Inspired by the historic Dahomey Amazons and founded by three of the biggest powerhouses in African music, Mamani Keïta, Mariam Doumbia, and Oumou Sangare, Les Amazones d’Afrique have been using their voices to advocate for women’s rights since their 2017 debut. The group has never shied away from mashing up tradition and technology. Still, on Musow Dance, with the endlessly inventive production of Jacknife Lee, they lean heavily into an almost entirely electronic sound, turning up the energy several notches with booming 808s, dramatic synth slides, and bursts of vintage disco. But none of these additions ever overshadow the true soul of the music, instead amplifying the already formidable voices of Les Amazones d’Afrique’s ever-evolving lineup (source).
Musow Dance is a stunning release, and Kuma Fo is just the perfect leading track. Every component is on point, finely dispensed and precisely interleaved: voices, sound, beat, you name it. The producer, after all, is Jacknife Lee (R.E.M., Taylor Swift, U2.)
Then, there are the lyrics with their meaninful message. While they all sing in their native language (the four members are from different African countries), I could dig out the English translation from the official video, which is equally good and powerful.
She preserves life, gives the first breath
She preserves life, gives the first breath
Woman oh, oh woman
She gives the first breath
Chorus:
Whatever they say
Whatever women have to say
Is worth listening to
Life is hard, I fight with courage, let me be
Whatever they say
Whatever women have to say
Is worth listening to
You know, my life is mine, so give me space
The world was created by a woman
Mika mika mika mika mika
She preserves life
Mika mika mika mika mika
You wonder how we’re gona make it?
We decided to gather our strength and fight
Whatever it costs
You wonder how we’ll make it?
Chorus
You light up life
You light up life
To educate a woman is to educate a village
To educate a girl is to educate the world
Get up, get up, get up
Regain your feminine strength
Woman, woman, woman, get up, get up
Regain your feminine strength
I travelled to the North
People from the North told me
That women have dignity
I travelled to the West
People from the West told me
That women have dignity
I belong to myself, I’m free to do what I like
I will not accept what others want me to be
I belong to myself, I’m free to do what I like
I will never accept it anymore
Chorus
Whatever they say
Whatever women have to say
Is worth listening to
I will not be driven like a car
Woman, woman, woman
You give hope
You give hope
You give hope
You give life
To educate a woman is to educate a village
To educate a girl is to educate the world