FATOUMATA DIAWARA
FENFO
Lyrics

1. NTERINI
Nterini (My love/friend/confident)

This song is about the heartache felt by two lovers separated by distance. My love and my confidant has gone far away and has not sent any news back to me. I love him despite everything and I miss him every day. I want to hear from my darling; otherwise I cannot sleep well at night.

My love has gone far away and may never come back
He has left his family and friends behind and gone away
He may never come back
What am I to do? He was my friend and my confidant
How is he? Just let me know how you are
You have gone to a faraway land
I miss you greatly
You have always been my guide
And I love you with all my heart

My love has taken off
Who knows when he will come back?
My darling has gone far away
And may never come back again

He has gone to live in a faraway country
He has not told me anything
It was not the rough morning weather
That prevented me from seeing him
Nor the heat of the midday sun
Not even the dangers of going out at dusk
Because I could not sleep well if I didn’t see you

2. KOKORO
Kokoro (Ancestral Heritage)

Why are we not proud of who we are? We are black Africans, descendants of Sunjata Keita, the emperor of the Mandé people. We have our own culture and civilisation, which we must be proud of. Instead, we want to look like Westerners, Chinese, Asians, and Arabs by bleaching our skin, selling off our land and resources, and adopting their fashions. As a result, we are lost and our traditions escape us. So who will come to defend our African dignity in our place?

Let’s not turn our back on our traditions
Let’s embrace them, be proud of them 

Let’s not abandon our traditions
We need to welcome them, like a miracle
Let’s not turn our back on them 

They want to destroy our traditional values
Because we are Africans
We have lost all our cultural references
Because they see us as slaves
Our ancestors have abandoned us
They want to kill our traditions
Because we are Africans
Our human warmth is disappearing

I bow before our ancestral traditions, mother
I pray to the spirits of our ancestors
I bow before our ancestral traditions 

Why are we not proud of who we are?
We try to look like Europeans, by bleaching our skin
We try to look like the Chinese and sell off our resources to them
We think that being Muslim means to cover ourselves from top to toe
We want to look like Indians by applying their bindi to our forehead
Who will carry on Sunjata’s heritage?
I, Diawara Fanta proudly stand up and vow to carry on the ancestral heritage
Who will build Africa for us? Who will live the African life in our stead?
We have lost all our cultural references to western culture
If we do not respect ourselves, no one will ever respect us

Why are we not proud of who we are?

3. OU Y´AN YE
Ou Yan Ye (They’ve seen us)

We must remain humble, because no one knows everything. We will always need someone else to guide us through life. Let’s stop the jealousy and disloyalty between us. Everyone has their own destiny!

They’ve seen us
I greet you, people of this place

No one knows everything
Some know the night, others prefer day
Some are familiar with daybreak, others the morning

We must not give in to jealousy; people follow their own destiny
Let’s not give in to treason; we all follow our own destiny

They’ve seen us
I greet you, people of this place

No one knows everything
Some know the night, others prefer day
We must not give in to jealousy; people follow their own destiny
Let’s not give in to treason; we all follow our own destiny

4. KANOU DAN YEN
Kanou Dan Ye (Stop loving/Our love has no future)

Young lovers or newlyweds who decide to break up rather than continue in a relationship they deem without a future because of an ancient tradition, which forbids marriages between certain ethnic groups. Fatou appeals to those who hang on to these archaic customs, which constitute an obstacle to the advancement of our society, and takes away from young people the freedom to love the person of their choice.

Let us stop, stop, yes, stop this love without future

We have to break up and say goodbye to each other
My darling husband, it’s over, goodbye!

Because you are Soninke and I am Fula
You are Fula but I am Soninke
I am a Jokorome and you are of the griot caste
Your mother will never let us be together
We cannot be together; your father will never let us
Your brothers and sisters will always oppose our union

Let us stop, stop, yes, stop this love without future

We have to break up and say goodbye to each other
My darling husband, it’s over, goodbye!

