"So Why ?" Lyrics of the song
06-11-1997
Music by Wally Badarou
(Transcript of the lyrics, long version 8'20")
JABU BAYETE (South Africa, in zulu )
Ngibathe Ngicelu Xolo (I've been asking for Peace)
Ngatholi nzondo (But all I got was war)
Ngibathe Ngecelu thando ma, ah oh (I've been looking for love)
Yiningathi yini ngomhlaba (But I did'nt find togetherness)
Yini Singa Funu Zwano ? ah oh (What is wrong with the world?)
Ngibathe Ngicelu Xolo (What is wrong with the people?)
Ngatholi nzondo, ah oh (Why don't we want peace?)
PAPA WEMBA (Zaïre, in lingala )
Makambo mazali koleka makambo ya minene ngo ngo (Il y a des choses graves qui se passent en Afrique)
Makambo tozali komona na Africa, yawee eewewe yoyo (Tout ce qu'on voit en Afrique, oh mon Dieu)
Mama lamuka na pongi esila ya waho oho (Mère nourricière, réveille-toi)
Mama tala likolo mokili mozali ko bongwana (Maman, regarde le ciel, le monde est en train de changer)
Banzelu balati mpembee ba beti loseba (Je vois des anges vêtus de blanc jouer à la flûte)
Mama posa ya mabele na yo (Mère patrie, nourris-moi)
Mama posa ya mateya ma yo (Mère patrie, éduque-moi)
Mama mayi ya miso etangi ngai (Mère patrie, sois sensible à mes larmes d'enfant)
REFRAIN:
Africa, Africa will sing - so why ?
My people, your people are key
- so why ?
Together, united, we can stand - so why ?
LOURDES VAN-DUNEM (Angola, in quimbundo )
Kibange kima se u mukua Rwanda, se ua Tokala mu Angola Anga mu Senegal, se u mukua Zaire anga Africa do Sul, (Whether you are from Rwanda, Angola, Senegal, Zaire or South Africa is not important )
Tukale Kiambote Tuana a African (What is important is that we are all Africans)
Se eie u Mubundu Anga eie u Mundele (Whether Black or White is not important)
Tudi Bane O Uji tu Ningalasa (What is crucial is that we respect each other)
YOUSSOU N'DOUR (Senegal, in wolof, english and french )
Boul di fate nit moy garap bou nit - Wake up!
(N'oublies jamais que l'homme est un remède pour l'homme - Wake up!)
Why war, why this, why, why, why war ooh?
Victimes de la guerre, pourquoi tant de haine?
Déportés, oubliés, wo, wo, wo, woo
Il faudra pardonner
My generation
La naissance d'une génération
Lou waral lii ? (Comment justifier cela?)
LAGBAJA (Nigeria, in english, yoruba and ibo )
My people. Oh Africa,
Wak...wak...wak...wak...Wake up! Wak...wak...wak...Wake up Africa!
Cool your anger, Tolerate each other
Please... Biko (please)
E dakun, E dabo (please, oh please)
Together, united, we can stand, so why ?
Wak...wak...wak...wak...Wake up! Wak...wak...wak...Wake up Africa!
REFRAIN:
Africa, Africa will sing - so why ?
My people, your people are key
- so why ?
Together, united, we can stand - so why ?
Masoxi, masoxi ndon ndon - so why ? (les larmes, les larmes m'en tombent - quimbundo)
Africa, Africa will sing - so why ?
The sun in your heart is your smile - so why ?
Wozani bizanu tula - So why ? (Come on, let's ca ll for peace - zulu)
ADLIB (END REFRAIN)
JABU BAYETE ( in zulu and english )
Washu mathambo espoki wathi (Says the Skeleton of Africa)
Africa, Umhlaba ubolile (Africa, the world is rotting)
Abantu bane nkohla kalo (People are turning to evil)
Umhlaba ubolile (The world is rotting)
Umhlaba unengozi (The world is wounded)
Sudan, Rwanda, Angola, Malawi, Liberia, Zaire
Stop the killing
Phansingo dlame (Stop the killing)
South Africa: war is never good
Phansingo dlame (Stop the killing)
Reconciliation is the key road
Ho Africa ! Ho Africa ! (Stop Africa! Stop Africa!)
He She ! ( Let's move forward! )
YOUSSOU N'DOUR ( in wolof, french and english )
Diabot ou Africa, Mbokeugui (Enfants de l'Afrique, nous partageons tous les mêmes valeurs)
Is there any goal lou ko diar (Y a-t-il un but qui vaille cela?)
Waröntouniou faté li ko li di khew tey (Nous ne devrons jamais oublier ce qui est en train de se passer aujourd'hui)
REFRAIN:
So why ?
So why ?
So why ?
Africa, Africa will sing - so why ?
The sun in your heart is your smile - so why ?
Wozani bizanu tula - So why ? (Come on, let's call for peace - zulu)
LAGBAJA ( in english )
Sierra Leone
Angola, Algeria, Somalia, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda
Zaire, Burundi, Sudani, wake up!
PAPA WEMBA ( in swahili )
Watoto wetu awana tena maïsha wema (The life of our children has no more meaning)
LAGBAJA ( in english )
For the sake of tomorrow
Stop the war, stop the destruction
We've got to stop this barbarism in the name of tribalism!
REFRAIN:
My people, your people are key
- so why ?
Together, united, we can stand - so why ?
Africa, Africa will sing - so why ?
My people, your people are key
- so why ?
Together, united, we can stand - so why ?
LOURDES VAN-DUNEM ( in portuguese )
Estamos unidos (We are one people)
Meu povo unido (My people united)
Unidos para Africa (United for Africa)
Juntos para sempre (Together for ever)
Para a paz e o amor (For peace and love)
Para sempre Africa (For ever for Africa)
YOUSSOU N'DOUR ( in english )
New generation
Why love, why war, why, why?
Why war, why this, why no love ?
New generation
Ohh, so why love, why no love?
Sooo why, sooo why ?
REFRAIN:
Masoxi, masoxi ndon ndon - so why ? (les larmes, les larmes m'en tombent - quimbundo)
Africa, Africa will sing - so why ?
The sun in your heart is your smile - so why ?
Wozani bizanu tula (Come on, let's call for peace - zulu)
SO WHY ?
