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Bokanté - Jou Ké Ouvè
From the album “Strange Circles,” to be released May 2017 on GroundUP Music.

***Please set to HD (or at least 480p).

Facebook - @Bokanté / BokanteMusic
Instagram - @BokanteMusic
Twitter - @BokanteMusic
bokante.com

Recorded and filmed at Dreamland Studios in West Hurley, New York, in April of 2016.

Written by Michael League & Malika Tirolien.
Music arranged by Michael League.
Vocals arranged and lyrics written by Malika Tirolien.

Produced by Michael League.

Personnel:
Malika Tirolien - vocals
Roosevelt Collier - lap steel guitar
Michael League - baritone guitar & bass
Chris McQueen - baritone guitar
Bob Lanzetti - electric guitar
Jamey Haddad - percussion
André Ferrari - percussion
Keita Ogawa - percussion

Engineered and mixed by Nic Hard.
Assisted by Bella Blasko.
Mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk NYC.
Filmed by Andy LaViolette, Simon C.F. Yu, Yusuke Suzuki, and Michael League.

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LYRICS:

(Creole)

Es ou sav x2
Ki moun ou yé?

Ou ka di pawol aw
Sé pawol a bondyé
Ou ka di komès aw
Sé volonté ay ou sèten
Ou vlé nou tout’ koutéw
Pou nou pé alé
Viv o Paradis
Sel koté ki ka konté
Ou vlé fè moun komprann
Sé vou ki ni rézon
É lé moun ki an to
Yo pa bizwen viv pli lontan
Fo nou chwazi on bo
Espéré sé le bon
Èvè lè nou ké mo
Bondyé ké fè kè an nou kontan

Ki jan nou ké fè rivé
Rantré an kaz a bondyé
Èvè dé pyé an nou souyé
Ranpli san a sé frè la nou tchouyé

Yo ka di “zétrangé”
Sé yo ki danjéré
Yo pa vlé rikonet
Moun la ki an fas sé rèflè a yo
Yo savé byen
Pouki yo ka goumé
A pa ba Bondyé
Ego a yo ranplasé zyé a yo
Yo pa vlé respekté ayen
(Pa vlé respekté sé la ki pa ka sanm yo)
Si sa pa ka sanm yo
Presmyé kontrolé moun
Èvè liv sen a yo
Mé lew byen gadé
(Yo vlé kontrolé moun èvè liv sen a yo)
Ni twop kontradiksyon
Bondyé la yo vlé ou pè
Sé ta la ki an didanw

Ki jan nou ké fè rivé
Rantré an kaz a bondyé
Èvè dé pyé an nou souyé
Ranpli san a sé frè la nou tchouyé
Es ou sav x2
Ki moun ou yé?

A fos nou enmé nou
Dèmen jou ké méyè
A fos nou enmé nou
Dèmen jou ké ouvè

É
Yo vlé x4
É
Yo vlé few détesté frè aw
É
Ou vlé x4
É
Ou vlé divisé nou pouw pé sa pran pié aw

A fos nou enmé nou
Dèmen jou ké méyè
A fos nou enmé nou
Dèmen jou ké ouvè

(English)

you say yours is the word of god
you say your work is his will
you want people to listen to you
so they can enter in his house
where he wants us to be

you want all to understand
how right you are
and that the ones who are wrong
have no need to live

we have to choose our side
and hope we choose the right
so that when we’re gone
god will make our souls happy

how will we make it
to God’s house
with our feet filthy
stained from the blood of the brothers we killed

they say the stranger
is the real threat
for they refuse to recognize
their own reflection

we know why they fight
and it is not for God
with ego in place of their eyes
they have no respect
for those unlike their own

they prefer to control
with sacred books
but a closer read
will find tones of contradiction

the god they want you to fear
is the power that lives within you

how will we make it
to God’s house
with our feet filthy
stained from the blood of the brothers we killed

do you know where you’re from?

if we keep loving one another
tomorrow will shine
if we keep loving one another
tomorrow, the day will rise

they want
they want you to hate your brother
you want
you want to divide us so you can do as you please

if we keep loving each other
we will have a tomorrow