Learn about Eugene Mona and about the Bwa Brilé song.
Scroll down to see the lyrics and their translation.
EUGENE MONA (1943-1991)
Eugene Mona was a famous Martinican singer, philosopher, and cultural rebel. Although he had many opportunities to become an international star, this proud man from the mornes (hills) chose to stay in Martinique because he was so deeply rooted in his country and wanted to keep his connection with the land, his roots and the spirit of his ancestors. He performed barefoot (and often shirtless.), and thus became known as “le chanteur aux pieds nus” (the barefoot singer). Fun fact number 1: When my daughter was a child, we would call her Mona because she seriously hated to wear shoes... And while I am writing these lines I am wondering if it’s just a coincidence that today she is herself a great singer… who recently moved back home from the United States to be closer to her roots. Should she start performing barefoot? Fun fact number 2: Mona was passionate about wood, and before becoming a famous singer he was a carpenter. He even carved his own instrument, the bamboo flute, what we know in Martinique as the flûte des mornes (flute of the hills). Mona loved traditional Martinican music, but he was also fond of blues and jazz and was a great fan of Louis Armstrong
BWA BRILÉ, the song (1976)
Mona always tried to raise awareness among his fellow Martinicans about the importance of owning their identity. He himself abandoned his former name, Eugène Nilècam at a very young age so that he could own his identity. In Bwa Brilé, he reminds us that black people, including the most famous ones, have white people’s name.
Like many of Mona’s songs, Bwa Brilé is also about the living conditions in Martinique in the post-colonial era. (Martinique only became an Overseas Department of France in 1946.) He tells us about the harsh conditions under which poor black farmers lived in rural Martinique, getting up in the morning to plough the fields that very often they did not even own. He starts by singing mwen ka maré ren mwen (I tighten the rope [the peasant’s belt] around my waist), which is a sure indication that he is ready to face another harsh day, but standing up straight. And the reason why he is able to do so is because he is bwa brilé (burnt wood) – a metaphor for his black skin, that is, black for being burnt but also for having anpil san (being rich in blood.), which makes him strong.
If you want to learn more about Eugene Mona, click on the link to watch this great documentary from Nathalie Glaudon on RFO (Now Martinique Premiere Television): "Sur les traces de Mona"
And now, you have the lyrics to sing along (How lucky are you: we translated them for your):
Lè mwen lévé lé maten - When I wake up in the morning
Mwen ka pran bout kod’ la - I grab my rope
Mwen ka maré ren mwen - I tighten it around my waist (I brace myself)
pou mwen ay fè tren mwen - So I can go work on the field
é gadé zannimo mwen - And look after my livestock
Lè'y sizè mwen fini - At 6 o-clock, I'm done
Mwen ka pran gran wou-a - I grab my tools
Mwen ka lévé zyé mwen - I lift my head
Pou mwen mandé kouraj - And ask for courage
"à la divinité " - To the "divine"...
pou i pé ba mwen - ...just so He can give me
an mannyè pou mwen pa sa santi - a way to forget
lanmizè mwen (bis) - my misery.
Bondyé fè mwen pou sa - God created me for this,
I ba mwen an bwa brilé. - He gave me burnt wood
I ba mwen anpil san - He gave me tons of blood
é mwen byen rézistan - to make me strong
Dapré lé esploitan - According to the perpetrators...
man pa bel - ...I am ugly
i pa bel konpan mwen. - my partner is ugly.
Nou pa fèt pou "le luxe" - We were not made for luxury
pa menm pou "le calice" - Not even for the "chalice"
nou ni dwatèt admi - are we allowed to be accepted
dapré sa mwen ka wè, - from what I see
é mwen ka tann, é sa listwa kité ba nou, vié frè - and what I hear, and what history left for us, my brother
"dans les archives". (bis) - "in the archives".
Tjè nou pa diféran. - Our hearts are the same as yours
Bondyé fè nou pou sa - God created us for this
i ka ba nou dé non blan. - and He gave us "white" names
i té ni an non blan. - He had a "white" name
ité ni an non blan. - He had a "white" name
Tjé nou pa diféran - Our hearts are the same as yours
Bondyé fé nou pou sa - God created us for this
I ka ban ou dé non blan - and He gave us "white" names
Thoughts? Don't hesitate to leave comments to let us know how you feel about Bwa Brilé, now that you know our story!
