Edited by Azizi Powell
This is part of an ongoing series on Afro-Zouk music.
This post presents an English translation of the Afro-Zouk song "Bane" that was composed and originally performed by Gabonese (Central Africa) artist Oliver N'Goma (also given as Oliver Ngoma; Oliver N'goma).
This posts also showcases sound files and videos of "Bane".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/07/gabonese-singer-oliver-ngoma-adia-part.html for Part I of a two part pancocojams series about Oliver N'Goma's song "Adia". That post provides information about Oliver N'Goma, showcase a sound file of "Adia", and provides three versions of that song's lyrics (in its original language from Gabon+ French; in English, and in French).
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The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Oliver N'Goma for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. And thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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ARTICLE EXCERPT ABOUT OLIVER N'GOMA'S SONG "BANE"
From https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=https://www.musicinafrica.net/fr/magazine/3-bijoux-afro-zouk-qui-ont-fait-danser-lafrique&prev=search [translated from French to English]
"3 Afro-Zouk jewels that made Africa dance
By Jean de Dieu BO ...
28 Jul 2017 - 13:48
Musical genre where the languorous rhythms of the Caribbean zouk mix with African styles to give a very catchy, Afro-Zouk music was dancing all over Africa in the 90s. Music in Africa presents here three tubes of this kind very popular on the continent.
"Bane"
"Bane" is a title of Oliver N'goman singer and guitarist Gabon born in Mayumba in 1959, gone 7 years ago. This talented artist has left a rich legacy to African music. Its title "Bane" which has traveled Africa has even been successful in France and many other lands.
Released in 1990 under the artistic direction of Manu Lima, "Bane" does not take right away. But its constant broadcast on the radio Africa No. 1 and RFI will participate in the popularization. It therefore becomes common to play in discotheques in France, as in Africa. This is a real hit of 1990, which we do not get tired of following in 2017."....
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ENGLISH LYRICS FOR "BANE"
(Oliver N'Goma)
Here I lie in a lost and lonely part of town
Held in time
In a world of tears I slowly drown
Goin' home
I just can't make it all alone
I really should be holding you
Holding you, loving you loving you
Tragedy
When the feeling's gone and you can't go on
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no-one to love you you're goin' nowhere
Tragedy
When you lose control and you got no soul
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no-one beside you you're goin' nowhere
Night and day there's a burning down inside of me
Burning love
With a yearning that won't let me be
Down I go and I just can't take it all alone
I really should be holding you
Holding you, Loving you loving you
Tragedy
When the feeling's gone and you can't go on
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no-one to love you you're goin' nowhere
Tragedy
When you lose control and you got no soul
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no-one beside you you're goin' nowhere
Tragedy
When the feeling's gone and you can't go on
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no-one to love you you're goin' nowhere
Tragedy
When you lose control and you got no soul
It's tragedy
When the morning cries and you don't know why
It's hard to bear
With no-one beside you you're goin' nowhere
Lyrics posted by Fenomeno 22, 2018 in the discussion thread for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2msRi40IEG0 (Example #1 embedded below)
-snip-
According to Delcia Mwind, a commenter writing in that same discussion thread in 2017, the language that Oliver N'Goma used in this song is "Ilumbu (a language of southern Gabon)"
Arsene Tchiama, another commenter quoted in http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/07/gabonese-singer-oliver-ngoma-adia-part.html, posted the same information:
..."He sang in Lumbu. a language of southern Gabon. more precisely one of the 2 languages spoken in Mayumba. Mayumba who was his hometown."
In the same discussion thread another commenter, Marie Manomba wrote "it's gabonese and it's my dialect which is ypunu...if you reacts to the answer, i translate for you. best wishes!!!"
-snip-
I don't know if "ypunu" is a dialect of or another name for "Lumbu". I didn't see any translation from this commenter in that discussion thread as of the date of this blog post.
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Oliver N'Goma - BANE
TheVideoSelection, Published on Jun 3, 2013
Oliver N'Goma, ou Noli pour les intimes, est né à Mayumba, dans le sud-ouest du Gabon, le 23 mars 1959. Il est décédé d'une insuffisance rénale dans la nuit du 6 au 7 juin 2010 à l'Hôpital d'instruction des armées Omar Bongo Ondimba de Libreville.
En 1990, Olivier sort l'album BANE provoquant d'abord un petit succès d'estime.
