AFRICA'S ONE HIT WONDER

You know the Songs, But You Don't Know the Singer

Go to every African party and there's that one song youknow is just your absolute favorite. You want to request it from the DJ but you just don't know the name of the song or the person who sang it. You then bastardize it some more in an attempt to hum the tune. Ya'll know what I am talking about. There is this one particular song that I swear to God no one knows the musician's name. As in I didn't know until today. Forget about Femi's and Tuface Idibia's song getting European accolades and other such awards. This one some has to be by far the most popular African song ever. It is the song that usually gets every body off their seats and gets the dance floor rolling. I mean the speakers start to peel....'tantaran tarra raan raan tarrraan raaaannn tarraaaan raaan.... ' and the room lights up. It brings smiles to everyones face and all get up, hands on head or index finger pointing to the heavens. All cares cast aside, the waist winding and the gyrating begins. It's the ultimate Makossa song with a nameless artist, forgettable at least,, you know the song, 'GAO'.

So my friend Singto sent me this link with so many african music videos. The database was extensive but I was curious to find the video for 'GAO'. I finally found it and it was like a mystery solved. I not only found the video, but Africa's Ultimate One hit Wonder. Who the hell is 'Magic System'? Whoever they are I gotta give them props for that song. I'm yet to hear another song that creates the reaction that 'GAO' does. I also hear there's a Nigerian version. It is timeless just like Nico Mbarga's Sweet Mother (that's another hot song, that's actually the 'Most Popular African Song' worldwide) and honestly I have no clue what in the world they are saying (still don't because my French is whack). I know it has something to do with 'Food' (mange). Anyways below is the link to the 'GAO' video and the lyrics. I am usually late to some of these online discoveries so this might be stale to some of you.

http://www.africanmv.com/vid/0056.htm

THE LYRICS

C'est dans ma galère que la go Antou m'a quitté oh ah {x4}

Quand j'avais un peu
Matin midi soir
On été ensemble
A la rue Princesse
Aux mille maquis
Santos payait les poulets
L'argent est fini
Antou a changé de côté
Wari ban nan
Elle a changé de copain

Nan guin nan wan, nan guin nan wan
Nan guin nan wan, nan guin nan wan

Dieu merci pour moi je savais chanter un peu
J'ai fait ma cassette oh on me voit à la télé
Matin midi soir c'est moi je chante à la radio
Antou a vu çà elle dit le gaou a percé
Attends je vais partir le couper

{Refrain:}
Et on dit premier gaou n'est pas gaou oh
C'est deuxième gaou qui est niata oh ah
Et on dit premier gaou n'est pas gaou oh
C'est deuxième gaou qui est niata oh ah

Dimanche matin koko on frappe à ma porte
A ma grande surprise c'est la go Antou je vois
On s embrasse j'ai dit y'a longtemps qu'on c'est plus revu
Elle veut me mentir elle dit chéri j'avais voyagé
Je suis de retour
Je t'appartiens
Prends moi cadeau, fais ce que tu veux

{au Refrain}

J'ai dit chéri koko qu'est ce que tu veux manger
Sans même hésiter elle me dit poulet braisé

J'ai dit chéri koko c'est poulet tu veux manger
Poulet est trop petit çà peut pas te rassasier
C'est caïman braisé, je vais te donner
Kedjenou d'éléphant, tu vas manger

Nan guin nan wan, nan guin nan wan

Elle est fâché elle dit elle s'en va à la maison
Si elle va à la maison population va me tuer
Je lui ai demandé pardon, elle a accepté
A un moment donné, elle a tout gâté
Elle est quitté dans poulet, elle s'en va dans aloco
Si c'est aloco c'est pas compliqué
C'est plantation de bananes
Tu vas griller
Au l ...



Then there's Genny(...on a different tangent) Nigeria's Gabrielle Union (because she is every darn Nollywood movie just like Gabby is in every black movie) and you can tell she watches a lot of J-lo movies because she's picked up a bit too much J-lo mannerisms. Love her or hate her, ol girl is hot and doing her thing, Lux girl and all. I used to get irritated by some of her movies (the amerikana-jandifies- fakky-fakky type) but I am actually starting to like her quite a bit. I admit I was in denial of her potential and just could not place a finger on what the buzz was but I guess I've finally came around. Lol. Especially after the movie with 'The Professor' where she was a mad woman living with the madman and the nigerian 'Cinderella'. She has a lot of drive and is beautiful. That's just a few things you need to get to the top. Plus I gotta show support to my fellow Igbo sister...lol... her 'Owerri Igbo' is konk. Here's a link to her website and music video.

http://www.aboutgenevieve.com/
http://www.africanmv.com/vid/0033.htm

(Yeah.. finally got my internet connection so I can entertain myself now by writing about life in Santa Maria)