N'Dour was born in Medina in Dakar, Senegal, in 1959 and started his music career singing in small clubs in Dakar in the Wolof language, which is predominantly spoken in Senegal and Gambia. He's most popular for his mbalax beat which gave him the title "Roi de Mbalax" (King of Mbalax), and is a household name in Senegal, Gambia and neighbouring countries in West Africa with a long list of hits from the early days in the 70s to date.
In 1979, he formed his own ensemble, the Etoile de Dakar. His early work with Etoile de Dakar was in the typical Latin style popular all over Africa during that time, but in the 1980s he developed a unique sound when he started his current group, Super Etoile de Dakar, featuring Jimi Mbaye on guitar, bassist Habib Faye, and tama (talking drum) player Assane Thiam.
N'Dour was introduced to the Western audience when Peter Gabriel had him appear on his 'So' album (in 1986) and theb took N'Dour and The Super Etoile de Dakar on the road with him in a subsequent world tour. N'Dour has also collaborated with a lengthy list of influential artists including Paul Simon, Neneh Cherry, and Branford Marsalis.
He is endowed with remarkable range and poise, a composer, bandleader, and producer with a prodigious musical intelligence. The New York Times most recently described his voice as an "arresting tenor, a supple weapon deployed with prophetic authority". N'Dour absorbs the entire Senegalese musical spectrum in his work, often filtering this through the lens of genre-defying rock or pop music from outside Senegalese culture.
Youssou N´Dour is currently the new minister of Culture of Senegal as a reward for his campaign against the former president of Senegal Abdoulaye Wade who was defeated by Macky Sall in February 2012.
Yama
Youssou N'Dour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ñi di déloo sen palanter
Ngir baña xaar li xew, li xew féneen
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Gaal gi teer
Té du yeebi ludul meew lifi des
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Moo waral bu sédalé, du am
Du am, rusna ñaan ba day fandé, fandé
Moo waral bu sédalé, ba du am
Du am, rusna ñaan Kii daal amu fi morom
Yaamaa nango sona lol
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni dox sa waar bamu noppi yaw
Téréwul topa bëgë bëgë xaléyi
Yaama rek la soxal diarama
Diarama, diarama
Ni woo Yama, Yama
Wuy Yama, amufi morom
Wuy Yama, nangoo sona lol
Ni Yama, jigen ju man goor
Wuy Yama, maa la setlu way
Moo waral bu sédalé , du am
Rusna ñaan ba day fandé
Amu fi morom
Mala setlu way
Yama, Yama
Amul noflay
Amu fi morom
Tunda wi rañénañ la
Yama, Yama
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama gaa yi yaaba leen
Ni dox sa waar bamu noppi yaw
Téréwul topa bëgë bëgë xaléyi
Yaama rek la soxal diarama
The song Yama by Youssou N'Dour tells the story of a man who is searching for his lost love named Yama. The lyrics are in Wolof, one of the languages spoken in Senegal. The song starts with the singer addressing Yama and then talks about their past together, stating that they used to talk often and he always found her to be wise. The lyrics then go on to describe how Yama disappeared, leaving the singer alone and searching for her. He asks for help from a bird and a friend, but it is all in vain. He is left to wonder whether Yama will ever return to him.
The lyrics are filled with emotion and longing, creating a sense of nostalgia for lost love. N'Dour’s voice is powerful and emotive, adding to the poignancy of the lyrics. The use of traditional instruments such as the kora and the drums gives the song a distinctly African feel. The repetition of the chorus adds to the urgency and obsession of the singer's quest for Yama.
