To celebrate all the mothers out there… I thought of sharing this beautiful song by the legendary Papa Wemba “Mama,” from his album Nouvelle Ecriture 1997 dedicated to his mother. I dedicate it to all the mothers out there, and future mothers. Papa Wemba was the King of Rumba and King of La SAPE, and an African Planetary Star. Of his mother who was a professional ‘wailing woman,’ he said: “My mother was my first teacher and my first public. … I grew up with my mother’s melancholic singing. … When I will sing, she will say “my son, block here, and now project your voice“… when I did well, she will clap for me“(source: Tv5 – Africanité). For his mother, he composed Mama and Maria Valencia. Enjoy! Happy Mothers’s Day.
For this year’s Mother day, I decided to post Lesline’s rendition of “Sweet Mother” by Prince Nico Mbarga. As I told you in my past post, Mbarga’s ‘Sweet Mother‘ is the most loved and most popular African song of all times. Enjoy Lesline’s rendition of this African classic on The Voice Afrique Francophone season 1, and remember to love and pamper your mother this Sunday! Happy Mother’s day.
For this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, I introduce you to another African classic: Elvis Kemayo – Mama. Elvis Kemayo hails from Cameroon, and is particularly well-known for this song, and ‘Cameroun, berceau de mon enfance (Cameroon, craddle of my childhood)’ Enjoy ‘MAMA’, and do remember to cherish your mother!
To celebrate this upcoming Mother’s day, I wanted to share Patience Dabany‘s “L’Amour d’Une Mère” (A Mother’s Love) which is a classic. Patience Dabany is a baronness of African music with a career which has spun over several decades. She also served as the First Lady of Gabon from 1967 to 1988, at which time she boldly divorced her husband, the late Gabonese President Omar Bongo Ondimba. This song, “L’Amour d’Une Mère” is quite special and I dedicate it to all the mothers out there! I have translated the words to English here: Translation Dr. Y., Afrolegends.com. Happy Mother’s Day 2017!
A Mother’s Love (byPatience Dabany)
The first time you opened your eyes
at that moment, God granted my wish
Holding you against me was my only comfort
oh yes my baby, it was you my gold
when the time came for you to take off
I prayed a long time for you to never fall
and if you ever, hesitate to re-open my door
remember that Mommy will always love you
Yes
Even if you went to other loves
you always have a place in my yard
we will find the strength to overcome obstacles
and if you ever stumble, I will work miracles
and since that time, when you took off
I prayed for a long time that you never fall
and if you have hairs, do not hesitate to re-open my door
You know very well, that my heart will always be open to you
A Mother’s love, never goes out
A Mommy’s love, never goes out, never, never
A Mother’s love, never goes out
A Mommy’s love, never goes out, never, never
I raised you with love, from the day you were born
And I will always give you love, love you only as mother can love
A Mother’s love, never goes out
A Mommy’s love, never goes out
even if you fly on your own wings
even if obligations call you
your place will always be in my heart, because Mommy will always love you
A Mother’s love, never goes out
A Mommy’s love, never goes out
and if life teaches you things, and that you can’t take her blows
To celebrate Mother’s day this Sunday, I just wanted to bring back “Sweet Mother” by Prince Nico Mbarga. “SweetMother” is one of the most popular songs on the African continent, ahead of Miriam Makeba‘s “Malaika“, Franco‘s “Mario“, and Fela Kuti‘s “Lady“. What is so special about this song, is that it is an ode to all our precious mothers, it is often called Africa’s anthem sung by a child to his mother. It is a highlife song sung by Prince Nico Mbarga and his group Rocafil Jazz International, a Cameroonian-Nigerian artist, and the song has rocked many on the continent; Sung in Pidgin English, “Sweet Mother” became one of the top sellers in the history of Nigerian music. It was voted as Africa’s favorite song by BBC in 2004, and many other programs. So, to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day and enjoy “Sweet Mother“!!!
“Sweet Mother“ by Prince Nico Mbarga
Sweet Mother Sweet mother I no go forget you for the suffer wey you suffer for me.
Sweet mother I no go forget you for the suffer wey you suffer for me.
When I dey cry, my mother go carry me she go say, my pikin, wetin you dey cry ye, ye, stop stop, stop stop make you no cry again oh.
When I won sleep, my mother go pet me, she go lie me well well for bed, she cover me cloth, sing me to sleep, sleep sleep my pikin oh.
When I dey hungry, my mother go run up and down. she go find me something when I go chop oh.
Sweet mother I no go forget you for the suffer wey you suffer for me
When I dey sick, my mother go cry, cry, cry, she go say instead when I go die make she die.
O, she go beg God, God help me, God help, my pikin oh.
If I no sleep, my mother no go sleep, if I no chop, my mother no go chop, she no dey tire oh.
Sweet mother I no go forget you, for the suffer wey you suffer for me.
You fit get another wife, you fit get another husband, but you fit get another mother? No!
And if I forget you, therefore I forget my life and the air I breathe.
And then on to you men, forget, verily, forget your mother, for if you forget your mother you’ve lost your life.
To celebrate this upcoming Mother’s day, I wanted to share 
African Heritage 