Diommaya (“Disrespect”) is a song by two of West Africa’s most celebrated griots, warning the ruling elites of Guinea and Mali about the dangers of exaggerating their own self-importance. Wealth and power are blessings, but often bring forth arrogance and a lack of consideration for others.
Both Sekouba “Bambino” Diabaté (1) and Kandia Kouyaté (2) are descendants of the royal families of griot singers. The Diabatés of Kéla have performed as bards in Guinea and Mali for over 70 generations. Samory Touré (1828 — 1900), the founder of the Wassoulou Empire and leader of the resistance to the French colonial invasion in West Africa, was advised by Morifindjan Diabaté.
The Kouyaté line have served as poets and counselors to the Keita dynasty since Sundiata Keita founded the Mali Empire in the 13th century (see the footnotes for more about these two performers).
Their position within the societies of Guinea and Mali make them well-placed to deliver this counsel as they draw upon the shared history of these countries. They remind their audience that the disrespect shown by the colonial powers in the 19th century led Samory Touré to take up arms and warn that “The conflicts caused by disrespect, Can astonishingly go on forever.”
My thanks to Wilfred Willey for the translation from Malinke into English.
Disrespect
Oh! Refuse, refuse, refuse and say no
Don’t accept to be disrespected, refuse it
Refuse it, oh king of Mandé
Oh! Refuse, refuse, refuse and say no
Don’t accept to be disrespected, refuse it
Refuse it, oh king of Mandé
When you rule over a country
One of the flaws in rulers is their lack of respect
Never treat your countrymen with disrespect
When you are blessed with wealth,
One of the issues that wealth brings is arrogance
Never disrespect those who have nothing
Even if you are a celebrity
Being an artist also has it flaws
We shall never accept lack of respect
I call out your name, father
No one should blame another, we all have our own fate
Don’t attack another, for each has their own destiny
Oh! Mali linking up with Guinea
They are joining hands to send a message
And tell our fellow muslims
Men, women, children and the elders
Let’s work, only hard work ennobles a person
When husband and wife join forces, that’s down to harmony
A child and their father hand in hand, there’s nothing like harmony
Two neighbours living in harmony, there’s nothing like it
The house of discord may be big, but it will crumble one day
We shall never accept the lack of respect from anywhere
Oh! Refuse, refuse, refuse and say no
Don’t accept to be disrespected, refuse it
Refuse it, oh king of Mandé
Yamariwo, yamariwo, yamariwo (3)
We are talking about disrespect here
There are people with gold and honour
They do not accept to be treated with disrespect
There are poor people at home who say nothing
But even they do not take disrespect from anyone
Um, I’ve seen a big miracle
Oh! Fellow acclaimed singers
We are talking about disrespect here
Which means to belittle people
The words you are now hearing
I address them to married couples
I address them to lovers
And also to every citizen of the country
conflicts caused by disrespect are devastating
It is God who creates all human beings
He made some rich
He made others poor
He made some others indigent
He only is omnipotent
Stop belittling and looking down on other people
For only God holds the key to one’s destiny
As a case of disrespect
Remember what happened
During the thirty three years, three months and three days
War campaigns in Africa by the brave son of Sonafin (4)
It was all caused by nothing other than disrespect
I’m calling the son of three great Kamara women
Sòna Kamara, Maningbè Kamara, Kèmè Kamara (5)
Samory Touré who never accepted disrespect from anyone until his death
Oh! My fellow Africans
Touré mandemori (6)
Diané mandemori
Cissé mandemori
Bérété mandemori
With Morifindjan Diabaté, his own griot, always by his side (7)
To tell all the griots
That you can give gold to the griot
Give money to the griot
Give some diamond to the griot
If you do not add some respect to the gesture
We will never accept the gift from you
We do not accept to be disrespected
I want to tell every citizen of the country
And to all my fellow Africans
The conflicts caused by disrespect
Can astonishingly go on forever
I heard it and I said it
I myself heard it and I said it
Kandia jeli heard it and said it
Sekou Bambino heard it and said it
We heard it, we saw it and we said it
One of the flaws in rulers is their lack of respect
Never treat your countrymen with disrespect
Nothing is better than respect, let’s show it to each other
Being an artist demands patience
Nothing is better than respect, that’s true
Kingship does not go well with bad temper
Nothing is better than respect, let’s show it to each other
A good ruler should possess self-control
Nothing is better than respect, that’s true
Stardom does not go well with bad temper
Nothing is better than respect, let’s show it to each other
Bad temper is bad for marriage
Nothing is better than respect, that’s true
Being the head of a family demands self-control
Nothing is better than respect, let’s show it to each other
Lack of consideration for others is not good
Nothing is better than respect, that’s true
People, treat each other with respect
Nothing is better than respect, let’s show it to each other
Respect is best between artists
Nothing is better than respect, that’s true
Listen to this, fellow Africans
Nothing is better than respect, let’s show it to each other
Um, respect is so sweet.