Because you are Soninke and I am Fula
You are Songhoy but I am Sarakole
You are a Bwa and I am Bozo
You are a Jokorome and I am Soninke
Your mother will never let us be together
We cannot be together; your father will never let us
Your brothers and sisters will always oppose our union

My husband, my love
I am resigned to this fate
Truth, please don’t stop two young hearts from loving each other
Don’t stop them from being together if they love each other

Let us stop, stop, yes, stop this love without future

5. FENFO
Fenfo (Something to say)

I asked my mother, but she did not tell me anything
I asked my father, but he did not tell me anything
My brothers and sisters did not tell me anything either
Such is the world, they did not tell me anything

Such is the world, they did not tell me anything

I'm calling my beloved mother Djeneba

Such is the world, they did not tell me anything

Friends are killing each other every day
But they did not tell me anything
Neighbours wish each other harm every day
But they did not tell me anything
Brothers are killing each other every day
But mother, you did not tell me anything
Siblings tear into each other every day in this world
But father, you did not tell me anything
Friends act hatefully towards one other
But you did not tell me anything
Such is the world, they did not tell me anything
They did not tell me anything

6. NEGUE NEGUE
Negue Negue (Let’s have fun)

This is a fun song, which urges everyone to share happiness and love in the family and all around. Fatou uses this opportunity to call on young people to join hands and to work to make this world a better place.

We call our brothers to come and have fun with us
We call our sisters to come and have fun with us
We call our lovers to come and share our joy
When we’re having fun, we ask our brothers to join in
When we’re having fun, we ask our sisters to join in
When we’re having fun, we ask our lovers to join in

Let’s have fun
Until I am happy
You all join me and have fun

We feel joy
We feel good
We are having fun

It is what makes this world a better place to live in
I urge children to join hands
I urge the youth to join hands
I urge our own children to unite
For the advancement of this world

Let’s have fun
Until I am happy
You all join me and have fun

We call our brothers to come and have fun with us
We call our sisters to come and have fun with us
We call our lovers to come and share our joy

Let’s have fun
Until I am happy

7. MAMA
Mama (Mother)

Despite the song title “Mother”, Fatou pays tribute to both her parents here: Djénéba Konaté and Bakari Diawara. She thanks them for everything they did for her and praise them for their good deeds towards orphans and the needy back home. Fatou asks them to continue their blessings for her and she places them under the protection of God and the angels.

I greet my brave mother
I say thank you

I am a descendant of Djénéba Konaté and Bakari Diawara
Your beloved daughter greets you both
The orphaned children say thank you
The needy people say thank you today
The poverty-stricken people say thank you
Bakari, son of Tati, your beloved daughter greets you
I thank you both

I greet my brave mother

Mother, mother
Thank you
Papa, papa
Thank you

For your endless blessings
For your compassion for the poor
For your resignation and your humility.
I thank you

I greet you and thank you, mother
I pray to God and the angels and I place you under their protection

8. TAKAMBA
Takamba (We are made for each other):

From the day I was born, our destinies were intertwined
I knew we were made for each other
Darling, I do not like to be humiliated
To fight with you
To be lied to
To be insulted by you
Instead, let's hold hands and enjoy our love

Don't humiliate me in public
Don't humiliate me in front of the children

I knew our destinies were intertwined forever
My love, don't humiliate me
Don't use physical violence on me
I don't like verbal abuse
Or foul language between us
Instead, if we hold hands, we can enjoy our love better

9. BONYA
Bonya (Respect)

In everything we do daily, we should show respect to others. We can enjoy life in community without having to hurt, slander or humiliate others. On the contrary, we should always show them respect and avoid hurting their feelings in any way.

Let’s show each other respect at work
We should show respect while having fun
When youngsters play together
They should do it with respect for each other
When children play together
They should respect one another

Let’s respect each other; let’s respect each other

A relationship does not work without respect
We should show respect while having fun
When children play together
They should respect one another
When youngsters play together
They should do it with respect for each other

There are so many countries….
Let’s not make other people cry

Let’s respect each other; let’s respect each other

10. DIBI BO
Dibi Bo (Open your eyes)

Whoever thinks that jealousy is in fashion
Needs help to open their eyes and see the light
Whoever believes that wickedness is right
Needs some light to bring them out of the darkness
Whoever thinks that fighting is in fashion 
Needs help to regain their senses

11. DON DO
Dondo (One fine day)

One day, I saw this handsome man pass in front of me
That day, I saw a fine young man pass in front of me
I followed the man until his destination
Once we got there, I told him I loved him

I like you a lot
But his heart already belongs to a young girl

For more information, please contact Joe Cohen, Samantha Tillman or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.