Yama is a beautiful and haunting song, reflecting the universal theme of love and loss. It is a reminder that no matter where we come from, we can all relate to the pain of losing someone we love. The song speaks to the heart and soul, leaving the listener with a feeling of hope and melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
Soubateel, bamuy barilé
We come together, let's give each other a helping hand
Ñi di déloo sen palanter
Let's go forward with our heads held high
Ngir baña xaar li xew, li xew féneen
Looking for peace and respect, for women and men
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Oh Yama, you make us feel so good
Gaal gi teer
On this earth
Ba ñu seet li, li wara dem féneen
Let's work hard and make progress for our brothers and sisters
Té du yeebi ludul meew lifi des
So that wealth and happiness can be shared by all
Moo waral bu sédalé, du am
Let's come together and unite, my friend
Du am, rusna ñaan ba day fandé, fandé
Friend, let's move forward without fear or hesitation
Moo waral bu sédalé, ba du am
Let's come together and unite, oh friend
Du am, rusna ñaan Kii daal amu fi morom
Friend, let's move forward and follow the path toward love
Yaamaa nango sona lol
Yama, you make us feel so good
Ni dox sa waar bamu noppi yaw
We don't need to be rich to be happy
Téréwul topa bëgë bëgë xaléyi
We just need to have a heart full of kindness
Yaama rek la soxal diarama
With Yama's help, we will achieve our goals
Ni woo Yama, Yama
Oh Yama, Yama
Wuy Yama, amufi morom
Oh Yama, follow the path toward love
Wuy Yama, nangoo sona lol
Oh Yama, you make us feel so good
Ni Yama, jigen ju man goor
Yama, you are the guardian of our country
Wuy Yama, maa la setlu way
Oh Yama, keep us on the right path
Mala setlu way
Stay on the right path
Amul noflay
Lead us
Amu fi morom
Toward love
Tunda wi rañénañ la
Let's dance together
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Oh Yama, you make us feel so good
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama gaa yi yaaba leen
Oh Yama, you have the power to bring us to higher ground
Ni dox sa waar bamu noppi yaw
We don't need to be rich to be happy
Téréwul topa bëgë bëgë xaléyi
We just need to have a heart full of kindness
Yaama rek la soxal diarama
With Yama's help, we will achieve our goals
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN SHARP, SIMON RICHMOND, STEVE HOPWOOD, YOUSSOU N'DOUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@modouthiam5438
Soubateel, bamuy barilé
Ñi di déloo sen palanter
Ngir baña xam li xew, li xew féneen
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Gaal gi teer
Ba ñu seempi li, li wara dem féneen
Té du yeebi ludul meew lifi des
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Moo waral bu sédalé, du am
Du am, rusna ñaan ba day fandé, fandé
Moo waral bu sédalé, ba du am
Du am, rusna ñaan Kii daal amu fi morom
Yaamaa nango sona lol
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni dox sa waar bamu noppi yaw
Téréwul topa bëgë bëgë xaléyi
Yaama rek la soxal diarama
Diarama, diarama
Ni woo Yama, Yama
Wuy Yama, amufi morom
Wuy Yama, nangoo sona lol
Ni Yama, jigen ju man goor
Wuy Yama, maa la setlu way
Moo waral bu sédalé , du am
Rusna ñaan ba day fandé
Amu fi morom
Mala setlu way
Yama, Yama
Amul noflay
Amu fi morom
Tunda wi rañénañ la
Yama, Yama
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama ku la seetlu woon
Ni woo Yama, ni Yama gaa yi yaaba leen
Ni dox sa waar bamu noppi yaw
Téréwul topa bëgë bëgë xaléyi
Yaama rek la soxal diarama
@adoogie2876
Cette chanson me rappelle ma chère maman aujourd’hui décédée.tt petit je la voyais travailler chez les libanais et je comprenais rien en cela.c’est en grandissant que je m’étais rendu compte que mon père après avoir pris une seconde femme avait quitté ma maman.c’est pourquoi elle travait comme une bonne (mbindaan) pour nourrir ses 6 enfants moi et mes 5 autres frères et sœurs.Dure dure.elle a même travaillé chez un ami de classe quand je fesais la sixième et cinquième secondaire.cela m’a donné beaucoup plus d’abnégation,j’étais sois premier ou deuxième de ma classe.elle était toujours contente de ça.j avais même pré inscription en France mais mon papa ne voulait pas m’aider.ma maman me dit qu un jour je vais partir inchalla et aujourd’hui je suis à l’étranger et malheureusement ma maman n’est plus de ce monde.ell est décédé 5 ans avant que je voyage.pour ce qui on la chance d’avoir leurs mamans à leur côté, faites leurs plaisir.dès fois j’ai mal au cœur quand je perçois mon salaire et ma chère mère n’y a jamais goûté
@bambasene1529
Ohhhhhh ma sœur tes paroles ont encor réveillé les souvenirs de mon cher papa tèla dem ndeyssane féké woul dara tchi ndjabotam....wayé niane moy galladjou djoulite....triste
@fatoufall5939
😥😥😥😥 elle est fière de toi aldjana firdhausir 🙏🏽 pour ta maman
@yerodjolof5044
A méditer merci du courage
@ib__4562
Paix à son âme
@papacheikhkane6603
Machallah, un parcourt triste, poignant, c'est les aléas de la vie. Machallah la vie d'une personne est jalonnée de joie et tristesses. Il faut être fort pour surmonter la tristesse. Bravo 🤝🏼👉👍🏽👏🏽
@mhdsmb8317
Je vais rendre hommage à Khady nôtre servante une excellente jeune fille travailleuse dynamisme qui aime faire son travail avec amour. Je n'ai jamais vu une bonne aussi excellente que Khady. Elle se réveille chaque jour à 6h du matin pour faire le ménage, préparer le déjeuner et le repas midi et soir. Elle accepte de faire tout pour rendre la famille heureuse. Ce qui m'impressionne de plus est une musulmane qui ne rate jamais les heures de prières et les xassidats de borom touba yalla na la yalla samou maï la borom keur boubakh si yaw
@ltagye6715
MHD SMB oh rafét na , say wakh.
@omarkebe5315
Pppp
@sunuchannel3
Allahouma amiiin