Here are the lyrics in the original Malinké.
Diommaya
Ah i ban, i ban, i ban a fò n’tè
I kin’i sòn jònmaya ma, i ban a ma
I ban o Mande mansa
Ah i ban, i ban, i ban a fò n’tè
I kin’i sòn jònmaya ma, i ban a ma
I ban o Mande mansa
I ba kè mansayala
Mansaya lafè le ye jònmaya di
I kana jòn jamanadennu ma
I ba kè waritiiyala
Waritiiya lafè le ye jònmaya di
I kana jòn tèkèròkolon ma
Ali ni kèra saramabadi
Artisiya lafè le ye jònmaya di
An kana sòn jònmaya ma muntun
Iyeeeee eheeee eehooooo ne fa
Dan tè duniya la o fo sabari
Jòn ka jigi jòn na, jòn bèe ni dalonkan
Jòn ka baga jòn ma, jòn bèe ni nyasigi
Jaka jaka kunkolomasèbèn ka koro morisèbèn di
Bonya ma aaah
Minnu k’i ban bonya ma o mògòlu dògòyata
Bonya kèbali ma bonya madiya dòn
Waritigiya, tigi yèrè bonya
Bolokolonya oh, i k’i yèrè bonya
Artisiya, i k’i yèrè bonya
Minnu ma sòn bonya ma o mògòlu dògòyata
Iyee eeh, Ala le ye fama ye, Ala ma ko kelen da
Jòn ka jigi jòn na, bèe ni nyasigi
Jòn ka baga jòn ma, bèe ni dakan
Eeeh Mali ni Laginè
Olelu jètò bi ka nin kuma fò
N’balima silamèlu ye
Kè ni muso, denni ni mògòbalu
An ka baara, baara le bè mògò munanfan
Kè ni muso bènna, bèn le o kèla
Den n’a fa bènna, bèn le nyògòn tè
Siginyògònma fila bènna, bèn le nyògòn tè
Bènbaliyaso mana bonya lon kelen tonbo
An kana sòn jònmaya ma muntun
Ah i ban, i ban, i ban a fò n’tè
I kin’i sòn jònmaya ma, i ban a ma
I ban o Mande mansa
Yamariwooooooooo
Yamariwooooooooo
Yamariwooooooooo ooooo ooooo
An ye kumala jònmaya kuma le kan
Sanu bè dò fè lanbema
A t’i sònna jònmaya ma aaah
Bolokolonba dò siini bonna kon’a tè fèn fòla
A t’i sònna jònmaya ma
Ummmmm kabako ba ye
Ah nyanalu wo, nyanalu wo
An ye kumala jònmaya kuma le kan
N’a ye dògòyama ye
Kuma min ye nin di
Ka nin fò furunyòonmalu ye
Ka nin fò kanunyòonmalu ye
Ka nin fò jamanadennu ye
Jònmaya kèlè manyi munmè kè
Ala le ye mògòlu danna
A ka dòlu kè fama di
Ka dòlu kè fantan di
Ka dòlu kè misikinè dama di
Ko bèe se bè fama Ala le kelen ye
A ye fara jònna mògò nin nyògòn ma
Ah jòn bèe n’i nakun bè Ala bolo
Jònmaya min ye ni di
N’alu ye nin lakòròsila
San bi saba, san saba, karo saba, tele saba
Sònafin den ye kèlèla Farafina
A tun tè dògbèrèla, jònmaya kèlè le tèrè
Kamara muso saba denkè
Sòna Kamara, Maningbè Kamara, Kèmè Kamara
Samori Ture, a m’i sòn jònmaya ma fo fure
Ah farafindennuuuuu
Ture mandemori
Jane mandemori
Sise mandemori
Berete mandemori
An’a la jelikè kelen Morifinjan Jabate
Ko ka fò jelilu ye
K’i ba sanu di jelikè ma
Ka wori di jelikè ma
Ka diaman di jelikè ma
N’i ma ni bonya nin dè
Anu t’a minè munmè kè
Nelu tè sònna jònmaya ma kè
Ka nin fò jamanadennu ye
Ka na nin fò farafindennu ye
Jònmaya kèlè, kèlè, kèlè
Kèlè ban mandi, kabako
Ne k’a mèn, ne k’a fòoo
Ne yèrè k’a mèn, ne k’a fòoooo
Kandia jeli k’a mèn, a k’a fòooo
Sekou Bambino k’a mèn, n’fa Sekou k’a fòooo
An k’a mèn, an k’a ye, an k’a fò
Mansaya lafè le ye jònmaya di
I kana jòn jamanadennu ma
