The Gipsy Kings: "Roots"

The core members of the beloved French gypsy band, Gipsy Kings.

The singers and guitarists of the Reyes and Baliardo families, settled into a stone farmhouse in a small town in south France to collaborate with producer Craig Street and where they performed and recorded in the all acoustic gypsy tradition.

This unique location, in the Gipsy Kings home region, contributed to the authentic style and heritage of the music.

According to lead singer, Nicolas, "we played just like we do in gypsy camps, improvising around a fire in a circle with the guitar player, hand claps and singer"

Mohammed Rouicha: The Moroccan bird

Berber singer with warm voice, Mohamed Rouicha is also a specialist of "Hajhouj," a Moroccan instrument rarely played, and like a sort of Lute, more rustic.

Artist who gained national prominence as an interpreter of songs: Amazigh and Arabic, he made several acclaimed albums by the Moroccan public.

The famous pop singer, Amazigh and Arabic, Mohamed Rouicha was present at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.

Wes Madiko: "Alane" (1997)

Wes Madiko (born January 15, 1964 in Motaba, Cameroon), better known as Wes, is a Cameroonian musician.

He is probably best known among Western audiences for In Youpendi, a song from The Lion King II soundtrack, as well as work with Deep Forest and his own 1997 hit "Alane".


- Lyrics:

We ya senga / Has wéhé
Wanna wéndé lambo / hé hé hémentourek !
Hé hi yé yé yé (bis)

Son déri sang / hou hou hou hou hou / Mini sondé
Bika mi sanga / ga minitou / mi pa mi tcho andou mi pao yé

Alanné mba yi woma... wé / Ho tou sondé / Ho ma... yé
Alanné mba yi woma... wé / Ho tou sondé / Ho ma... yé

We ya senga wé / Has wéhé
Wanna wéndé lambo / hé hé hémentourek !
Hé... hi yé yé yé

Né ma ka ni kaso
Né ma pa ni kaso / Né ma pa sé pa
Né ma ka ni kaso / Né ma pané ka
Né ma pa ni kaso / Né ma pa sé pa
Né ma ka ni kaso / Né ma pané ka
Né ma pa ni kaso / Né ma pa sé pa
Né ma ka ni kaso / Né ma pané ka

Alanné mba yi woma... wé / Ho tou sondé / Ho ma... yé
Alanné mba yi woma... wé / Ho tou sondé / Ho ma... yé
Alanné mba yi woma... wé / Ho tou sondé / Ho ma... yé
Alanné mba yi woma... wé / Ho tou sondé / Ho ma... yé

We ya senga / Has wéhé
Wanna wéndé lambo / Yé yé yein
We ya senga / Has wéhé
Wanna wéndé lambo / hé hé hémentourek !

Né ma pa ni kaso / Né ma pa sé pa
Né ma ka ni kaso / Né ma pané ka
Né ma pa ni kaso / Né ma pa sé pa
Né ma ka ni kaso / Hé... hi yé yé yé

Buena Vista Social Club: "Chan Chan" (Live - 1998)

"Chan Chan" is a song composition by Cuban bandleader Compay Segundo, revolving around two central characters, 'Juanica' and 'Chan Chan'. The song was one of Compay's last compositions and was written in 1987. "Chan Chan" had already been recorded by the composer himself various times, but worldwide success came with a version with Compay and other Cuban artists Eliades Ochoa and Ibrahim Ferrer as the first song on the album Buena Vista Social Club.

Compay Segundo textual cite:

"I didn't compose 'Chan Chan', I dreamed it. I dream the music. I sometimes wake up with a melody on the head, I hear the instruments, all very clear. I look over the balcony and I see nobody, but I hear it as if it was played on the street. I don't know what it was. One day I woke up listening to those four sensible notes, I put them a lyric inspired on a children tale from my childhood, Juanita y Chan Chan, and you see, now it's sung everywhere."

The most complete explanation says: 'The song relates the story of a man and a woman (Chan Chan and Juanica) who are building a house, and go to the beach to get some sand. Chan Chan collects the sand and puts it on the 'jibe'. Juanica shakes it, and to do so she shakes herself, making Chan Chan ashamed. [...] The origin of this tale is a farmer song learnt by Compay Segundo when he was twelve years old.'

There is a repeated motif throughout the song:

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Luego a Cueto voy para Mayarí

- Translation:
From Alto Cedro I go towards Marcané
I get to Cueto, head for Mayarí

Alto Cedro, Marcané, Cueto and Mayarí, are four towns near each other in Holguín Province, on the east side of Cuba.


