This song is written in homage to the legacy of the trans-atlantic slave trade, and the justice that has never been served to this day, by means of the lack of full acknowledgement by the nations that perpetrated these atrocities against humanity on one of the largest scales we have seen in human history. The lack of accountability and justice, and the ongoing levels of diminshment and denial maintains an open wound withinus. Ignorance and distorted representations of the transatlantic African holocaust is still widespread both abroad and within the continent. This is an ongoing testament to the continued undervalue-ment of African lives and African history, and subsequently continues to support and justify the unequal distribution of wealth in relation to the African continent. In this song I express my anger at the lack of accountability for the atrocities; anger at the wealth that was and continues to be extorted from Africa as a direct result of the exploitation and dehumanisation of African lives. In this song I state that they can take away our names, our land, our families, our identity, our culture, our languages, our wealth, but they can never take away our spirit. The Saxophone, played by the featured artist Kirk Whalum, symbolises the journey undertaken by Africans from the continent into the Diaspora, and serves as a reminder of the powerful, unbreakable African spirit.
lyrics
Generations go by
But still the pain burns, inside
Our lives, slaughtered by the brutal hand of evil
[No mercy]
Identity, torn
Piece by painful piece
From us
[No mercy]
My anger burns
Corrupted history loads the powerful weapon of ignorance
Our brothers, our sisters
Our sons and our daughters
Slaughtered
For your luxury
Tell me, when will truth be told?
Our spirit…
They stole our identities
They tortured our humanity
They oppressed our minds
They divided our hearts
But our spirit can never be broken
Never…
Here we are, 400 years later
Our lives still devalued
Our consciousness confused, divided
Forever turning against each other
Ancestors, you fought for us
We will carry your name
Ancestors, you sacrificed for us
We will never forget… never…
Never forget our martyrs
Cherish them
credits
from Badinyaa Kumoo,
track released September 23, 2022
Composed and Produced by Sona Jobarteh
Lead Vocals / Guitars / Piano / Percussion: Sona Jobarteh
Kirk Whalum – Saxophone
Djimbe: Musa Filly Jobarteh
Acoustic Upright Bass: Shanir Blumenkranz
Drum Kit Solo: Westley Joseph
Drum Kit: Saleem Raman
Backing Vocals: Sona Jobarteh and Eric Appapoulay
Mixed by Femi Temowo
Mastered by Chris Pavey
supported by 30 fans who also own “Nna Mooya (Feat. Kirk Whalum)”
Dearest Arooj, firstly thank you. My brother died this year n what can be said about such loss n sadness. I saw n heard you at The end of the Road in England. I spent many years in India n love all the music, poetry of your heritage. Thankyou Arooj❤️ ben1769
supported by 23 fans who also own “Nna Mooya (Feat. Kirk Whalum)”
I love these women. the voices mesh together perfectly; also the world music is exceptional. I have all of their albums and they're all excellent. Give them a listen. Steve Lake
A master of the West African kora, living in Denmark, brings together folk and pop from different corners of the globe to stunning effect. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 5, 2018
supported by 23 fans who also own “Nna Mooya (Feat. Kirk Whalum)”
Ballaké Sissoko is my favorite kora player, and following his musical life has led me to some of my most beloved musical discoveries.
This latest release is every bit as gorgeous as all of his prior work.
And it is so clear how he brings the best out of each of his collaborators. Charlie Moonbeam