Hawa

Djibril Diabate

1. Masani Cisse ... a rich nobleman, a very important person, close to god. Began very poor, making a living cutting and selling firewood. One day he saw a big dead tree. Long long time ago a rich warrior, a king, stranded at the tree, dying. A ghost promised him to guard the money at the tree. Masani Cisse started to cut. After three times, the ghost appeared and asked what he was doing. "I'm hungry," Masani answered. The ghost answered that he could do anything because the money was there in the spirit of the king. "If you are really hungry, you can take the money. But some things you are not allowed to do with it. You can not seduce women from someone else with it, for example." The story of Masani Cisse runs parallel with the beginning of the kora. The founder of the kora is called: Moussa Boulouge...
2. Enkonen Sava ... "my sweetheart, everything goes well." A song of joy and love. Important for all generations...
3. Kouyate ... praise to the Kouyate family. Djibrils real mother is a Kouyate. "The door of the tradition." The Kouyates are one of the most important and best griot families...
4. Amadi ... a nobleman, very rich, has everything, but cannot get children. If he is crying, the griots sing this song to support him...
5. Adjamadinaka ... a welcome for the people who have been to Mecca. At the return the older women in the village sing this song...
6. Alfayaya ... if you play this song for a nobleman, you give him something good. You support him in the struggle against unjustice. And while you play this song, you say to everyone who listens, "do something good." Everyone likes this song...
7. Noumou Fasa ... praise for the families of the blacksmiths. In the tradition, the toolmakers were always very important, for the harvest etc. The family Kouloubali even had a kingdom, one time...
8. Mande Fasa ... if you say this, you talk about the history of the Mandingues, the descendents of Soundjata, the famous king from the 12th century, the founder of the kingdom of Mali...
9. Fakoli ... song of all the Sissokos, the family who "knows". They are magicians and prophets. They are a "bit" noble, a "bit" griot, but they do many incredible things! Fakoli is the name of a man with a lot of success...
10. Kasumama ... for all the tailors, the people who make the "boubou", the traditional dress. It is about measuring and seeing that it is alright...