Mais grâce notamment à la radio Africa N°1, à Gilles Obringer sur R.F.I, puis aux discothèques en France, comme en Afrique, BANE, la chanson, devient un tube colossal, cette année là, dans toute l'Afrique, en France, jusqu'aux Antilles.
BANE, l'album, devient l'une des plus grosses ventes de l'histoire de la musique africaine ! Un deuxième titre, ICOLE, extrait de l'album, connaîtra aussi un énorme succès.
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
Oliver N'Goma, or Noli for intimates, was born in Mayumba, southwest of Gabon, on March 23, 1959. He died of kidney failure in the night of June 6 to 7, 2010 at the Hospital of Omar Bongo Ondimba's armies of Libreville.
In 1990, Olivier released the album BANE causing first a small success of esteem.
But thanks to Radio Africa No. 1, Gilles Obringer on RFI, then to discotheques in France, as in Africa, BANE, the song, becomes a colossal hit, that year, all over Africa, in France, to the West Indies.
BANE, the album, becomes one of the biggest sales in the history of African music! A second title, ICOLE, from the album, will also be a huge
success.
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Example #2: Africa Dance - Hommage a Olive Ngoma - Bane.mpg
Reggae Olisa, Published on Nov 20, 2011
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Example #3:Oliver N'GOMA - Bane concert de la francophonie en 1991
Tonton Nightwolf, Published on Nov 11, 2017
Lors du concert de la Francophonie qui avait réuni plusieurs artistes à Paris en 1991. Le boss avait improvisé une petite partie de BANE (les enfants) en francais. Meme si c'etait la francophonie nos langues avant tout. De plus qu'il allait falloir réécrire la chanson.
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
During the concert of La Francophonie which brought together several artists in Paris in 1991. The boss had improvised a small part of BANE (children) in French. Even if it was the Francophonie our languages first and foremost. Moreover, it was going to be necessary to rewrite the song.
-snip-
The English translation of this comment isn't clear to me. Is Uncle Nightwolf, the video uploader, indicating that "Bane" means children? If so, that meaning doesn't appear to fit the English translation for that song which is given above. Also, what does the sentence "it was going to be necessary to rewrite the song" mean?
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Example #4: Lebel vs Oumar - Bane (Les battles | The Voice Afrique francophone 2016)
The Voice Afrique, Published on Dec 10, 2016
| The Voice Afrique francophone 2016
-snip-
Here's an English translation of the beginning sentence for https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_Afrique_francophone: "The Francophone Africa Voice is the French-speaking African version of the tele-hook show The Voice."
According to the comments [that I translated from French to English using Google translate], Lebel won this particular battle, however lots of commenters wrote that both of the singers performed very well, and a number of singers preferred Oumar over Lebel. Here's one of these comments:
Junior Claude Bola, 2017
"vraiment c'était parfait les gars!C'est chaque jour que j'écoute ce battle et à chaque fois je suis emporté au nirvana. En effet,les deux ont été au top de leurs prestations et n'ont pas demérité.Cependant,je trouve qu'il aurait été techniquement acceptable que Oumar l'emporte compte tenu de sa touche naturelle et africaine contre celle de Lebel qui frise une touche trop européenne et par conséquent pas originale. Quand il chante,on voit déjà des références telles que Singula,Matt Pokora ect. Lebel a donc fait du "déjà entendu".Par contre,comme je l'ai dit plus haut,Oumar a été assez originale et a su donné du charme traditionnel à la chanson quand bien même la part apportée par Lebel n'a pas été mauvaise du tout. voilà! Oumar aurait dû l'emporter selon moi.
Toutefois,bravo auc deux jeunes gens!C'était super cool."
-snip-
it was perfect guys! It's every day that I listen to this battle and every time I'm carried away to nirvana. Indeed, the two were at the top of their performances and have no death.However, I think it would have been technically acceptable that Oumar prevails given its natural and African touch against that of Lebel which borders on a touch too European and therefore not original. When he sings, we already see references such as Singula, Matt Pokora ect. Lebel has therefore made the "already heard" .By cons, as I said above, Oumar was quite original and gave traditional charm to the song even though the share brought by Lebel was not bad at all. here! Oumar should have won in my opinion.
However, congratulations to two young people! It was so cool.
-snip-
I'm not sure which singer in the video is Lebel and which is Oumar. Please share this information, if you know it. Thanks!
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