Edited by Azizi Powell
Update December 31, 2018: The title of this post was changed from "Rokia Traore – "Sabali" (Beautiful African Song & Slide Show)" to the title given above.
This post showcases a song by Rokia Traoré and a slide show of photographs that are included in a YouTube "video" of that song. Unfortunately, the photographer's name is not given in the video summary or in the video's comment section.
A transcription of "Sabali" which was posted by a commenter to this video is included in this post. Several additional comments from that viewer comment thread are also included in this post for informational reasons.
The content of this post is presented for educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
WARNING: For those who might want to share this photo collage in schools, please be aware that towards the end of this video, there is a photograph of a young woman whose chest is unclothed.
INFORMATION ABOUT ROKIA TRAORE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rokia_Traor%C3%A9
"Rokia Traoré (born January 26, 1974) is a Victoires de la Musique award-winning Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Mali as a member of the Bambara ethnic group, her father was a diplomat and she travelled widely in her youth. She visited such countries as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium and was exposed to a wide variety of influences. Her hometown of Kolokani is in the northwestern part of Mali's Koulikoro region.
While the Bamana have a tradition of griot performing at weddings, members of the nobility, such as Rokia, are discouraged from performing as musicians. Rokia attended lycée in Mali while her father was stationed in Brussels and started performing publicly as a university student in Bamako. Unusually for a female musician in Africa, Rokia plays acoustic guitar as well as sings, and she uses vocal harmonies in her arrangements which are rare in Malian music. In 1997, she linked with Mali musician Ali Farka Touré which raised her profile. She won an Radio France Internationale prize as "African Discovery" of 1997, an honor previously won by Mali's Habib Koité in 1993. As well as guitar she plays ngoni (lute) and balafon"...
-snip-
Here's a quote from an uploader of another Rokia Traoré video:
"Rokia Traoré is a Malian singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Rokia sings with only simple accompaniment. And whether fast or slow, exuberant or plangent, she communicates with a profound intensity that is both admirable and astounding.
What Rokia does with her voice is often subtle — a graceful glissando, a slight vibrato here, a held note that grows in volume, or there she toughens the sound to express fierce determination. Plain beauty."
-evilupus,Rokia Traore - M'bifo ( Thank You )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ob4bUq8BOo
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NOTE ON THE PHOTOGRAPHER
One photograph in the slide presentation that accompanies this sound file is of a White male surrounded by children. The man has a professional camera around his neck. Presumably, he is responsible for these stunning photographs.
I'm sorry that I can't include his name, but I've added a comment to this video's viewer comment thread informing people about this post, and asking for the name of the photographer. If I receive a response, I will add that name to this post.
FEATURED VIDEO
Rokia Traore – Sabali
Uploaded on Dec 7, 2009
Rokia Traores song Sabali,
along with a beautiful slideshow of africa and its people.
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TRANSCRIBED LYRICS & OTHER VIEWER COMMENTS
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92ahok3oy6Q
All comments are from 2012.
"Sabali sabali sabali yonkonte" refers to "wisdom" repeated thrice [sabali means wisdom]. The phrase carries the connotation similar to "reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic" will bring wisdom to you. The imperative "yonkonte" is stated as emphasis and means something like, "do it, as I say to you". Kind of like, "Do you get it?"
Sabali sabali sabali yonkontê - patience, patience is worth everything
Sabali sabali sabali Kayi - patince, patience is good
ni kêra môgô - when you love someone."
-solulacia
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"This is such a beautiful composition and the photographs are quite stunning, too. I love Rokia's voice. Thank you so much for sharing this one."
-thedeeliciousplum
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Beautiful pictures! really beautiful!
I Just wish you could have shown more pictures of west Africa.
This music is from west Africa (Mali) but you mixed a lot of pictures from east Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya...)
-bichonn
**
Reply to bichonn
"Pictures were also from southern Africa, Angola. I seen a lot of Himba in there. While a nice display of Africa, agree since Rokia is from Mali, more pics like the Djenne Mosque , fishermen on the Niger river , and some Bamako, Timboutou pics would have done better. Still great vid. West africans do have the best clothing, sells good in here in East Africa."
-chrise9172
**
"So much beauty, it hurts"
- Sam Berghuis 5 months ago
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Rokia Traoré and the uncredited photographer of these photographers for their creativity & skills. Thanks also to the commenters who are quoted in this post, including the transcriber of the song lyrics. My thanks also to the uploader of this sound file and slide show.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
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