Jah'rabi

Do you know my love?
Love. Love. Love is complicated.
You know that love is complicated.

What has happened to you, my love?
What have they said to you? It is you I love.
Your father has told you not to marry me because
I have nothing. Just know that I love you.
Your mother has told you not to marry me
because I am poor, but now that I love you.

Do not be sad, do not worry. You
are the one I love.
Do not be sad, do not worry. You
know that love is so complicated that
even a doctor cannot treat it.
You know that love is complicated.

Love. Love. Love.
We can be together without destroying our families.
Do you know my love?Do you know my love?

Love. Love. Love you know.

Even if you place on me a silver
bracelet, I will give you my love.
Even if you wear earrings of
gold, I will give you my love.
Love has neither feet nor arms nor eyes.
It is a disease no doctor can cure.

Alou manè n’ jarabi lóóón
Jarabi jarabi jarabi magni
Alón jarabi gèlè má

Mou kerilááá n’ jarabi
Mou forimá neko n’bé lefè
Ifa lou ko kikana fourou n’ma ko
fein te ne fèh neko n’be lefè
Iba lou ko kikana fourou n’ma ko
fein te ne fèh neko n’be lefè

Kana dimi kana dioro kana
dimi jarabi manidé
Kana dimi kana dioro kana dioro jarabi mani
Banami do dokotoro má foura lon
Alon jarabi gelemááá

Jarabi jarabi jarabi
Tolon tesé ka sebèsa

Alou manè jarabi don
Jarabi jarabi jarabi don

Adouin jarabi gele mááá

Niyé wari don n’bolo la
Nebe ta n’ jarabi fè
Bourika sanou don n’tolo lá
Nebe ta n’ jarabi fè
Seinte n’ jarabi fè
Bolote n’ jarabi fè
Niate n’ jarabi la
Bolote n’ jarabi fè banamido
dokotoro ma foura lon
Adouin jarabi gele ma

‘Play it reggae-style’, words uttered one night in the studio during a jam session at Rustical Records. Guitar lessons turned into jam parties, slowly giving form to this pilot tune.

The cherry on the top was the inclusion of the Hammond organ, played by our friend Vojtech Svatos, whom we’ve known for years. Late one night after some festival, we played him Jah’rabi, wanting him to give it a blues feel... dirty it up a little. Pavel picked up a guitar with its old bluesy strings, plugged in a Roland Jazz Chorus, Vojta hammered the keyboard... and that was that! Vojta ́s part also became a distinctive element of EAC DJ ́s Jah’rabiremix. Not only that, in the midst of this creative musical playground was Ruta Karlina Avotina, multi-instrumental musician from Liepaja, Latvia, playing the wine glasses; quite literally, a wine glass harp, if you will. The fragile glassy tones, whilst indiscernible on the recording, were yet another part of this musical tale.

Cheikh Lô (Senegal) & Hawa ‘Kassé
Mady’ Diabaté (Mali) / vocals
Moustafa Kouyaté (Mali) / ngoni
Madou Kouyaté (Mali) / ngoni bass
Leopold Lô (Senegal) / sabar
Pavel Šmíd (Czech Republic) / percussions, balafon, el. guitars, bass guitar, synth, ngoni
Martin Piro (Czech Republic) / percussions
Vojtech Svatos (Czech Republic) / Hammond
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Rhytm guitar: Fender Telecaster / VOX Night Train 50
Guitar solo: Godin LGX-SA / Roland Jazz Chorus combo (dist. Channel)
Bass guitar: Warwick Masterbuilt Streamer Stage II / EBS Classic 500
Ngoni: bought from a homeless guy on Artisan street Bamako