MARIAM, N B’I FƐ

# MARIAM, N B’I FƐ ### Mariam, I Love You ## SUNO-READY BAMBARA–MALINKÉ LOVE SONG [INTRO – SOLO KORA, SOFT CALABASH AND DISTANT FEMALE HUMMING] Mariam… Eh, Mariam… Kora bɛ kuma, kalabasi bɛ jaabi… Ne dusu bɛ i wele. [FEMALE RESPONSE] Mariam… Ne kanu… Mariam… Ne dusu… [MALE LEAD – SPOKEN SOFTLY] Nin dɔnkili bɛ i ye, Mariam. N b’i fɛ… N b’i fɛ kosɛbɛ. [VERSE 1 – WARM MALE LEAD] Don min n ye i ɲɛda ye, ne dusu ye hɛrɛ sɔrɔ. I yeli kɛra ne ma, diɲɛ bɛɛ lɔra o yɔrɔ. I kumakan ka di ne tulo la, i dusu ka di, i hakili ka ɲi. Ni i ka surun ne na, Mariam, ne dusu bɛ dɔnkili da. I ɲɛw bɛ i n’a fɔ lolow ye, i yeli bɛ ne ka su yeelen. Kabini i nana ne ka ɲɛnamaya la, ne ma kɛ ne kelen ye tuguni. [PRE-CHORUS – FEMALE HARMONIES] N ye kalo ni lolow ɲininka: “Waati jumɛn kanu bɛ na?” I nana, n y’a faamu: Kanu y’i ci ne ma. [CHORUS – FULL KORA AND CALABASH GROOVE] Mariam, Mariam, n b’i fɛ, i ye ne ka kalo ni ne ka tile ye. Mariam, Mariam, minɛ ne bolo, an ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ fo abada. Ni sɔgɔma bɛ na, ni su bɛ tɛmɛ, n b’i fɛ ninsɔn ni kasi waati. Mariam, la ne ka kuma la: Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye tuma bɛɛ. [FEMALE RESPONSE] Mariam, ne kanu! [CHOIR] N b’i fɛ! [FEMALE RESPONSE] Mariam, ne dusu! [CHOIR] Fo abada! [VERSE 2 – KORA ARPEGGIOS AND TAMANI RESPONSES] I ɲɛw bɛ i n’a fɔ sɔgɔmada yeelen, i ka kanu bɛ ne girinya bɔ. Ni sanji bɛ na, ni sankolo bɛ fin, i yeli bɛ jira ne ka sira la. N mako tɛ wari la, n mako tɛ sanu la. I bolo minɛli dɔrɔn ka fisa ne ma ni nafolo bɛɛ ye. Fɛn si tɛ baji jukɔrɔ, fɛn si tɛ dugukolo kan, min ka di ne ma ni i ye, Mariam, ne ka muso ɲuman. Ni sira ka jan, an bɛ taama. Ni waati ka gɛlɛn, an bɛ sabali. Ni i bɛ ne fɛ, n tɛ siran, barika i bɛ ne dusu la. [PRE-CHORUS] Kanu tɛ wari san, kanu tɛ sanu san. Kanu bɛ bɔ dusu kɔnɔ, ka dusu fila kɛ kelen ye. [CHORUS – STRONGER MALE AND FEMALE VOCALS] Mariam, Mariam, n b’i fɛ, i ye ne ka kalo ni ne ka tile ye. Mariam, Mariam, minɛ ne bolo, an ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ fo abada. Ni sɔgɔma bɛ na, ni su bɛ tɛmɛ, n b’i fɛ ninsɔn ni kasi waati. Mariam, la ne ka kuma la: Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye tuma bɛɛ. [INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE – SENEGAMBIAN–MALIAN KORA DIALOGUE] [First kora plays a flowing Malian Manding pattern] [Second kora answers with a bright Senegambian phrase] [Calabash establishes a warm rolling pulse] [Ngoni and balafon enter gently] [FEMALE VOCALISATION] Aah-yaa… Mariam… Aah-yaa… ne kanu… Eh-eh, Mariam… N b’i fɛ… [CALL AND RESPONSE] [MALE LEAD] Jɔn ye ne ka kanu ye? [FEMALE CHOIR] Mariam! [MALE LEAD] Jɔn ye ne ka hɛrɛ ye? [FEMALE CHOIR] Mariam! [MALE LEAD] Jɔn bɛ ne dusu kɔnɔ? [FULL CHOIR] Mariam, fo abada! [BRIDGE – INTIMATE VOCAL OVER SOLO KORA] Ni kanu tun ye dɔnkili ye, i de tun bɛ kɛ ne ka dɔnkili ye. Ni kanu tun ye baji ye, n tun bɛ ji bɛɛ tigɛ ka se i ma. Diɲɛ bɛɛ k’a mɛn bi: N y’i sugandi bi ani sini. Don o don, san o san, Mariam, i de ye ne kelen ye. N tɛ ɲina i kɔ, n tɛ i bila sira kan. Fo ne ka ɲɛnamaya laban, ne dusu bɛ i ta ye. [FEMALE RESPONSE] Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye… [MALE LEAD] Mariam, n b’i fɛ fo abada! [FINAL CHORUS – FULL COMMUNITY CHOIR] Mariam, Mariam, n b’i fɛ, i ye ne ka kalo ni ne ka tile ye. Mariam, Mariam, minɛ ne bolo, an ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ fo abada. Ni sɔgɔma bɛ na, ni su bɛ tɛmɛ, n b’i fɛ ninsɔn ni kasi waati. Mariam, la ne ka kuma la: Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye tuma bɛɛ. [CHOIR] Mariam, ne kanu! N b’i fɛ! Mariam, ne dusu! N tɛ i bila! Bi ani sini! Fo abada! Mariam, Mariam! I de ye ne kelen ye! [DANCE FINALE – KORA, CALABASH, BALAFON AND HANDCLAPS] [MALE LEAD] An ka taa! [CHOIR] An ka taa ɲɔgɔn fɛ! [MALE LEAD] An ka kanu! [CHOIR] An ka kanu fo abada! [MALE LEAD] Mariam! [CHOIR] Ne kanu! [MALE LEAD] Mariam! [CHOIR] Ne dusu! [ALL] N b’i fɛ, Mariam! Fo abada! [OUTRO – SOLO KORA AND FADING CALABASH] Mariam… Ne kanu… Bi, sini, ani waati bɛɛ… N b’i fɛ, Mariam. Ne dusu bɛ i ta ye. [FEMALE WHISPER] Fo abada…