Zé Manel



POVO ADORMECIDO (My people are asleep) During some rains My people don’t sing There are some rains When my people don’t laugh They lost their soul On the high wall of a sea wave breaking against the tide They speak quietly And sing their pain They hit the drum And the palm and cashew wine With vengeance But the rhythm won’t come They bend over the Siko Like distorted warriors And the suffering in the heart becomes quiet My people Cry in their song And sing when they wail And speak in the throat of the balafon Gray silence Broken In the gurgling rapids of Kussilintra In waterfalls Shaping stones Cooling bodies Sculpted from the Body of Bissilao Music: Ze Manel Lyric: Tony Tcheka	ARNEGU DI BÔ (Shame on you) Shame on you Bissau, our Bissau Is in mourning Other peoples’ countries No matter how sweet Can’t compare with our Bissau We’re in Europe Asia, America. We’re not shocked Or scared Or envious We miss our country Other peoples’ countries No matter how sweet Can’t compare with our Bissau It’s you who make us wander Because of you we seek refuge Around the world We’re here working For ourselves And for ourselves One day wemust return Lyric – Zé Manel Music Zé Manel	AFRIKA IS NOT INDEPENDENT African Continent Was invaded And divided By Western Crusades: The French, the British The Portuguese and the Spanish Don’t blame nobody That was just a business In God’s name Today we are all independent countries But we are still begging for help Because we belong To the poorest nation in the planet A good name for those Who cannot feed And take care of their own people Don’t blame no French Blame no British Blame no Portuguese And Spanish Blame your greedy Selfish dictator African government Millions of African children Are dying every year Of starvation Malnutrition and disease From so-called independence We had dictatorship We went to war Downfall to the bottom And we still belong To the poorest nation on the planet We the people are calling African nation To reach out to each other and unite Lyric – Zé Manel Music Zé Manel

DEMOCRACIA NA FIRMA (Democracy will stand) Call people to help To help save us The canoe’s leaking Guinea’s sinking, oh our Sabel Don’t call those Worthless people And their interests The canoe’s leaking And Guinea’s sinking, oh, our Sabel Poor Sabel, Who will save poor Sabel are groups, groups and groups Cabral came to rule On the power of the people And power of the bullet that Removed him. Little Johnny came to rule by the power of the bullet and the power of the bullet removed him Yala came to rule by the power of the people, and the power of the bullet removed him Dogu came to rule By the power of the people. The power of people is growing Democracy stayed behind it is coming and going It came with the bad winds the tempest the fire Fire that burned our homes and our families Democracy refuses to stay It refuses to stand Democracy, you will stand You have to stand Lyric – Uco Monteiro Music – Ze Manel	NHA UTRU (my other) Where is that soul? I haven’t found it Where is my other? I haven’t seen her I’m waiting for that face to calm me I’m waiting for that body To cool me fate told me not to bother waiting\ Where is that soul? I haven’t found it Where is my other? I haven’t seen her Faces come and go but I haven’t seen her The day she comes I’ll pick up the calabash I’ll dress her in a golden robe and we’ll wake the spirits to dance and sing Where is that soul? I haven’t found it Where is my other? I haven’t seen her Fate told me not to bother waiting Lyric - Zé Manel Music – Zé Manel	MAN AND RELIGION They turned the land of religions into a hell That night is all but gone the fall of the country to the bottom of the ocean DOWNFALL In this great age the age of technology and profit All crimes against humanity are committed in the name of religion in the name of God The ancient scripture and religion are not together they're not together O MAN A dead person never returns A past night does not come back We call you back from worship of the past To that of the palpable present Help in the work of turning forward the wheel of the great age Lyric – Zé Manel Music – Zé Manel

SI BALA TEN (If there are still bullets) If there are still bullets someone has to die If there are still enemies someone has to die Sorry, people but someone has to die in this interest-laden democracy. They have to die. If there are bullets left, bullets from the Lord of the land, oh someone has to die. If there are enemies left, enemies of the Lord of the land Someone has to die It’s a lie inside this democracy: there are no enemies enemies are elsewhere there are no enemies It’s interests that are pulling And tugging, oh They’re hissing at each other They’re pulling, oh. Music: Ze manel Lyric: Ze Manel	DJUSSÉ PULICIA (José the Cop) Jose the cop, out of uniform, is a citizen of Bande: “Good morning!” “Good Afternoon!” But when Jose the cop puts on his helmet he’s fierce, and intoxicated Oh, help His eyes red, There he is Oh Kankuran on the corner, In Barela-Kunda Lord of citizens and countrymen But Jose’s like me when he grabs some plain rice to fill his belly --If there is any And when we gather at night to drum and sing Jose’s a countryman a citizen like me Don’t take it out on me don’t sharpen your claws I’m not a rat for you to be a cat, comrade policeman If you scratch me my deep, red hungry blood The hard hand will seek rest one morning I can’t complain. When you’re a civilian your friendship is true And so is ‘so-and-so’ Oh the things I’ve seen Oh the things I’ve heard Oh the things I’ve felt I can’t complain I don’t dare Lyric – Uco Monteiro Music – Ze Manel	LES ENFANTS DU MONDE Dans ce début d'une belle journée une voix a crié Une voix de vie, d'espérance et de joie Dans son cœur, très profond une femme, noire blanche ou jaune a souri de joie Un enfant est né, et avec lui tout un bonheur va commencer. Alors toi le père, toi la mère, toi le président ou toi le dirigeant dit moi pourquoi!! Mais oui pourquoi? Pourquoi quand cet enfant, à peine fini de téter les seins de sa mère est amené par toi à faire une guerre sans raison. Pourquoi quand cet enfant, à peine fini de téter les seins de sa mère est abandonné à lui même dans les rues des grandes villes. Pourquoi quand cet enfant, à peine fini de téter les seins de sa mère est, il est soumis aux actes les plus cruels des adultes. O!! Toi femme, noire, blanche ou jaune aide moi à comprendre pourquoi, mais pourquoi. O!! toi père, mère, président ou dirigeant, noirs , blancs ou jaunes aide moi à comprendre POURQUOI Oui Pourquoi, mais pourquoi un être si fragile est soumis très tôt à un destin aussi cruel Lyric - Pierre H Sagna Music – Zé Manel


