Sara

This song doesn’t tell the story of just anybody
This song begs for trust in the word you pledge
No need at all for gold
No need at all to be rich
To be the heroin of the story I am going to tell
No need at all for beauty either
What’s important is being trustworthy

The word one pledges is sacred

We must love one another here below
Love one another in the beyond
And never make one’s confidant ashame
Do you here me Sara Kandja ?

One day Sara said to her lover
“ Loving is difficult
If you keep your word you will be my husband
- Sara, don’t give this secret away,
O my God, your enemies must not learn it ”

Later on, they wanted her to marry somebody else
The people who were to marry her off have arrived
They have come with silver and cattle as a dowry
But the word one pledges is sacred

Sara has already pledged her word
Sara O God
Do not think about the silver
Do not think about the cows
Think only of the word you pledged

The bride’s trousseau was ready
They have brought everything to the outskirts of the bridegroom’s village
But all of a sudden the birds lamented
The herald birds lamented
The people who accompanied the bride were disturbed
“ This women is hardly married, and the birds lament ”
They have got to the bridegroom’s house, the djembes resounded
The balafons run out
The female griots’ karinions run out
But, so help me God, Sara started to have a stomach-ache
Everyone was surprised
An old woman said to her “ We shall take you into your husband’s house
Escort her to her husband house ! ”
When she arrived, the husband said “ Nobody knows the might of God “

They sent for all the healers to heal her
The fetiche priests came
The marabouts all came
The stomach-aches prevented her from speaking
On the third day she had a stomach-ache
On the fourth day she had a stomach-ache
On the fifth day even her head ached

The husband suggested
“ Ask Sara if she did not pledge her word to someone else
Since the healers have failed
And the fetiche priests have failed
And the marabouts have failed ”

So they asked her “ What is it that will cure you ? ”
Sara replied “My stomach-aches
It will not stop, O God”
The husband said “I have been humiliated in front of everybody
I have been humiliated in front of my family’s enemies
The bride hardly arrived before she had a stomach-ache
On the third day she had a stomach-ache
On the fourth day she had a stomach-ache
On the fifth day even her head ached
Bring Sara back to her father’s family “

When God disagrees that cannot happen !
So people ask for the dowry to be returned
Meanwhile a couple of kids run fast fast fast
Right to the cabin of the one who had Sara’s pledge
“ How will you reward us if we bring you good news ?
The marriage is cancelled ”
He replies “ I have ten cola nuts in my gobelet
They are you reward
Words of honnor are sacred ”

Sara’s mother cried as though her heart would break
Sara said “ Mother, don’t cry it was God’s will
Papa, send for all the men of the village and surroundings
The one who succeeds in curing me shall be my husband. ”

Straight away all the healers got down to work
The fetiche priests got down to work
The marabouts got down to work

When did Sara get up ?
Sara got up in the middle of the night
When did Sara get up ?
Sara got up in the early hours
She walked right to the door of her betrothed
She knocks “ Is anyone there? ”
A voice replies “ I am there
Who is speaking like that in the middle of the night?
Who is speaking like that in the early hours?
- It’s your confidante who is speaking to you
- Sara, you who have kept your word, you may come in
You who have kept your word, you may sit down and tell me about it
- I will tell you
All the fetiche priests have failed
All the healers have failed
Nobody has found the cause of my stomach-ache
So tomorrow you take a little pebble, you put it the fire
When the pebble gets red, put it in my glass of water
And my stomach will be cured tomorrow
For the word one pledges is sacred ”

How may the promises of lovers be known
By anyone else excepting God ?

The word of a man who is noble is sacred
It’s different if you are not highborn



Hommage to Kibli Demba, commander of the circle of Kangaba
“If someone is not upright, Kibli puts him in prison
If someone is a swindler, Kibli arrests him
Be he Peul, Mandingue or Bambara
Kibli you are so very honnest
Kibli you are like a laughing child”








