Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck “lam tooro”
from: Djam Leeli (1984)
“Listen to my voice
Echoing in the night
Talking with the universe
Bringing advice to humanity
My friend, respect your word
Keep your dignity
Try to know your role in society
Olel invites the Halpulaar (those who speak Pulaar)
And all Africans
To unite around the fount of knowledge
That is Africa
To reflect, like the echo
A sense of solidarity
Within the family
And in the wider community
Good or bad
What we sow, we reap
Like the music of the great Peul festivals
Our song carries a prayer
That next year’s celebrations
Will see everyone reunited
Reciting the same prayer
My heart is full of love for you
Political leaders shake hands
But do they really
Come dance the Yela Hayo!
All over Senegal
They’re dancing the Yela
Even the Serers dance the Yela!
Senef footballers in France
Senes footballers in Senegal
Solidarity will win you
The African cup in 1992
We don’t care where the rain comes from
As long as it rains In Senegal
In Mali
They dance the Yela
Yela is a song about love
”
Babba Maal & Mansour Seck
From an early age, Senegalese Baaba Maal, born into a fisherman’s caste in 1953, was a friend with Mansour Seck born into the griot caste in 1950. Their first recorded collaboration was in 1984 and in 1989 it was released as Djam Leeli. Both men play guitars and sing on the recording and Baaba Maal wrote all the songs. The publication Folk Roots named it the best album of 1989.
-Alan West-
