Available in English and Bambara

CALL AND RESPONSE LOVE

Before there were nations
Before there were names
Before the first language
Before the first flame

Something called outward…
And something answered…

It was love!!
It was love!!

Across the dark water
Across the first sky
One voice called out trembling—

“I am here…I am love”

And relation was born
Relation was born…

Call and response love
That’s the oldest song

A heart cries out—”love must go!”
Another heart cries back—“love must stay”

That’s how the universe
Learns love’s way

Love is here!
Love is here!

Can you hear it?
We can hear it!

Lean toward—
Love!

Listen for—
Love!

No one finds love—
Alone!

A mother to a child—
“I’ve got you…”

A friend in the darkness—
“I’m here too…”

The weak call for mercy—
“Do not turn away…”

The lonely call softly—
“We will stay…”

Call and response love
Back and forth through time
Love and Time are mine!

You are changing me
And I am changing you

Call and response love
The sacred reply

No one finds love…
Alone… alone…

Empires reach the stars…
But forget the heart…

The frightened build their walls and bombs

Love opens the door for sanity
Love is calling us
Love is what we are here for

Some are told love is weakness—
Who taught them fear?

Some are told survival means domination—
Why does domination destroy?

Who answers suffering?

The healers!
The workers!
The children!

We answer together!

The drums answer the feet
The feet answer the earth
The earth answers the rain
The rain answers the sky

The sky answers the cosmos
And the cosmos sings back

Lean toward love!
Love is calling!

Listen for love!
Love is answering!

Who will answer the suffering?
We will answer!

Who will answer the children?
We will answer!

Who will answer the earth?
We will answer with love!

Somewhere beyond this little world
Another species calls into the night

“Is anybody there?”]
Where is the Love?
Where is the Love?

And somewhere
Across impossible distance

Love answers…

Love takes the long way…
Through the suffering…
Through the silence…
Through the stars…

Love takes the long way
To become conscious…

We are the long way
Love has taken

What is love’s call and response?
Relation…

What is relation?
Love becoming visible…

What is music?
Consciousness answering itself…

Nothing truly living
Sings alone…

Love is calling
Love is calling
Love is calling

Will you respond?

WELELI NI JAABI KANUYA

Sani siyaw ka kɛ yen
Sani tɔgɔw tun bɛ yen
Sani kan fɔlɔ ka Fɔ
Sani tasuma fɔlɔ ka kɛ

Fɛn min bɛ wele kɛnɛma…
Wa fɛn dɔ ye jaabi di…

O tun ye kanuya ye!!
O tun ye kanuya ye!!

Ji dibiman cɛtigɛ
Sankolo fɔlɔ fan dɔ fɛ
Kan kelen ye welekan kɛ ni yɛrɛyɛrɛ ye—

“Ne bɛ yan…Ne ye kanuya ye”.

Wa jɛɲɔgɔnya de bangera
Jɛɲɔgɔnya bangera…

Weele ni jaabi kanuya
O de ye dɔnkili kɔrɔba ye

Dusukun dɔ bɛ pɛrɛn—”kanuya ka kan ka taa!”
Dusukun wɛrɛ bɛ kule ka segin—“kanuya ka kan ka to” .

Dugukolo bɛɛ b’o cogo de la
A bɛ kanuya sira dege

Kanuya bɛ yan!
Kanuya bɛ yan!

Yala i bɛ se k’o mɛn wa?
An bɛ se k’o mɛn!

Aw ye aw biri ka taa—
Kanu!

Lamɛnni kɛ—
Kanu!

Mɔgɔ si tɛ kanuya sɔrɔ—
Kelen na!

Denba dɔ ka den— .
“N y’i sɔrɔ…”

Teri dɔ dibi la—
“Ne fana bɛ yan…”

Barikantan welekan ka hinɛ—
“I kana i kɔdon…”

A kelenpe weleli ni dususuma ye—
“An bɛna to yen…”

Weele ni jaabi kanuya
Ka segin ka segin waati kɔnɔ
Kanuya ni Waati ye ne ta ye!

I bɛ ka ne Changé
Wa ne bɛ ka aw Changé

Weele ni jaabi kanuya
Jaabi senuma

Mɔgɔ si tɛ kanuya sɔrɔ…
A kelen… a kelen…

Mansamaraw bɛ se dolow ma…
Nka ɲinɛ dusukun kɔ…

Siranbagatɔw b’u ka kogow ni bɔnbuw jɔ

Kanuya bɛ da wuli hakilitigiya kama
Kanuya bɛ ka an wele

Kanuya de ye an bɛ yan min kama
Yala dalilu ɲuman b’i bolo kanulen wa?

A fɔra dɔw ye ko kanuya ye barikantanya ye—
Jɔn de ye u kalan siran na?

A fɔra dɔw ye ko ɲɛnamaya kɔrɔ ye ka fanga sɔrɔ—
Mun na kuntigiya bɛ tiɲɛni kɛ?

Jɔn bɛ tɔɔrɔ jaabi?

Furakɛlaw!
Baarakɛlaw!
Denmisɛnw!

An bɛ jaabi di ɲɔgɔn fɛ!
ni kanuya ye
ni kanuya ye

Dununw bɛ senw jaabi
Senw bɛ dugukolo jaabi
Dugukolo bɛ sanji jaabi
Sanji bɛ sankolo jaabi

Sankolo bɛ cosmos jaabi
Ani kosmos bɛ dɔnkili da ka segin

I sinsin kanuya kan!
Kanuya ye weleli ye!

Aw ye lamɛnni kɛ kanuya kosɔn!
Kanuya bɛ ka jaabi di!

Jɔn bɛna o tɔɔrɔ jaabi?
An bɛna jaabi di!

Jɔn bɛna denmisɛnw jaabi?
An bɛna jaabi di!

Jɔn bɛna dugukolo jaabi?
An bɛna jaabi di ni kanuya ye!

Yɔrɔ dɔ la nin diɲɛ fitinin in kɔfɛ
Sugu wɛrɛ bɛ Weele ka Dòn su fɛ

“Mɔgɔ dɔ bɛ yen wa?”]
Kanuya bɛ min?
Kanuya bɛ min?

Ani yɔrɔ dɔ la
Across impossible distance (yɔrɔjan min tɛ Se ka Kɛ

Kanuya jaabiw…

Kanuya bɛ sira jan ta…
Tɔɔrɔw sababu fɛ…
Ka tɛmɛn silensi fɛ…
Dolow sababu fɛ…

Kanuya bɛ sira jan ta
Ka kɛ hakilitigi ye…

Anw de ye sira jan ye
Kanuya ye ta

Kanuya weleli ni a jaabi ye mun ye?
Jɛɲɔgɔnya…

Jɛɲɔgɔnya ye mun ye?
Kanuya ka kɛ yelen ye…

Misikili ye mun ye?
Hakili bɛ jaabi di a yɛrɛ ma…

Foyi tɛ ɲɛnamaya tiɲɛ na
Dɔnkili bɛ da a kelen na…

Kanuya ye weleli ye
Kanuya ye weleli ye
Kanuya ye weleli ye

Yala i bɛna jaabi di wa?