ZENGLEN

It was the 80’s, a quiet suburb of Port-au-Prince, where thr… Read Full Bio ↴ZENGLEN

It was the 80’s, a quiet suburb of Port-au-Prince, where three friends who were destined to make history in Haitian music met. Every afternoon, a young Brutus would sit on his front porch and play the guitar. Garry Didier Perez, and his friend Patrick Martineau, often noticed him and one day invited him to come over Patrick’s house. They would meet every afternoon to listen to all genres of music and interpret their favorites. During one of their rehearsals, some beer bottles fell off an amplifier that was vibrating and shattered into a million pieces. The guys laughed at the fact that Patrick would have a hard time cleaning up the many tiny pieces off the granulated floor. They all exclaimed ZENGLEN (which means tiny pieces of broken glass) and from that day on this was their band's name.

In 1989, the trio recorded "Koule Tan" (the color of time). Once completed, they took some tapes to several radio stations where hosts and listeners would become fans and fall in love.

Zenglen became one of the wonders of the early 1990’s as they released the hit song "Fidel" off of the album "An Nou Alèz." In the song the band said that “change” is never easy and always faces obstacles, and resistance, but that they pledge to remain faithful (Fidel) to their mission which is to improve and modernize the Konpa rhythm.

The Konpa world was introduced to their new found stars like the guitarist and singer Brutus Derissaint and the lead singer Gary Didier Perez among others. In the song "Fidel" the band said: "Sé konsa se konsa se konsa la vi ya ye lè ou vle met chanjman reziztans tèt chaje." Unfortunately after a U.S tour most of the band’s members abandoned ship and the band broke up into pieces like a real Zenglen.

In Miami Brutus never stop caressing the dream of keeping some of the pieces alive and had moved on with some attempts like the Zenglen Plus and a few solo albums in the 1990’s. Many musicians tried to help him to collect the pieces, but they often moved with their own projects like the creation of the band D-Zine. Nevertheless Brutus never lost faith and still remained fidèl (Faithful) to his mission by hiring more talented musicians each and every time. At the end of the century the acquisition of the drummer Richard Herard (Richie) and then singer Gracia Delva took Zenglen to the level of a very competitive Konpa band in the demanding market as they released the album "Easy Konpa" with nothing but major hits song that were going to move the band to the front burner of the industry. Ever since that time Zenglen hasn’t looked back despite the so many changes of personnel that occurred.

The album "Easy Konpa" was introduced to the public with the release of the video of the hit song "5 Dwèt" which boosted Zenglen to the top of the konpa scene. The song "B.S Productions" got the attention of the public as the song talk about unqualified show producers damaging the reputation of the bands. On that same album the band touched some subjects until then taboo as they talked about lesbians in the society in the song "Flannè Femèl" and drug used in the song "Ti Poud."

In the following years Zenglen continued to amaze the Konpa fans all over the world with the releases of the albums "Let It Groove," "Do It Right," "5 Etwal." The latest album, "5eme Vites," sung by current lead vocalist Kenny Desmangles, touches subjects on society, relationships with top notch konpa, and proved again why critics have praised them as the Konpa University.

Over the years the Konpa observers have seen broken pieces that continued to break in even more pieces, but the band remains solid and true to their mission: Zenglen doesn’t change…Zenglen improve. Like they often say in their songs “Sé pa changé nou changé, se pi bon’n vin’n pi bon.”

An nou marye
Zenglen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je te dis mille fois je t'aime
Pa g'on lòt fason ou vin avè l
Je te dis mille fois je t'aime
Ak tout kò m' ak tout kè m
Je t'aime encore, je t'aime plus fort
Même si ca longtemps rien a changé vraiment
Devan Bondye, devan la sosyete
Se you devwa sacré

Je te dis mille fois je t'aime
Yon dans ki slow kou you bolero
A l'amour, a l'amitié, tiens ma main
N'a ale lwen
Je t'aime encore plus, je t'aime aujourd'hui
Même si ca longtemps rien a changé vraiment
Devan Bondye, devan la sosyete
Se you devwa sacré

A l'amour, a l'amitié, wo o, o
Lanmou n'ap selebre
A l'amour, a l'amitié, wo o, o
Lanmou n'ap selebre
Wo, o,o Li lè pou fanmi w' pran m' au sérieux
Pou nou croissé, multiplié ow, o, ow, o
Lanmou n'ap selebre
Li lè pou fanmi w' pran m' au sérieux
Pou nou croissé, multiplié ow, o, ow, o
Lanmou n'ap selebre, owo, wow

A l'amour, a l'amitié, wo o, o
Lanmou n'ap selebre
A l'amour, a l'amitié, wo o, o
Lanmou n'ap selebre
Wo, wo, wow, Si lòt nèg flirté yo ka flirté
Jodi a ou se madanm marye
Ou wo, o, o ou Nou fonde you foyer
Wè y'a wè w' nan lòt wout k'ap pase
Di yo senyati deja chanje
Li s'on wi pou lavi

Nou toujou prêt a tout pou tout ti rendez-vous
T'enfermez dans mon coeur, ti foli n' te konn fè
Plus temps, pi longtemps, doudou nou mare nou toujou
Pour le meilleur et pour le pire
Toi et moi pour la vie
Pour le meilleur et pour le pire
Toi et moi pour la vie

Wo, wo, wow, Si lòt nèg flirté yo ka flirté
Jodi a ou se madanm marye
Ou wo, o, o ou Rèv nou reyalize
Wè y'a wè w' nan lòt wout k'ap pase
Di yo senyati deja chanje
Li s'on wi pou lavi

Nou toujou prêt a tout pou tout ti rendez-vous
T'enfermez dans mon coeur, ti foli n' te konn fè
Plus temps, pi longtemps, doudou nou mare nou toujou
Pour le meilleur et pour le pire
Toi et moi pour la vie

Nou toujou prêt a tout pou tout ti rendez-vous
T'enfermez dans mon coeur, ti foli n' te konn fè
Plus temps, pi longtemps, doudou nou mare nou toujou

Pour le meilleur et pour le pire
Toi et moi pour la vie

Overall Meaning

The song 'An nou marye' by Zenglen is about the celebration of love and the commitment to each other in marriage. The song opens with the repetition of 'Je te dis mille fois je t'aime' which translates to 'I love you a thousand times,' reaffirming the depth of love the singer has for their partner. The chorus goes on to celebrate love and friendship and reminds the couple of their sacred duty to each other in front of God and society. The lyrics convey the idea that love is not just a feeling but a commitment, and the importance of honoring that commitment. The song also touches on the idea of staying faithful to each other and not being swayed by the flirtations of others.

Overall, 'An nou marye' is a beautiful ode to love and the sacred bonds of marriage. The lyrics encourage couples to stay committed to each other despite the challenges and temptations that come their way.

Line by Line Meaning

Je te dis mille fois je t'aime
I tell you a thousand times that I love you

Pa g'on lòt fason ou vin avè l
There is no other way you can have it

Ak tout kò m' ak tout kè m
With my whole body and my whole heart

Je t'aime encore, je t'aime plus fort
I still love you, I love you even stronger

Même si ca longtemps rien a changé vraiment
Even if nothing has really changed after so long

Devan Bondye, devan la sosyete
Before the Lord, before society

Se you devwa sacré
It is a sacred duty

Yon dans ki slow kou you bolero
A dance as slow as a bolero

A l'amour, a l'amitié, tiens ma main
For love, for friendship, hold my hand

N'a ale lwen
Let's go far away

Je t'aime aujourd'hui
I love you today