The women of Les Amazones d’Afrique have decided to use music as their weapon in an attempt to address the mentalities that continue to perpetuate disempowerment. Their 2017 debut album République Amazone tackles a range of issues facing women in Africa across its twelve tracks. Discover the strong messages of the band in these English lyric translations for each song on the album.
We are the women
Women are the forces who have built the land of the ancestors
We are the women
Today is the reunion all women who want to work together for the future
We are the women
Let’s speak about your place in society
And your need for a greater status
Let’s speak about your place in society
Let’s stand up for our mothers
Let’s dance for our mothers
They need a better future
They need all the the respect in the world
Women are the forces who have built the land of the ancestors
We are the women
The land of the ancestors
We are the women
For the future
We are the women
For the future
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If you look within, you will understand being a woman is an opportunity
Ehh Sow yari, Sow yari
Chorus:
Man or woman
Sow Yari, May Cheche Drame rest in peace
She went to sleep, the activist woman has gone
I am calling all women
Being a woman isn’t a curse
Do not stand shy or you will remain in the shadow
Countries do not develop without the strength of women
There is no husband without a wife
Being a woman is a chance
Let’s overcome ignorance, to be a woman isn’t a curse
Ignorant women, wouldn’t make any difference in this world if they were born as men
Sow yari
I think of all the women who have left us
I think of Biton
Rah queen of wassolou has past
Tata Diakite has passed
Sow yari
We just pass in this world, no one is eternal
Will the world be empty one day?
When I think of Biton
The queen of Wassolou has passed
The earth swallowed her as an insect
The immortal has yet not been created
There is no husband without a wife
The wassolou diva went to sleep
Let’s overcome ignorance, to be a woman isn’t a curse
Ignorant women, wouldn’t make any difference in this world if they were born as men
Sow yari
Women give birth to the imams
Women give birth to ministers
Women give birth to presidents
Being a woman is a privilege
To be unkind within your home, is being unkind to yourself
Let’s care for one another
Iye douna
Let’s be merciful to each other
May we have the strength to be clement to one another
Let’s stop fratricidal quarrels
Turn me up
As we work, we look we lose
Because when things go wrong we still be strong
No matter what they bring we still believe
Because when things go wrong we still be here
Feel me on my way or hand it to, what’s your baggage?
With all this mind I want to see your baggage
When things are hard you must work great
Because when things go hard you beat on your head
I see the way you work your hurt
Because you’ve been inside that darkness for too long
Woman don’t you know you’re a queen
As you the queen is always gone, so keep it clean
But you sure remind them what they have done to you
You must walk out
You can go wrong in this, you can’t go on
Turn me up
As we walk we work we lose
Because when things go wrong we still be strong
Keep your eyes open
Keep your eyes open
Keep your bags on the road
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
Thank you for your efforts, thank you for helping us to live together
Thank you for bearing with our useless disputes
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
The disputes in the Family, you bear with them
The housekeeping, you are the one who do it
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
Thank you for your efforts, thank you for helping us to live together
Thank you for bearing with our useless disputes
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
Alone in your loneliness
The bird of the forest, you stand alone
In your loneliness
I stand alone
No matter the family surrounding you
You will at times stand lonely
I stand alone
Yes I stand alone
Alone in your loneliness
The bird of the forest, you stand alone
In your loneliness
I stand alone
N’golo Diarra lived a beautiful life
But he no longer live in this world
Alone in your loneliness
The bird of the forest, you stand alone
In your loneliness
I stand alone
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Some sound come from afar
Voices of the melodies
Can’t you hear the voices of the chords?
Voices of the chords
Voices of the melodies
Baba can’t you hear the sound?
Can’t you hear the sound of the chords, the world goes beyond infinity
Can’t you hear the voices of the chords?
Death doesn’t spare you for you are courageous
Look at Toumani, the hunter who’s left this world
Voices of the chords
Voices of the melodies
The fauna escaped screaming
The voices of the chords
The voices of the melody resonated
Baba can’t you hear this sound
Djigui, don’t you hear the fauna escaping?
Mamadou, don’t you hear the fauna escaping?