Jifunze kuhusu Eugene Mona na kuhusu wimbo wa Bwa Brilé. Ruka chini ili uone maneno ya wimbo na tafsiri yake. Eugène Mona (1943-1991) alikuwa mwimbaji maarufu wa Martinique, mwanafalsafa, na mwasi wa kitamaduni. Ingawa alikuwa na fursa nyingi za kuwa nyota wa kimataifa, mtu huyu mwenye kiburi kutoka mornes (milima) alichagua kukaa Martinique kwa sababu alikuwa na mizizi sana katika nchi yake na alitaka kuweka uhusiano wake na ardhi, mizizi yake na roho ya mababu zake. Aliigiza akiwa miguu mitupu (na mara nyingi bila shati. ), na hivyo akajulikana kama <unk>le chanteur aux pieds nus<unk> (mwimbaji mwenye miguu mitupu). Fun fact number 1: Wakati binti yangu alikuwa mtoto, tungemwita Mona kwa sababu yeye kwa kweli alichukia kuvaa viatu... Na wakati mimi ninaandika mistari hii mimi ninajiuliza kama ni bahati mbaya tu kwamba leo yeye mwenyewe ni mwimbaji mkubwa... ambaye hivi karibuni alihamia nyumbani kutoka Marekani kuwa karibu na mizizi yake. Je, anapaswa kuanza kucheza akiwa miguu mitupu? Mona alikuwa na shauku ya mbao, na kabla ya kuwa mwimbaji maarufu alikuwa seremala. Hata alitengeneza ala yake mwenyewe ya muziki, filimbi ya mianzi, ambayo tunaijua huko Martinique kuwa filimbi ya asubuhi (filimbi ya milima). Mona alipenda muziki wa jadi wa Martinika, lakini pia alipenda blues na jazz na alikuwa shabiki mkubwa wa Louis Armstrong B.W.A. Brilliant, wimbo ambao aliutumia kila wakati kuimarisha ufahamu kati ya wenzake wa Martinika juu ya umuhimu wa kuwa na utambulisho wao. Aliacha jina lake la zamani, Eugène Nilecam akiwa na umri mdogo sana ili aweze kuwa na utambulisho wake. Katika Bwa Brilé, anatukumbusha kwamba watu weusi, ikiwa ni pamoja na wale mashuhuri zaidi, wana jina la watu weupe. Kama nyimbo nyingi za Mona, Bwa Brilé pia ni kuhusu hali ya maisha katika Martinique katika enzi ya baada ya ukoloni. Martinique ilikuwa sehemu ya Ufaransa ya nje ya nchi tangu 1946. "Mwanzoni mwa kitabu hicho, anaeleza jinsi wakulima weusi waliopenda kulima walivyoishi katika maeneo ya mashambani ya Martinique, wakisimama asubuhi na mapema ili kulima mashamba ambayo mara nyingi hayakuwa yao.""" "Mwanamume huyo anaimba wimbo wa mwen ka mare ren mwen (Ninaufunga kamba ya mkulima kwenye kiuno changu), na hivyo kuonyesha kwamba yuko tayari kukabiliana na siku nyingine ngumu, lakini akiwa amesimama wima.""" "Hii ni kwa sababu yeye ni bwa brile (mti uliochomwa) - mfano wa ngozi yake nyeusi, yaani, nyeusi kwa kuchomwa lakini pia kwa kuwa na anpil san (kuwa tajiri katika damu).""" ambayo humfanya awe na nguvu. "Mwanamke mmoja wa familia ya Mona, ambaye anaitwa Mona, aliandika hivi: ""Mwanamke mmoja wa familia ya Mona, ambaye anaitwa Mona, amekuwa akinipa nguvu za kuendesha gari, na kwa muda mrefu nimekuwa nikimshika mwamba wangu, na kwa muda mrefu nimekuwa nikimshika mwamba wangu, na kwa muda mrefu nimekuwa nikimshika mwamba wangu, na kwa muda mrefu nimekuwa nikimshika mwamba wangu, na kwa muda mrefu nimekuwa nikimshika mwamba wangu." Bondyé fè mwen pou sa - Mungu aliniumba kwa ajili ya hili, I ba mwen an bwa brilé. - Alinipa kuni iliyowaka I ba mwen anpil san - Alinipa tani za damu é mwen byen rézistan - kunifanya kuwa na nguvu Dapré lé esploitan - Kulingana na watendaji... man pa bel -...Mimi ni mbaya i pa bel konpan mwen. - mshirika wangu ni mbaya. "Nou pa fêt pou le luxe"" - ""Hatukuumbwa kwa ajili ya anasa, wala si kwa ajili ya chupa"" - ""Nou ni dwatet admi"" - ""Je, tunaruhusiwa kukubaliwa?"" - ""Dapré sa mwen ka wè"" - ""Kutokana na kile ninachokiona, é mwen ka tann, é sa listwa kité ba nou, vié frè""- na kile ninachosikia, na kile ambacho historia imetuachia, ndugu yangu, dans les archives." (bis) - "katika kumbukumbu". Tjè nou pa diféran. - Mioyo yetu ni sawa na yako Bondyé fè nou pou sa - Mungu alituumba kwa ajili ya hii i ka ba nou dé non blan. - na Alitupa majina ya "mweupe" i té ni an non blan. - Alikuwa na jina la "mweupe" ité ni non blan. "Mungu alituumba kwa ajili ya hili, na alitupa majina ""mweupe"" (Tjé nou pa diféran)." Usisite kuacha maoni ili tujue unavyohisi kuhusu Bwa Brilé, sasa kwa kuwa unajua hadithi yetu!