- Lyrics:

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Luego a Cueto voy para Mayarí

El carino que te tengo
Yo no lo puedo negar
Se me sale la babita
Yo no lo puedo evitar

Cuando Juanica y Chan Chan
En el mar cern¨ªan arena
Como sacud¨ªa el 'jibe'
A Chan Chan le daba pena

Limpia el camino de paja
Que yo me quiero sentar
En aquel tronco que veo
Y as¨ª no puedo llegar

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Luego a Cueto voy para Mayarí

English translation:
From Alto Cedro I go towards Marcané
I get to Cueto, head for Mayarí

The love I have for you
I cannot deny
My mouth is watering
I just can't help myself.

When Junika and Chan Chan
Sifted sand together on the beach
How her bottom shook and
Chan Chan was aroused!

Clean the dry sugar cane leaves
from the path
So I can get to that trunk
I want to sit down.

From Alto Cedro I go towards Marcané
I get to Cueto, head for Mayarí..

Raggio Di Luna: "Comanchero" (1985)

The Comancheros were primarily New Mexican hispanic traders in northern and central New Mexico who made their living by trading with the nomadic plains tribes, in northeastern New Mexico and west Texas. Comancheros were so named because the Comanches, in whose territory they traded, were considered their best customers. They traded manufactured goods (tools and cloth), flour, tobacco, and bread for hides, livestock and slaves from the Comanche. As the Comancheros did not have sufficient access to weapons and gunpowder, there is disagreement about how much they traded these to the Comanche.

The song was made by "Raggio di luna" ("Moon ray"), which was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in Italian by Matia Bazar. The song is a love song, with the lead singer explaining to his lover that something as simple as a moon beam can simplify their relationship and make any experience enjoyable.

The song was performed second on the night, following Portugal's Manuela Bravo with "Sobe, sobe, balão sobe" and preceding Denmark's Tommy Seebach with "Disco Tango". At the close of voting, it had received 27 points, placing 15th in a field of 19. It was succeeded as Italian representative at the 1980 contest by Alan Sorrenti with "Non so che darei".



- Lyrics:

comanchero
comanchero
comanchero. . . .
Oh
can you see he is the one

Day after day he is riding in the sun

He's travelling through deserts all alone.
I will bring the comanchero his tomahawk

His lonesome walk
his lonesome walk.
Who's in mind of comanchero
a man of law

A pretty squaw
a pretty squaw.
Comanchero
comanchero
comanchero
comanchero. . . .
Where he goes
no one can tell.

Will he be running along any longer

Or will he ever stop somewhere?
I will bring the comanchero
his tomahawk
. . .
I will bring the comanchero
his tomahawk
. . .
Who will join the comanchero
Where eagles fly

Where horses ride

Where horses ride?
Will the road take
Comanchero to his tee-pee

Or to the sea
or to the sea?
Comanchero
comanchero

comanchero
comanchero. . . .

Brigitte Fontaine & Grace Jones: "Soufi"

Grace Jones collaborates with the avant-garde poet, singer and writer Brigitte Fontaine in 2009.
Brigitte's poetry in this song emblazons her love on Sufism. The result is this haunting,hypnotic,mystic duet.
As these two women admire each other a lot , the unique Grace wanted to participate more on Brigitte Fontaine's latest album called Prohibition and did the vocals in some other songs as well.

Music:Areski Belkacem
Lyrics/Poetry:Brigitte Fontaine
Produced by:Ivor Guest
Vocals:Brigitte Fontaine & Grace Jones

Poète, bel ami..
Clown cosmique maudit
Cœur caché des muslims
Philosophe des cimes
Dont la vie est musique
Soufi, roi des comiques
Salam, salam, salam..

Enivré par l'amour
Simple comme bonjour.........
Rare aristocratique
Seigneur ésotérique
Monarque pauvre et fou
Arlequin plein de poux
Salam, salam, salam!

Vaporeux loup d'argent
Et sauvage agneau blanc
Dans ton cœur font la paire
Cœur chassé de lumière
De vérité sans blâme
Et de beauté sans drame
Salam, salam, salam!

Ton œil candide et fin
Ton œil jamais éteint
Ton œil malin et dur {x2}
Est un ciel d'hiver pur
Un lac gelé brillant {x2}
Dans le désert vibrant
Salam, salam, salam {x2}

Que Lui qui est le Tout {x2}
Nous embrase partout {x2}
Grâce à vous, grâce à nous {x2}
Qui tombons à genoux {x2}
Projetés sur la Terre {x2}
Devant grâce et mystère {x2}
Salam, salam, salam!!

Laïc et plein d'ivresse {x2}
Coranique sans messe {x2}
Chef d'état ou pécheur {x2}
Concierge ou balayeur {x2}
Peuvent être soufis {x2}
Sans que cela soit dit {x2}

Salam, salam, salam! {x4}