Sidiki
Sidiki Conde
Innova 692
NÕna
for his mother who took care of him when he
first got his disability.
Ò
Once when I was a baby and again when I could not walk.
Thank you Mother. Mother do not cry and do not to worry.
I amgoing to make you happy.
I am nothandicapped. Handicapped is in the mind.
I cansing and I can dance.Ó
Dalina
ÒPeoplewho go adventuring outside their country need to come home and see their familyand help them. Their family says ÔCome home, donÕt forget about home.Ó
If yourcountry is Mali, you have to come home to Mali. If your country is Senegal, youhave to come home to Senegal. If your country is Ivory Coast you have to comehome to Ivory Coast. If your country is Guinea you have to come home toGuinea.Ó
Agfrisses
Republic of Guinea for the Handicapped) the
song beckons young people with disabilities
and non-disabled young people to join together
and become a community at Ajafreis.
ÒTo becomfortable with one self you need your
community.
Communityhas peace, tolerance and love.
This isthe message of Ajafreis. Come join together
at Ajafreis.Ó
IbrahimiConde
ÒIbrahimi,Ibrahimi
The snakeeating love, the snake eating love
If thesnake eats love he must eat me too
If God iseating love I will sing for God because he made me and he made you
You seeKeba Cissako is dead, Souri Kandia Kouyate is dead, Fode Kasta is dead.
My fatheris dead too. Everyone will be dead one day.
I singfor God. Allah is great I am happy with everything.
I love you forever.Ó
Kemoko Sano
ÒEveryonehas to look for good luck
If youget good luck you will be happy all your life
Everyonehas to look for good luck
If youget good luck you are going to be happy
the rest of your life.
Chorus:Kemoko Sano you are my benefactor Kemoko Sano you are my benefactor.
Iremember you take me on tour to France. You take me
to Japan, You take me to Germany
You takeme to Belgium, You take me to Italy
You takeme to Senegal, You take me to New York,
You take me to Guinea
Theyfollow your benefits and good luck everybody
working for you Sano
Everybodydo your job Sano. Beintou SanoÕs daddy, Seckou SanoÕs daddy Amamato SanoÕsdaddy, Mamady SanoÕs daddy, Alpha SanoÕs daddy, Mellissa SanoÕs
daddy Kemoko Sano, Kemoko SanoÓ
Damayele(Big mouth)
SidikiÕs village nickname Song calls on everyone
to work together.
ÒChorus:Stop big mouth, voice your is a pain
Stop bigmouth, your voice is a pain
Yes I ambig mouth, pain voice
SometimeI am here sometime I get up
Earlymorning rain beat me for you Evening
rain beat me for you
But ifGod wants after tomorrow morning the rain is
not going to beat me because everybody can move on their own
MoveMoussa guitar player move Move Fatou dancer move
Move TerreRoche singer move, Move Fatima Kouyate singer move.
MovePablo djembe player move. Move Yacouba kora player move,
Move DaloBangoura move, Move Deborah Ross move. Move Nimo Camara move, Mamady DjonibaHarlem move, Yamoussa Soulmah move, Balla Ballaphone move, Rick technicianmove, Sekou kora move, Aboulaye singer move, Jean doun doun move.Ó
AboubacarSidiki After Sidiki lost
his mobility people said he was a ghost and had no family. The song was writtenby Sidiki to claim his place in his community and his humanity by
naming his father and brothers and sisters.
MyfatherÕs name is Ibrahina Conde from Woroube
Mybrother SekoubaÕs father is Ibrahima Conde
from Woroube
The songgoes on to name 23 family members.
Chorus: (Eh Hey people Sidiki comes out everybody get happy. He is here withhis music.)
