that's right.. that's right") Yo, I got a down ass mama
"Mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Can you dig it?"
[Yo-Yo]
Beings it was all girls, shit was always missingfrom panties to makeup, if it was gone then she was bitchin
She wants to know, "Who's been in the house?" I said no company
Checkin her dresser sayin, "What happened to my money?"
If it was on then it was on, cause money don't walk
Somebody better talk, find the stuff she done lost
I got my butt whooped for everything I did wrong
And it was ON, cause niggaz kept playin on my phone
Don't let moms go to a conference and the teacher confess
Man I'm tell you, mama don't take no mess
Why watch me go down, fight to keep it goin
but really not knowin cause the truth is what they're showin
You don't have a friend, friends come and go is what she'll say
Never tell your deepest secret, you'll get hurt that way
Love is a game, and it's okay if you play
But they're dogs dressed as men, tryin to be your friend
and baby watch out, don't take a step unless you know which way you're goin
Times are gettin lonely but I'll be a honey
I'll never leave ya, believe that love is in the air
No matter what you done, moms'll be there
I got a down ass mama
"Mama don't take no mess!"
"Because I'm aware that you have to use what you have
to get what you want. This is the reason I'm asking
you to tighten up your shit. Be proud of your black
body and use it. That's your natural gift, so girls
use it. But you got to get yo' shit together!"
"Mama don't take no mess!"
"I'm beggin you please do like I told you"
[Yo-Yo]
Moms, didn't play the okey-doke, oke can get choked, huh
Fuck around and get yo' neck broke
Tellin your friends, "Hold up, wait man, moms'll let me go"
Walk in the house and mom straight say NO!
The type of moms to whup you in the store if she hasta
Just to let you know, you're the child, she's the master
Livin it to the fullest, playin 40 like she's 20 why'know
Some old tricks from a young pro
Brought up in a church house, and every Sunday was a must
When moms couldn't make it, we rode the church bus
Don't say you couldn't fade it, cause that was plannin yo' week
No church, no runnin the streets G! ("That's right")
We didn't neglect our chores, that was number one
For thirty on the dot, we was on the run
She used to pull up at the dance, have the DJ to call us out
After two o'clock, wasn't no hangin out
Sometimes she waited in the batterram or stood at the front do'
People used to ask what she came fo'
Hell wasn't nuttin get close, moms was loc, no joke
("Right on!)" I got a down ass mama
"Mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"Get them drive-by shooters out of my living room
and off my couch. You know we expecting company!"
"Is that it? I gotta go."
"HELL NAW THAT AIN'T IT!"
and I'll try to define, to the best of my ability"
"Mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"I'ma tell you one more thing;
and won't tell y'all nothin else"
"Mama.."
[Yo-Yo]
Growin up was crazy, in my days we got our ass kicked
Mama didn't play no ? cause talkin back is foul play
She had her own way of gettin across, which was a belt of steel
She'd tell us from the work we could all but kneel
Gettin nasty in front of guests was the way she'd like to do it
She'll say straighten your shit up, or you can stop em from comin
And yo guys knew what time it was, even they was checked
I got a down ass mama ("that's right") mama don't take no mess
Now shit got hectic, cause mama was tipped
She'll tell you in a minute don't let your mouth get yo' ass whipped
Mama did it all by herself, King and Queen of this house
Yellin, "I want my Daddy" would get your ass thrown out
Now when it came to partyin, moms got wild
Don't nuttin get old but clothes, and they come back as styles
("that's right.. that's right") Yo, I got a down ass mama
"Mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Can you dig it?"
[Yo-Yo]
Beings it was all girls, shit was always missingfrom panties to makeup, if it was gone then she was bitchin
She wants to know, "Who's been in the house?" I said no company
Checkin her dresser sayin, "What happened to my money?"
If it was on then it was on, cause money don't walk
Somebody better talk, find the stuff she done lost
I got my butt whooped for everything I did wrong
And it was ON, cause niggaz kept playin on my phone
Don't let moms go to a conference and the teacher confess
Man I'm tell you, mama don't take no mess
Why watch me go down, fight to keep it goin
but really not knowin cause the truth is what they're showin
You don't have a friend, friends come and go is what she'll say
Never tell your deepest secret, you'll get hurt that way
Love is a game, and it's okay if you play
But they're dogs dressed as men, tryin to be your friend
and baby watch out, don't take a step unless you know which way you're goin
Times are gettin lonely but I'll be a honey
I'll never leave ya, believe that love is in the air
No matter what you done, moms'll be there
I got a down ass mama
"Mama don't take no mess!"
"Because I'm aware that you have to use what you have
to get what you want. This is the reason I'm asking
you to tighten up your shit. Be proud of your black
body and use it. That's your natural gift, so girls
use it. But you got to get yo' shit together!"
"Mama don't take no mess!"
