Fine Lines

Listening Post 330. The title track of Syssi Mananga’s captivating second album is an autobiographical ballad of freedom and motherhood, one concept pulling toward exploration, the other toward roots. Mopepe means “wind” in Lingala and the singer-songwriter is an amalgam of the boundaries she traverses as easily as the breeze and lineages she nourishes within. Daughter of a Congolese mother and Belgian father, having lived in Europe and various African capitals (currently Nairobi), Mananga calls herself “a cross-border woman with a mixed heritage, in a mixed relationship”—and in the eight years since her debut album, she has also had four children with her Danish husband. Her music joins Kongo rhythms, folk, jazz, pop, rumba and reggae into a coherent kind of Afro-chanson; the ensemble accompanying her on Mopepe Mama includes virtuoso musicians from 10 countries, all recorded remotely due to the pandemic. The new collection’s broader theme embraces facets of human duality: Our common capacity for love and betrayal, faith and doubt and pursuing comfort to the point of threatening the planet. The graceful title anthem captures the world at its best, a place where one can fly and be grounded at the same time (video 1); while Mokili (Earth, video 2) unites Afro-beat, classical, Latin and rap elements in a universal mea culpa over global despoliation. In straightforward romance, Mananga offers Nalingi Yo (I Love You, video 3) in tribute to her tenth wedding anniversary. On the downbeat, Ne Rentre Pas (Don’t Come Home, video 4) is a reminder that love has its opposite. One more blending is Nzela (The Way, video 5), linking environmental urgency with a plea for heavenly guidance. At best, love, faith and art may not be enough to solve the world’s most entrenched problems. But few artists offer a voice so powerful and comforting—or an example of balance so acute—as this one.

Syssi Mananga: Mopepe Mama
Syssi Mananga: Lead vocals, backing vocals
Ronan Skillen: Producer, artistic director, percussion, doumbek, bass drum, talking drum, kanjira, sundrum, aludu, adungu, udu, shakers, cymbals, gongs
Keya Nemesis: Rap
Othnell Mangoma Moyo: Tribal chant
Shaun Johannes: Fretless electric bass, electric bass, piano, Rhodes, keyboard
Kevin Gibson: Drums
Chris Bakalanga: Acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Themba Pondo: Ddjembe
Jonas Meersmans: Acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Sandro Friedrich: Bansuri flute, Occorso flute
David Stauffacher: Djembe, tumba, daf, calabash, quinto
Swami Junior.: Acoustic guitars
Kane Mathis: Kora
Andreas Bernitt: Strings
Shunzo Ohno: Trumpet, keyboard
Mandla Mlangeni – muted trumpet
Matthijs van Dijk: Viola, violin
Scott Roller: Mandocello

 

Mopepe / Wind
Lyrics & music: Syssi Mananga
Mopepe can be translated as “wind” or “spirit.” The song links to the album title, Mopepe Mama, connecting the artist’s freedom to fly like the wind to the family that keeps her grounded. Mananga’s four children and husband appear in the video.  

(From the French and Lingala lyrics)
She’s like the wind/She knows no borders
She flies over earth, oceans, rivers

Wind mama, Mopepe/Wind mama, Mopepe

She’s like the wind/She never stops
One day here, one day there/And she carries away with her smiles and suns

Wind mama, Mopepe/Wind mama, Mopepe

She’s like the wind/She slides between people
She flies, flies by herself/Who really knows her?
Her name is Wind

Wind mama, Mopepe/Wind mama, Mopepe

She runs, she glides/She turns and flies away
In her crazy race/Who will be able to ground her
Her name is Wind

Wind mama, Mopepe/Wind mama, Mopepe

What’s her name? Wind…

 

Mokili / Earth
Lyrics & music: Syssi Mananga

(From the Lingala, English and French lyrics)
We were given the earth/We’ve been spoiling it
My earth, Your earth/The Earth of us all