SARA


Sara he sara foto laherutiki leye sara kanja
Sara foto kanguele tikileye sara kanja
Sara foto lanayalema sara kanja
Sara te fola ko sanu he m’bolo
Sara te fola ko wari he m’bolo
Sara te fola keniama
Sara foto kumakan dema
Kumakan kaguele lalalala kumakan kaguele
Kanumbe kenenima kanumbe kiama
Kanumbe kenenima kanumbe yomi kiama
Kani gundo ke nyogo na maloya
Debe kenenima debe kyamo kanigunoke nyogo na maloya
Kani ifuru ke nyogo na maloya sara kanja
Sara na kanunde kumara
Sara na dianamogo dekumara
Ako diane kaguele n’gundo ke niogo
Diane kaguele n’cuma ke niogo
Nefuru ke berenake hedi
Ako sara kana ninfo kanato idjukulamoko kana nime
Sara he - ala
Sara furu ke bakalu nana
Furu bakalu nana sara furu wari laminara
Sara furu missiu laminara
Kumake nyogo ko nye kabakoye
Kumakan kaguele sara ko kafuru ke bere na ke eye
Sara he – ala
Kanimiri wari nima n’duku niogo
Kinimiri missi nima lalalala kuma kankaguele
Sara konion minan sirila
Alu wara se dankuna
Yirila kono lukasira
Kunkan ku kono lu kasira
Konyo malo lahaluko nye kabakuye
Konyo mussu mifurulenye
Yniante yirila kono lu kassira
Alu warasse kessola djembe fuo lahalu wilira
Balafo lahalu wilira
Djely mussu karinian tikilu wilira
Lahila mohamada lassurulay ako ne kono ye n’dimina
Lalalalala nekonoye n’dimina
Konyomalo laharu balira
Mussukoroni kele deko sara ite wilinye
Aya massense kuabila akelaluma
He – ala
Sara keye miri lela djoma alalon
Bassimukuni tikilu wilira
Tafokuru lahalu wilira
Konoboro lahalu wilira
Sara dukumalo tekumala
Telessaba sarakono tessumala
Telenani sarakono tessumala
Teleduru kongolo dimi daminara
Sara keko layla
Aluye sara manininka
M’banininka djo ke woro le fenela
Awada sara manininka
Bassi mukuni tiki lu balila
Tafuku lahalu balila
Konoboro lahalu balila
Munye he kononi suma sara kanja
Ako ne kono yendimina
Lalalalala
Nekono tessumala
Keko lahila
Nemalola fadema djukulu nana
Nemalola balema djukuluye
Konyo mussu mi nale ni
Telessaba okono tessumala
Telenani okonotessumala
Teleduru kongolo dimi daminara
Kwa a sara afalalu lema
He – ala
Ni ala tekomina o tekela
Sara furu wari kasseki ko
Sara furu missiu kasseki ko
Bilakoruni fila di bori biribiribiri
Awarasse sarati nioko dedala
Ako n’dala fe sara furu dossara
Woro ta minye n’mini neke do odi
Ohi hidalafeledi ooooooh
Djaka sara tikan kaguele
Sara baye kassila buruburuburu
Ako m’ba kana kassi mansa nakalague lekake
Baba ite kehulade nye
Dukukono khulade nye
Danga duku keholade nye
Mimbara nekono nissuma ne furu ke bere na kehodi
Bassinguni tikilu wilila
Tafukuru lahalu wilila
Sara wilila tuma djona
Sara wilila subadibi dela
Awilila tuma djona
sara wilila alifadjiri lela
awali djo a sarati nyogo dedala
alatala mogotebona deba
n’ko mogoye bona kenfa
djon kanye suba dibi dota
djon kanye alifadjiri dota
y gundo ke nyogo de kanye
ykonofo nyogo de kanye
ako ite dona ba sara kanguele tiki nye dona kenfa
sara itisikilaba sara kanguele tiki nye sikila kenfa
basimukuni tikilu balila
tafukulula lu balila ma munye nekononi suma
nikoro tala ye konkon bere le tala sini
ikobla guani kesse lefenero
n’kohuni konkon bere ni ulenda
yo bila n’minidjilefenero
n’sarati nyogo nekonode suma sini
kamasoro kuma ka kaguele
furunyokoma filade kuma minfo
munyu sela tiritika ni alate
kundo nyogoma fila de kumamifo
munyu sela tiritika ni alate
horo kikali kuma kahana nyamogode tidi kumaka kaguele
ye ye ye deni deni deni kodibi aaaah aaaah
aaaah denyelelaba djanfati mi bere wili kibil bomina
oborumina david bo bugo
namarato mi bere wili kibiribomina
oborumina david bo bugo
aaaaah aaaaah
fila tana ni maniga tana bambara tana kodi
aaaaah denyelelaba
aaaaah