"I'm beggin you please do like I told you"
[Yo-Yo]
Moms, didn't play the okey-doke, oke can get choked, huh
Fuck around and get yo' neck broke
Tellin your friends, "Hold up, wait man, moms'll let me go"
Walk in the house and mom straight say NO!
The type of moms to whup you in the store if she hasta
Just to let you know, you're the child, she's the master
Livin it to the fullest, playin 40 like she's 20 why'know
Some old tricks from a young pro
Brought up in a church house, and every Sunday was a must
When moms couldn't make it, we rode the church bus
Don't say you couldn't fade it, cause that was plannin yo' week
No church, no runnin the streets G! ("That's right")
We didn't neglect our chores, that was number one
For thirty on the dot, we was on the run
She used to pull up at the dance, have the DJ to call us out
After two o'clock, wasn't no hangin out
Sometimes she waited in the batterram or stood at the front do'
People used to ask what she came fo'
Hell wasn't nuttin get close, moms was loc, no joke
("Right on!)" I got a down ass mama
"Mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!" "Mmmm, mmm, mmm"
"Mama.. mama don't take no mess!"
"Get them drive-by shooters out of my living room
and off my couch. You know we expecting company!"
"Is that it? I gotta go."
"HELL NAW THAT AIN'T IT!"
The song "Mama" by Yo-Yo Ma is a tribute to the strength and resilience of his mother. The lyrics tell the story of Yo-Yo Ma's upbringing and the strict discipline his mother instilled in him and his siblings. Growing up, they were not allowed to talk back or misbehave in front of guests, and their mother would use a belt to discipline them. The song highlights how his mother was the dominant figure in their household, taking on the roles of both the king and queen.
Yo-Yo Ma also touches on the struggles his mother faced as a single parent, emphasizing that she did it all by herself. She would not tolerate any disobedience, and talking back or causing trouble would result in severe consequences. Despite the tough love, Yo-Yo Ma acknowledges his deep appreciation and love for his mother, referring to her as a "down ass mama."
The lyrics also touch on the importance of trust and being cautious in relationships. Yo-Yo Ma's mother warned him about fake friends and individuals with ulterior motives, reminding him that true friends are rare and should be treasured. She advises him to be careful and not to take steps without knowing where he is going.
Overall, "Mama" is a celebration of Yo-Yo Ma's mother's strength, discipline, and unconditional love. It is a tribute to her determination and the profound impact she had on his life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LIONEL RICHIE, MILAN WILLIAMS, RONALD LAPREAD, THOMAS MCCLARY, WALTER ORANGE, WILLIAM KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@joelrue11
If you really look at it, there's something incredibly beautiful about this piece of music in conjunction with the visuals of the white lines. The piece, beginning with a sort of disjointed dance between G and D, feels very composed and methodical. Moving toward a goal, an endgame, it feels ready and willing to meet any challenge. But then it begins to sway, to move, to shift and shake. It feels as if the piece has lost its way, in a meandering, piecemeal way; it isn't bad, just off on its own way. But then, finally, the piece climbs and climbs, bit by tiny bit, until we reach a sudden peak and we find ourselves back around at the start of it all.
Take all of that, and add to it the video and the lines. The lines, when near someone doing something (Ma playing the cello, the girl on ice, the kids in the alley, the ballerina, etc...), shake and move rapidly. But when they get away from someone, they effects of the people are muted, so that the lines flow smoothly on. And don't take that as me saying that there is effect; on the contrary, everyone always moves the lines the tiniest bit for us all, as process goes. When you frame it in that regard, then all of a sudden each person contributes in their own way and to their own effect. As if to say, "Look, we're all connected by this force, this energy, this effect, and we all have an immediate impact; but if you want to shake the lines around others, it's really going to take some effort, something spectacular."
And when you combine this meandering journey of beauty and mystery that finally circles back to its powerful and authoritative starting point with the notion that we are all connected and all exist on the same flowing force, but we only have small effects, think about it: Yo-Yo Ma is trying to paint a picture of what he says at the beginning:
Just some thoughts.
Brilliant piece of music, Mr. Ma absolutely nails it.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, it's been a long year and I hope whoever reads this finds joy for themselves.
@johannbach3253
Well done. This is how my music was always intended to be played
@PJBJr
Johann Bach sprech Deutsch
@johannbach3253
@@PJBJr Ja ich spreche deutsch
@gsamsa
By being a commercialist sellout?
@nubmaster696
Bach, please bless ne
@solomisscannonminiononly4173
Notice me senpai
@Thatdontsurpriseme
I wonder if Bach ever thought that this would still be being played after 300 years
@StainsAndGrains
anthony thomas I wonder things like that too. I’m an artist and wonder if my work will be known for generations....doubtful
@andrer9074
@@StainsAndGrains well there are many old art pieces that are well known so dont give up😊
@CoolDrifty
Stains And Grains Anything you write or draw can be immortalized forever on the internet