The animals perished when Mamadou came…
Where have the patient hunters gone?
Where have the merciless hunters disappeared to?
Instead of expecting the men in the village, why don’t you wait for him the heart of the forest?
If he doesn’t deliver his heart, he will deliver his faith
Some sounds come from afar
Voices of the melodies
Don’t you hear the voices of the chords?
Don’t you hear the voices of the chords of the Amazones?
Let’s wait patiently, the world whispers on earth but not up above
The sky fills up with the dead— and the earth is empty
Whether you want it or not God is clement
The earth’s creator is clement
Women will tell you, they will say I I have paid my dues and exposed myself to the world
Men will tell you, they will say I I have paid my dues and exposed myself to the world
Musicians will tell you, they will say I have paid my dues and exposed myself to the world
Strong we may stand
Some sounds come from afar
Voices of the melodies
Can’t you hear the voices of the chords?
The camel wants to sit on his lump, however his lump won’t let him
The caiman wants to sit but its tails won’t let him
Some sounds come from afar
The voices of the melodies
Don’t you hear the voices of the melodies of the Amazones?
We women give birth
The rich, the poor, the pacha, the saint
I praise women
Women of the African continent
Women of Europe
We must learn to live together
Habits create empathy, conviviality and warmth among the human kind
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Women taking advantage of their husband have no merit
The woman who’s rude to her husband has no merit
Respect and love must rule in everyone’s home
Listen up, men and women are complementary in the heart of a foster
This song is dedicated to you women
Towards all of the home
My thoughts go toward all of the Malian women
Cheer up
My thoughts and cheers for all of the women on earth and on the African continent.
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
Thank you for your efforts, thank you for helping us to live together
Thank you for bearing with our useless disputes
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
The disputes in the Family, you bear with them
The housekeeping, you are the one who do it
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
Thank you for your efforts, thank you for helping us to live together
Thank you for bearing with our useless disputes
Dear mothers, we thank you for waking up at dawn
The disputes in the Family, you bear with them
The housekeeping, you are the one who do it
You bear with all these issues
You take care of the children of other people
You do it everyday
Women live in fear of what could happen
Being a woman isn’t a curse, being a woman is a chance.
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I’m your mother
Love me
I’m your sister
Love me
I’m your wife
You do not have the right to beat me we women, all the women
we want to be respected
we women, all the women
Men, listen to us
The song we’ll sing goes to you
Our troubles and sorrows are our weapons
And we women want to share them with you
The things that you have done to me
It is enough now
How you have played me and used
How you have played me and used
Together we will be stronger
To overcome the obstacles on our path
Together we will be proud
To have raised our children in love and peace
To overcome the obstacles on our path
Men, protect us as companions
I’m your mother
Love me
I’m your sister
Love me
I’m your wife
You do not have the right to beat me
we women, all the women we want to be respected
Respect me as I respect you
Because I am independent
Men, do not ruin my life
And do not put me aside and decide for myself
Men, hear our voices
Men, we’ll sing for you
I’m your mother
Love me
I’m your sister
Love me
I’m your wife
You do not have the right to beat me us women, all the women
we want be respected
Don’t keep me from going to school
I want to learn to count and write
I don’t want to be someone else’s shadow
Don’t laugh and make fun of me
When I say I want to be the President of my country
Don’t make fun of me
Woman, wake up!
A woman is leading Liberia today
I’m your mother
Love me
I’m your sister
Love me
Im your wife
You do not have the right to beat me we women all the women
we want a be respected
Don’t accept
don’t accept
never accept
To be a shadow of yourself
Men preach their superiority
When often the distinction comes to the power of purchase
No matter the appearance of the poor, he’ll always come after the rich.
We Malian women gather to enchant you
The storm preparing north isn’t affecting one person
The falling rain doesn’t reach only one field
Rain allowing to sow falls for everyone
and not only for one soul
We, Malian women gather to enchant you
Men preach their superiority
When often the distinction comes to the power of purchase
No matter the look of the poor, he’ll always come after the rich
People do not start the same place
we often excuse the mistakes of the outspoken rather than the introvert man
Featured Release
Released 10 March 2017
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