Minimiza
DonÕtminimize disabled people
We can dosomething
Somegroup of disabled all in wheelchair
Some is ateacher, some is an adventurer,
some are musicians
DonÕtimmunize us. We can do something
God madeeveryone unique
Somepeople one foot is cut off
But he can do something
Somepeople two foot cut off
But he can do something
Someperson he cannot see He can do something
We cansomething
He can dosomething
You cando something
DonÕt minimizedisabled people
Everybodycan do somethingÓ
Kourri
Chorus:Group, group coming together in a community
Group,group coming together in a community
Communityhas to come together to make a good thing
Young boygroup has to think good
One come,together at a sabar ceremony
At a doundoun ceremony everybody has to enjoy
At amarriage ceremony everyone has to enjoy
Mommy wehas to get a good thing
Uncle wehave to think good thing
Chorus:
Aunt wehave to get a good thing
After theceremony everybody give love together
Chorus:
We love,love, love
Everybodyhas to give loveÓ
Dounougna
In this world we are many different people. We are fine.
Some people have no eyes. We are fine.
Some people have no ears. We are fine.
Some people have no voice. We are fine.
Some people have no legs. We are fine.
Some people have nothing. Some people have everything.
God helps everyone in the world.Ó
Djougou-magniA song warning
against the evils of gossip
DonÕt beevil
DonÕt beevil
If you beevil and you talk a good voice in front of people
If I turnback you say bad thing behind me
DonÕt beevil yourself
Anythingyou do your life you have to careful yourself
DonÕt besurprised
DonÕt besurprised
About the Artist
The call to sing and dance first came to Sidiki Conde in adream he had after he lost the use of his legs due to an illness when he wasfourteen. Music and dance became his transcendence and his vocation. CondeÕsartistic journey began in his ancestral village in Guinea, West Africa. Hetraveled to the capitol, Conakry joining together with other disabled musiciansto found the dance and music ensemble Message de Espoir (Message of Hope).CondeÕs artistic explorations also took him to remote villages to learn thesongs and dances of GuineaÕs 26 distinct ethnic groups. In 1998 Conde moved toNew York City, where he leads the Tokounou All Abilities Dance and MusicEnsemble and continues to travel throughout the world learning from othercultures, performing and teaching students of all ages. In 2007 the NationalEndowment of the Arts awarded him its highest honor for folk and traditionalartists, a National Heritage Fellowship.
Sidikiwould like to thank:
DeborahRoss, Stefan Monssen, Abou Sylla, Mohamed Kouyate, Kemoko Sano, Famoro Diabate,Jennifer Spiegler, Osamu Nishihiri, The Peter S. Reed Foundation,
The Center for Traditional Arts, The Challenged Athlete Foundation.
Rickwould like to thank:
CraigBishop, Jorge Velez, Emily Duff, Jenny Barriol,
Ed Potokar, John Leventhal, Norman Mershon,
Aaron Heick, Leo Traversa, Stan Vincent, Kristin GardnerÉand all the musicians.
Special thanks to:
Cliff Fagin and Terre Roche for all their help and support!
Produced and Engineered by Rick DePofi
Arranged by Rick DePofi and Sidiki Conde
Mixed by Craig Bishop
Assisted by Jorge Velez
Recorded and mixed at NY Noise, NYC
Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Absolute Audio
Production Coordinator: Emily Duff
CD Design by Melanie Kirchner
Paintings and Photograhs by Deborah Ross
Supported in part by a grant from the New York State
Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at RockefellerPhilanthropy Advisors.
innova is supported by an endowment from the
McKnight Foundation.
Philip Blackburn: Director
Chris Campbell: Operations Manager
www.innova.mu
Sidiki Conde – Vocals, Doun Doun Drums
Horns, Percussion
Backround Vocals – Fatu Keita, Fatou Camara, Iba Bangoura,Yoyo Camara, Terre Roche, Suzzy Roche, Machan Taylor, Abdoulaye Diabate, DannyLouis, Rick DePofi
TheDalina Children – Alex Cellum, James Cellum,
Elisa Hernandez, Emily Justich, Kerry Justich, Kevin Justich, Daniel Monroe,Masha Puchkoff, Oona Mae Roche,
Kighla Carlson, Ean Carlson.