Bonya le nyòon tè, an ye nyòon bonya
Artisiya ni dusu tè bèn de
Bonya le nyòon tè, tonya
Mansaya ni dusu tè bèn yo
Bonya le nyòon tè, an ye nyòon bonya
Mòomara mansa ni dusu mankan de
Bonya le nyòon tè, tonya
Saramaya ni dusu tè bèn yo
Bonya le nyòon tè, an ye nyòon bonya
Furuyòrò dusu manyi de
Bonya le nyòon tè, tonya
Lutiiya ni dusu tè bèn yo
Bonya le nyòon tè, an ye nyòon bonya
Gasisigibaliya o kòni manyi sa
Bonya le nyòon tè, tonya
Mògòlu yo a ye nyòon bonya
Bonya le nyòon tè, an ye nyòon bonya
Artisiyarò bonya le kadi
Bonya le nyòon tè, tonya
Farafindennu a y’a lamèn
Bonya le nyòon tè, an ye nyòon bonya
Ummm bonya kadi wo.
Performed by Sékouba Bambino feat. Kandia Kouyaté,
from the album Kassa,
A Syllart Production,
Stern’s Music (1997).
Translation by Wilfred Willey.
Footnotes
- Sekouba “Bambino” Diabaté first performed professionally at the age of 15, in 1979, singing with the Revolution Band, one of the many popular bands that were sponsored by the government of Sekou Touré in Guinea during the 1960’s and 70’s. Touré took a particular interest in Diabaté’s career after hearing him sing and encouraged the boy to replace lead singer Aboubacar Demba Camara, who had died in 1973, in the Bembeya Jazz National Band. It seems that the village that Diabaté grew up in wanted to keep the young talent for themselves, but after lengthy negotiations he joined the group at the age of 19. As the Bembeya Jazz National Band already had a guitar player named Sekouba “Diamond Fingers” Diabaté within the group, the younger Diabaté became known as “Bambino” (Italian for “little baby”).
- Kandia Kouyaté is a Malian jelimuso (a female griot) whose supreme gift for singing, knowledge of history and ability with words have led her to being praised as a ngara, indicating a degree of mastery that has esoteric, magical qualities. Kandia is sometimes called La dangereuse because of the overwhelming emotions her live performances can induce in audience members. It was through the privately circulated cassettes of these spectacular performances in ceremonial settings that Kandia Kouyaté became famous.
- Yamariwo: A griot cry which is generally used to introduce a praise song or praise segement of a song.
- The brave son of Sonafin: A reference to Samory Touré (1828 — 1900), leader of the resistance to the French colonial invasion, whose mother was Sonafin Kamara. He was captured by the French in 1898 and deported to Gabon where he died in 1900. He was the grandfather of Guinea’s first president Ahmed Sékou Touré.
- The three wives of Kemo Lanfia, the father of Samory Touré. Sòna Kamara was another name for the mother of Samory Touré, Maningbè Kamara and Kèmè Kamara were co-wives of Kemo Lanfia.
- The names that follow refer to the four clans of advisors and religious teachers in the Mandé empire.
- Morifindjan Diabaté: Griot to Samory Touré from the Diabaté dynasty of griots.
