By Elisabeth den Otter

The inhabitants of Kirango, a village situated on the bank of the Niger river at 35 km

from the city of Ségou, belong to the Bamanan (farmers) and Bozo (fishermen) ethnic

groups. This CD contains songs of the Bozo: at the occasion of marriage or circumcision,

to accompany the 'sogolon' dance, and to accompany masks and puppets during the

masquerade.

The songs are sung -in Bamanan language- in pairs; the first one is slow,

the second one faster. Most of the songs accompany the 'sogow' (animals),

large puppets representing animals, often aquatic.

                                   Marriage songs:

3) 'Don bèè tè kuma ye' (One cannot complain)

4. 4)'Nyèni laminè' (You have to accept suffering)
   

Marriage is a difficult time for a young woman: she has to leave her family-of-birth

to live with her family-in-law, and is not always treated well. The songs advise them

to behave well, not to complain, and to accept the suffering.

  ♫ click here to listen to a fragment of 'Don bèè tè kuma ye'

            A ka laminè, de

            Don bèè tè kuma ye

            U ka kè i la, u ka fò i la

            I ka laminè, Malimusow

            Don bèè tè kuma ye

            (You have to accept!

            One cannot complain

            Whatever they do or say

            You have to accept, woman of Mali

            One cannot complain)

                                   Circumcision songs:

17) 'N'ba ye kàlifa' (My mother has consigned me)

18. 18)'Baduga' (My mother's blessing)
    

The mothers and the village chiefs give their blessing to the recently

circumcised boys; the children of the brave men know no fear.

♫ click here to listen to a fragment of 'Baduga'

           

            Baduga an dugu nyèmaa

            Dugu nyèmaaw bèè ka duga

            Cèfarin denw tè siran

            (A mother's blessing to our village chiefs

            All the village chiefs will give their blessing

            The children of the brave are not afraid)

                       Songs to accompany the 'sogolon' dance:

7) 'Sogow ye min' (The animals have drunk!)

8. 8)'Sòsonin' (Little mosquito)
   

                           Songs to accompany the puppets:

-The bird (Kònò)

1) 'Kirina kònò' (The bird from Kirina)

2. 2)'I juguw na sa' (Your ennemies will die)
   

Rivalry is a recurrent theme in the songs: people will be against you,

wherever you go, whatever you do or say, but they will be dead one day.

♫ click here to listen to a fragment of 'I juguw na sa'

            I juguw na sa de, Babèlè Dembele

            I juguw tè balo

            I taara kòrònna, Babèlè taara tilebin

            Nin bèè b'i juguya

            (Your ennemies will die, Babèlè Dembele

            Your ennemies will not live

            Wherever you go (north or west)

            Your ennemies will do you wrong)

-The scorpions (Bunteninw)

5) 'Kama jo' (Kama is right)

6. 6)'Duga màsa kòrò' (The old king vulture)
   

-The antelope (Koon)                          

9) 'Sogowdennin kelen' (The little animal)

10) 'Yèlènla san gunka' (They have climbed on the island)

-The snake (Sa)

11) 'Sa yo mininya yo' (The python)

12) 'Jujuju'

-The manatee (Ma)

13) 'Dimi sènsèn' (Drag the fishing net gently)

14) 'Cèlu man kan' (People are not equal)

-The hippopotamus (Mari)

15. 15)'Mariw' (The hippopotamuses)
    

16. 16)'A ye minèni kè kininbolo' (He has taken with his right hand)
    

This song celebrates the hunting skills of the Bozo; Namama and Kalajo

are hunting dogs.

♫ click here to listen to a fragment of 'A ye minèni kè kininbolo'

            A ye minèni kè kininbolo

            Ka minèni kè numanbolo

            A ye fàalikè kininbolo

            Ka minè ni kè numanbolo

            Namama y'a kan kari, Kalajo y'a kan kari

            (He has taken with his right hand

            He has taken with his left hand

            He has killed with his right hand

            He has taken with his left hand

            Namama/Kalajo has broken his neck)

-The fish (Wulujege et Saalen)

19) 'I ni baara' (I greet you)

20. 20)'Dugare' (The mirror)
    

The dog-fish and the captain-fish are big predatory fish, appreciated for their

good taste. They are compared -very poetically- to a golden mirror, when they

jump up from the water or are caught in a fishing net.

♫ click here to listen to a fragment of 'Dugare'

            Ya ya ya, dugare

            Ya ya ya, sanundugare

            Wulujègè kera dugare

            Ya ya ya, sanundugare

            (Ya ya ya, mirror

            Ya ya ya, golden mirror

            Wulujege has become a mirror

            Ya ya ya, a mirror of gold)

Musicians: Fatumata Famanta (singer) and a women's choir;   

Moulaye Tamboura, Lasseni Jire, Moulaye Niono and Moussa Sampana

(players of 'bongolo' and 'nganga' drums).

With thanks to the people of the Jaka quarter of Kirango, and to

Moussa Diakité (translation of the songs into French)

Duration: 50 minutes

N.B.: The liner notes of the CD are in French.

Recordings, texts, photos and production: Elisabeth den Otter

Samaké Records 05, 2008 ©

➤email: edomusic@mac.com

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