This is chant/poem in Douala, French and English. Douala Soul Collective joins the art of revolution!

It’s our woven song of tribal waves, layered woven symbol-words intended to heal and soothe the hearts.

In this performance, we want to pick ourselves up, as we pick up the pieces of our fallen brother George Floyd.

The word Kotele means gather. “Kotele” indeed we gather all voices, all wings “mapupulan”, all tears (“mbembe”). Here we speak of “Solidarité” or solidarity as we march together as one body of existence
O sibi te o sibi nde means if you don’t know, you don’t know and you just don’t.

L’humanite a du parcours means human universe has a long way to go
We sing of blackness as a universal song, always alight bound to the rhythm of our breath.

George Floyd matila na musiki

Kotele, Kote… Kotele
Kotele, Kote… Kotele

tele mulema see for yourself
mapupulan ma George Floyd
mapupulan ma musango
biso bana ba mindo o mundi mwa wase
di mea nde mbembe na mbembe
mapupulan ma George Floyd o musiki mwa su

Mbembe na mbembe ee
Mbembe na mea no e
Mbembe na mbembe ee
Ni mbembe na mea no

Une pensée profonde pour toi George
L’humanité a du parcours
Oui, l’humanité a un grand parcours

O tele te miso o si boa pe mwititi bongo
dangwa nde na makom
kotele nde mawindi ma solidarity

Kotele, Kote… Kotele
Kotele, Kote… Kotele

kotele so batudu (elders)
Kotele matumba (communities)
Kotele so bana (children)

biso bese bana ba loko
sese ni sodi biso nyolo
ndutu ni sodi biso o mulema
o mwititi o mwititi mwa ponda

Sibi sibi te o oh o sibi sibi nde
Who are you to put me in a box like a branded pair of shoes
our eyes are peeled open and your eyes will too
look for black lives notice blackness in every song
watch reality shape your eyes

refuse to be archived
black children madiba ma motha Africa

musiki mwa su mwen nde everywhere
partout nous sommes en marche

everywhere o mundi mwa wase
matilanamusiki mwa su en marche
quelle que soit les barricades nous sommes en marche

mwaye mwa su
mwe nde universel

di yabe nde na mwititi
di meya nde na mwititi

di moba nde musiki mwa su o mundi mwa wase