About Kalamaya
Tani Diakite, the singer on Kalamaya, is from the Wassoulou region of Mali. The language he's singing in is Bambara (also called Bamanakan), and very roughly translated, Kalamaya means "it's not good to fight." That's also not quite the right way to spell it, but Tani didn't get back to us until after the track went out to the distributors. Oops... Anyway, the lyrics of the chorus are (again, very loosely translated): "Music makes me happy / I don't want to fight / I just want to play my ngoni / I don't want to stop." In other words, "I don't want to fight, I just want to play my ngoni all day!"
The song was built around Tani's melody and kamale ngoni (African harp, like a cora but smaller), but since Tani makes this stuff up on the fly, the final version is very much Kicksville-ized...there isn't much structure to Tani's open-ended jamming/improv. And forget about getting him to do the same thing twice! Wink
The Music
Tani's melody is incredibly haunting and beautiful - the main goal when arranging this song was to stay out of its way! Andy Ewen's guitar part (the main riff through the song) really adds a nice touch of old-school R&B, and Chris Huntington's flowing Afro-pop lines in the bridge provide an interesting contrast. Spice it up with some airy synth textures and a 1974 Buick hubcap strapped on top of a snare drum, and you've got a song!
lyrics
mm mansalu kele manyi-ah
mansalu tununa
manden toumani kui mansa tununa-na
ni be mansalu wuli
mandeni wasulu
ni be mansalu wuli
mandeni wasulu
ni mana tununina
aah A jine wuli allah ya
ni mana ngoni ta
jan jamana kan
jine wuli allah ya
Ni benkana nu wuli
mandeni wasulu
saban o ma
kele manyi na jine mangan eh
na bara mangan eh
saia manyi na jine mangan eh
jan jamana kan
jan jamana kan
jine wuli allah ya, oh
don ngoni soumalo wa
jan jamana kan
ah, jan jamana kan
jine wuli allah, oh
kono deni fo allah
jamalo
Tani ni ngoni ni fola wasulu
jamalo sele
ni ngoni ni fola
Tani muso ma ke ya
ki ni ye be bo allah
jan jamana kan
jan jamana kan
Jine ni Allah, oh
Na bi fo
jan jamana kan
jan jamana kan
Jine ni Allah, oh
Kele manyi allah
jan jamana kan
jan jamana kan
Jine ni Allah, oh
don mai soumala
jan jamana kan
jan jamana kan
Jine ni Allah, ah
jine ni soungo
kele manyi kono na si
kele manyi janjo de
kalama wari ye
wari kalama wari n'dogoni
kalama wari
san ni kalama wari
kalima ma ke yah
kini ere ke go alabida
kori manyi de
mm kori manyi de
ko miri manyi de
konyamiri la ngo miri manyi de
mm miri manyi
do basu kele manyi na
ngoni ni fola
Tani na ngoni ni fola n'dogoni
kalama wari
san ni kalama wari
kalima ma ke yah
kini ere ke go alabida
credits
from The Singles - Season 2,
released July 13, 2009
cover art: "Spiritual" by Tone Deaf
Conrad St. Clair: bass, guitar, keys, programming
Mike Stehr: keys
Lou Caldarola: drum kit
Tani Diakite: kamale ngoni, vocals
Andy Ewen: guitar
Chris Huntington: guitar
Beaker: hubcap, ride cymbal
Djam Vivie: djembe, kroboto
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