They’ve given
We’ve spoiled
We’re sorry

Man to Man. It’s a Given/Life is hard given that we try
Given the misgivings that we have/Given the thanksgiving to the living
Those who live and Die/But…

You read it with a Sword/And Sword on my Sword on their Sword
To what end?/And that’s how we love, love, love
And that’s how it Consumes the Damned/His Story, Her Story, My Story
Fall Down/Down a rabbit hole
Down a vain goal/Solutions to Hatred Participation
I am Sinner Man. And I’ve seen a man/Go to plunder wonder – while he steals land to break a back!!
Yes, I’ve seen a man/A power-hungry man

We were given the earth/We’ve been spoiling it
My earth, your earth/The Earth of us all

They’ve given
We’ve spoiled
We’re sorry

Take care of your Earth

 

Nalingi Yo / I Love You
Lyrics & music: Syssi Mananga

(From the English, Lingala and French lyrics)
There is nothing I want more than to spend my life with you
All decisions that I’ve made have led me straight to you
And there is not one minute in a day that I don’t cherish what we have
So stop asking why I love you
‘Cause the answer is obvious

Father of my kids/We met when we were children
Even though years have passed by/I love only you

I love only you papa oh/I love only you
I love only you papa oh/I love only you

So many years have passed/But I love you like on the first day
And I pray the one who holds the key/To your heart, to your love

Father of my kids/My heart is full of love
Even though years have passed/I love only you

I love only you papa oh/I love only you
I love only you papa oh/I love only you

I love only you papa/It’s true
Even though years have passed
I love only you/I love only you
Only you, only you, papa/It’s true
I love only you, only you/Only you

I love only you papa oh/I love only you
I love only you papa oh/I love only you

 

Ne Rentre Pas / Don’t Come Home
Lyrics & music: Syssi Mananga

(From the French and Lingala lyrics)
I am writing to tell you/Not to come home tonight
If you love me, you love me, you love me, you love me/You will respect my choice

Because day and night/I see her arms again
Embracing you, kissing your face/Which disappears

If you love me, you love me, you love me, you love me/Don’t come home tonight
If you love her, you love her, you love her, you love her/Don’t come back

The promise we made/Not to disappoint each other
To remain the same, the same, the same, the same/Has shattered in pieces

Because day and night/The echo of her voice
Resonates and knocks out/The hope that I can forgive you

If you love me, you love me, you love me, you love me/Don’t come home tonight
If you love her, you love her, you love her, you love her/Don’t come back

You broke my heart badly/I could cry till I die
You broke my heart badly/I could cry till I die

To smile and to forget/Or to cry and to suffer
That is the dilemma, dilemma, dilemma, dilemma/That has taken hold of me

Because day and night/The smell of her silk
Perfumes and consumes/The happiness we had

If you love me, you love me, you love me, you love me/Don’t come home tonight
If you love her, you love her, you love her, you love her/Don’t come back

You broke my heart badly/I could cry till I die
You broke my heart badly/I could cry till I die
Till I die, till I die, till I die…

 

Nzela / The Way
Lyrics & music: Syssi Mananga

(From the Lingala and English lyrics)
Oh God above, Yawe/You know everything
You are the God of all people/Show us the way

Whether you’re light or somber/Whether you hide or show
Whether you’re prey or a fighter/I’ll be there for you

(Choir)
How are you, Earth?/News is bad
How are you, Earth?/Well, I am drying, I am dying
We can’t let ourselves hurt you, we refuse
We refuse, this is not acceptable!

(Chorus)
Earth, don’t give up just yet/Show us the way
The way

Whether you roar or whistle/Whether you run or wiggle
Whether you are mighty or fragile/I’ll be there for you

(Choir)
How are you, Earth?/News is bad
How are you, Earth?/Well, I am drying, I am dying
We can’t let ourselves hurt you, we refuse
We refuse, this is not acceptable!

(Chorus)
Earth, don’t give up just yet/Show us the way
The way

Oh, God above, Yawe/You know everything
You are the God of all people/Show us the way