Dɔnkili Delight | Gbakas - Daouda

[Coleman]

Aw ni ce!

Another “Dɔnkili Delight” post to share a Manding language song that I dig.

This one came up in the YouTube comments recently because of the recent Na baro kè episode about transportation methods in Abidjan…

DAOUDA - Gbakas (1976)

Bonus points if you can write out, translate and explain what is said in Jula at around 1:57 and at 2:28

(Remember you can hide your response by adding a “spoiler blur”. Here’s how.)

Further Reading

• The song “Gbaka” by Daouda Le Sentimental : A whistleblowing anthem

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Got a song in Manding you love or keep coming back to? Feel free to start your own “Dɔnkili Delight” topic to share it

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PS - Can’t pronounce “gb” correctly? Check out this chapter.

[Caroline]

À ye gɛrɛ = Approchez.

Anongo muso, wari bɔ. = Femme nigériane, sort l’argent.

A le bɛ jigin la, Ajame lɔgɔ fɛ la. =
Elle descend au marché d’Adjame.

[Coleman]

I ni baara, @Caroline !

Some feedback:

@Caroline

À ye gɛrɛ = Approchez.

• Good ear In this context though, it’s likely that Á ye gɛrɛ/gwɛrɛ/gbɛrɛ actually means “Serrez-vous” though. The verb ka gwɛrɛ can be used to say both “Come closer!” (e.g., Á ye gwɛrɛ! and “Squeeze together!” (e.g., Á ye gwɛrɛ [ɲɔgɔn na]!). Since the next line in French is "Monsieur, poussez un peu" [“Mister, move over a bit”], I think that that it’s the classic call from the apprentice to squeeze together

@Caroline

Anongo muso Anango-muso, wari bɔ. = Femme nigériane Yoruba, sort sors l’argent.

• Wow! You inspired me to look more into this line. I was hearing “Ani an ka muso” (Lit. “And our wife…”) originally, but I think that yes, indeed, it’s “Anango-muso” which means “Yoruba woman” as per a few sources like the Base de données lexicographiques panfrancophone and Wikipedia in French.

@Caroline

A le bɛ jigin la jiginna / jigila, Ajame lɔgɔ fɛ lɔgɔfiyɛ la. = Elle descend au marché d’Adjame.

• Sometimes, I’m on the fence about whether it’s the apprentice being voiced as saying “Ale bɛ jigila…” or the Yoruba woman herself being voiced and saying “I’m getting out at the Adjamé market…”

[Caroline]

@Caroline

À ye gɛrɛ = Approchez.

This makes sense given what follows!

@Caroline

Anongo muso Anango-muso, wari bɔ. = Femme nigériane Yoruba, sort sors l’argent.

I knew this word because its also what people call a particular pagne shirt cut here

@Coleman

Sometimes, I’m on the fence

Yes, I was confused about that, too!

[Coleman]

This post is closing

Bonus Points Answers

@Coleman

what is said in Jula at around 1:57

• “Á ye gbɛrɛ! Á ye gbɛrɛ!” = “Squeeze together! Squeeze together!” [Instruction from the apprentice to the passengers]

@Coleman

and at 2:28

• Anongo-muso, wari bɔ, wari bɔ! = “Yoruba lady, get the money out, get the money out!” [Instruction from the apprentice to a passenger]

• Ne le bɛ jigila Adjamé lɔgɔfiyɛ la = “I am getting out at the Adjamé market” [Response form the Yoruba lady regarding her stop]

  • NOTE: I sometimes hear this as “Ale…” and not “Ne…”