This song is a real classic. Virtually every Kenyan of a certain generation fondly remembers it because it was played quite often on the Kenya Broadcasting corporation most notably on the program Sundowner.
Radio DJ Mike Mathews, popularly known as Mahanja Mike was the presenter of Sundowner which featured on KBC radio every weekday at 6pm. Mahanja Mike would play the song virtually every other day. Kenyans in that era thus became thoroughly familiar with the song. Now decades later, the song brings back some nostalgia and an appreciation for what a wonderful singer Nayanka Bell was.
Nayanka Bell is one of the best singers to come out of Cote’d Ivoire. She delivers the song in brilliant fashion with her incredible vocal range in display as she traverses effortlessly from Soprano to Mezzo-soprano to contralto and back amid sublime guitar riffs. The song was composed by a Malian composer. The song addresses a little child who has blind parents, telling the child to be contented with the kind of parents he has and to be courageous and be the parents walking cane.
Below are the lyrics for you to sing along
Maa ti gnanan tonmonlaa
Ibangué baloula
Ibangué baloula
Ni maa koun bi gnanan tonmonla bi
Ne koun na gnouman ni tonmon ko n’kéle ta hi
Maa ti gnanan tonmonlaa
Ibangué baloula
Ibangué baloula
Ni maa koun bi gnanan tonmonla bi
Ne koun na gnouman ni tonmon ko ké n’kéle ta hi
Ne koun na gnouman ni tonmon ko ké n’kéle ta hi
A li I Ba manan kè fihen tô di
Ka ni Faa kè fihen tô di
Ka ni soro déni yéri ké la di
Ohohoho
I na kè dgiguini bèrèkalayé
dolou yé tolo kè la toumaminan
Ko i soro la bara misin ni nan
ahahahahhaaaaaaa
do lou yé kalan nan toumanminan bii
kiii ka nan tolo ne tinmin ni kan O Allah
Ko I soro laa I faaa ni baaa ‘r yala yala laa
Soura fana gnini de la (Incompréhensible désolé hein )
n’guado ma na céeeee
do’n do na cée héeee
I bi nii sigui ki miri i la banko le la
ohohohoohoooooooo
Maaaa bé djoro la
I laban ko yééeee Ohh
I djo ka djoro laban ko lé la
n’gua Allah ma nan
ko ko gueleya dounougnan laa Ohhooohhh
A no nogoya londoooooooooo
I kana Djoro
IllaaaaBannn Koooo Lelaaaaa
I kana Djoro
IllaaaaBannn Koooo Lelaaaaa
Iwassado (Iwassado)
n’gui ki Iwassado (Iwassado)
Iwassado I yèrè la Iwassado
Iwassado (Iwassado)
n’gui ki Iwassado (Iwassado)
Iwassado I yèrè la Iwassado
Iwassado I Faa ni Baa gnan nala bi
Maaa non te Allah a leloo ohhhhh
Yebaliya ye bana djougoudi
Banaba ye bana djougou di
CAfo ye bana djougoudi
Faaa ye bana djougou di
Allah ma nen djon mi kissi Allah ka anto
Ni saya kou ye bana ye bi
Ma be nen sira (incomprehensible)
I kana Djoro IllaaaaBannn Koooo Lelaaaaa
I kana Djoro IllaaaaBannn Koooo Lelaaaaa
Iwassado (Iwassado)
n’gui ki Wassado (Iwassado)
Iwassado iyere la (Iwassado)
Iwassado (Iwassado)
Iwassado I Faa ni Baa gnan nala bi
Maaa non te Allah a leloo ohhhhh
Maaa non te Allah a leloo ohhhhh
Iwassadoo
| Africa Music Centre |
