Youssou N’Dour is without doubt the most famous and influential Senegalese Musician. When I went to buy some music at the airport in Dakar the shop assistant insisted that Youssou N’Dour was still the number one Senegalese artist. In 1994 he had an international hit with 7 Seconds, a duet with Neneh Cherry.
Cherry says about the song: “7 Seconds is about the first positive 7 seconds in the life of a child just born not knowing about the problems and violence in our world.” (1)
The song is in Wolof, French and English. In some years we will provide a Dutch translation 😉
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMZ4SBYpeZw&feature=related[/youtube]
Lyrics
Boul ma sene, boul ma guiss madi re nga fokni mane
Khamouma li neka thi sama souf ak thi guinaw
Beugouma kouma khol oaldine yaw li neka si yaw
mo ne si man, li ne si mane moye dilene diapale
Roughneck and rudeness,
We should be using, on the ones who practice wicked charms
For the sword and the stone
Bad to the bone
Battle is not over
Even when it’s won
And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone the skin is living in
CHORUS
It’s not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting
It’s not a second
Seven seconds away
Just as long as I stay
I’ll be waiting (x3)
J’assume les raisons qui nous poussent de changer tout,
J’aimerais qu’on oublie leur couleur pour qu’ils esperent
Beaucoup de sentiments de race qui font qu’ils desesperent
Je veux les portes grandements ouvertes,
Des amis pour parler de leur peine, de leur joie
Pour qu’ils leur filent des infos qui ne divisent pas
Changer
CHORUS
And when a child is born into this world
It has no concept
Of the tone of the skin he’s living in
And there’s a million voices
And there’s a million voices
To tell you what she should be thinking
So you better sober up for just a second
CHORUS