BADJUDESSA NOBU (Young girls) Young girls Flowers of our time With cute bodies And ways to captivate a man When they passed by You’d see there was something there-- roll it in your mouth and you’d think it’s honey When they passed by You’d see there was something there-- roll it in your mouth and you’d think it’s honey If you dated them they’d make you suffer ‘til they calmed and got to know your ways If you dated them they’d put you through the Kumpo dance when you started, ‘til they calmed and got to know your ways Oh young girls Princesses of our time They’d take care of you They’d share their meals They’d calm you down And be with you afternoon, Night and morning We’d hide so the elders Wouldn’t see us. Girls in our time were sweet Call the girl—to take me down To remember the time—to take me down Even if I cry—to take me down Oh Dessa’s body—to take me down My body yearns—to take me down Call Dessa for me—to take me down Girls in our time were sweet Lyric – Ze Mnael Music – Ze Manel	PO DI BEN (Can I Come?) come out come out come out come out we’re cooking something up Bissau Bafata (come out come out Biombo Gabu (come out come out Cacheu and the Bijogos Islands (come out come out Quinara Tombali Oio (come out come out) Come out come out Come out come out We’re cooking something up Bissau’s sweet Bissau’s sweet, so sweet We’re cooking something up (can I come?) It’s fine with me You chameleons, play for me to dance here I come… Bissau’s sweet Bissau’s sweet, so sweet We’re cooking something up These people are worthless They’re ruining the country These people are worthless Ministers are stealing The chiefs are stealing The phantoms are stealing Balantas aren’t stealing They just have that reputation It’s the chiefs who are stealing Come out come out (Come out) We’re cooking something up Pepel Missira Mindara Antula We’re cooking something up Come out Come out Quelele Kalikir Pilun Pluba We’re cooking something up Come out Come out Bankule Bande Bairro Ajuda Bairro Militar We’re cooking something up Come out Come out Old Bissau Santa Luzia Sintra Reino We’re cooking something up Come out Come out Bissau’s sweet So, so sweet We’re cooking something up Come out Lyric - Zé Manel Music – Zé Manel	BATUCADA NA NOITE (Drumbeat of the night) Bissau grows At sunset the advancing line of night And only sleeps At sunrise Alcohol And the weekend Inflame decorated Bodies In that night there are insomnias and many Sonias and not only homegrown grooves but merengue and Antillean in the early morning Love songs shape bodies dripping from the heat The permanent percussive walkway of the night Hips stirring Syncopated Syncopating The smells chew the air they mingle with body smells and become mixed up Chanel Paco Rabane deodorant "sour" and Dior Ca va comme ca Everything very special Old Scotch is the final touch It’s fatal but in the end why not… The drumbeat grows Space opens The city doesn’t sleep Music: Ze Manel Lyric: Tony Tcheka

N'POT N'KORLU N’pot N’korlu the midnight girl all worn out like the bush taxi to Tor, pursuing a worthless life. A dress High heels A man A bed Filth on the backside Of a fierce young body Edging in on every man In every bed In every bubble of worth Til you’re not really new The owner of that life That child of living bones N’pot N’korlu The midnight girl All worn out Like the bush taxi to Tor, Pursuing a worthless life A car A disdainful tryst A man High heels A dress Filth on the backside Of a fierce young body Fleeting pleasure Of every man you see She’s looking for something real That never comes If it does, it’s fleeting Except for peoples’ loud comment If she’s ever happy You don’t see it If she breaks They’ll talk about it N’pot N’korlu Once she accepts Filth on her backside A bed A night is done A friend in the morning Of each night Of each man Oh, of each bed Her deepest self Bitter sweat Bodies’ broth To laugh about Again and again A tired story With nothing new N’pot N’korlu The midnight girl That N’pot N’korlu Who is dying. Lyric – Uco Monteiro Music – Ze Manel