You may remember that lovely cassette by Malian singer Molobaly Traoré which I posted some five years ago. If you've missed it, please do yourself a favour and go back and listen to it. Listening to it again the other day I was immediately taken back to the dusty streets of Mali and particularly those of the Ségou region. Real music can do that.
That cassette is from the early days of Molobaly's career. A career that ended far too early, with her death in 2009.
The cassette I would like to share with you in this post is from a few years later. It is clear that some of the innocence which marked her earlier cassette - and which certainly added to its charm - has gone. But other elements have remained: the slight tendency towards sullenness, the faint air of gloom, the strong Bambara repertoire, - now even more accentuated by the use of the sokou (violin). There are no credits on the cassettes, but my guess is that it may well be Zoumana Tereta.
You may recognise the second track, "Laban Kasi". This is a version of a song from Ségou, also performed by 'Tasidoni' Karamoko Keita. "Diandjo", however, is not a version of the song with the same title by Hawa Dramé, although the subject of the song may be the same.
The title of the song "Dely Magnin" confuses me. I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that "dely" is "to pray". But a title "praying is wrong" seems somehow unlikely in a country like Mali. So perhaps it can also mean something else...
If you ask me this is a cassette has not lost its power over the last twenty-two years. In fact, in my personal ratings it has only grown in stature, - as Molobaly Traoré has grown with it. More of this late but great artist in a future post.
IK 010
7 comments:
Wonderful music. Thank you.
yann
In the context of Oumou Sangare's song "Diaraby Nene", the phrase "dely magnin" was explained to me to represent the sorrow people feel when someone they love has left them, the idea of becoming accustomed to someone's presence and feeling sad at their absence. In the case of Oumou's song, she's singing about a lover that is geographically separated. I'm not sure if the phrase extends to an absence due to death or divorce, etc. That's how it was explained to me.
As many Bambara words, Dely has different meanings, Dely means habit, I understand that "Dely magnin" refers to things or people we miss and yearn, when we no longer have them.
I have the original tape, published by EMI, but dated 93?
I will comment after listening, thanks.
Thanks very much!
Deli (or deri) magnin means "loosing something one is used to is hard"
@ Oumar Bah: Thanks, Oumar, for clearing up this minor mystery!
Technically speaking, "deli" (infix. "ka deli") means to beg or beseech someone, i.e. "ne b'i deli ka segin so," "I beseech you to return home." It's also common for someone to ask you for something, then add "i delilen don," lit. "you are beseeched." Deli can also mean to be used to something, or habituated to something, or to do something habitually, i.e. "n'delila ka ta sugula, donkodon" "I used to go to the market every day." So to my mind, the best translation is what Oumar Bah said (and also Wassoulou), deli (something someone is used to) is hard/bad.
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