Biworo Fani - Bambara - Balafoonritmes - Paul Nas

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Pentatonic Balafon

Biworo Fani

New on the website 26 March 2021

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BBiworo Fani is a rhythm from Burkina Faso. Literally it means fabric (fani) of 300 CFA (€ 0.50) (biworo), (wa kele = 5000cfa); Men earn the money for their families and women do the work at home. Men are expected to take good care of their wives and families. If a man does not fulfill these obligations, everyone knows that the dress costs only “Biworo” for the woman. The song also wants to express that the world is changing and that many women are making their own money.

Biworo Fani as played by IDON! (2005 – 2010)

soloist: Eee Bi woro la fani siri ho bafor nja moggo ya warilo
answer: Bi woro la fani siri ho bafor nja moggo ya warilo
soloist: Hamana wa kele fani siri ho bafor nja moggo ya warilo
answer: Bi woro la fani siri ho bafor nja moggo ya warilo
soloist: I ti mi wa mousso lini ba ri ka ni ri fo djamma bey i ye
answer: Bi woro la fani siri ho bafor nja moggo ya warilo

soloist: I ko fani (answer:) njo keye (soloist): I ko waxi (answer:) njo keye
soloist: I ko motoro (answer:) njo keye (soloist:) I ko bassin (answer:) njo keye
soloist: I ko doundoun (answer:) njo keye (soloist:) I ko djembé (answer:) njo keye
(I asked something; I did / got it for you?)

soloist: tisse kale kouma me fôtô ye anais, (answer) ne tise, tise oura
soloist: ya ma donk kou a me fôtô ye anais, (answer) ne tise, tise oura
soloist: villa kou a me fôtô ye anais, (answer) ne tise, tise oura
soloist: laptop kou a me fôtô ye anais, (answer) ne tisa, tise oura
(I want something bigger; no, that’s not going to happen!)

The track ”Miribali” from the album Nemako by Farafina is inspirerd on ‘Biworo Fani’:
I tie mieli wa musso bieje, ba li ka milie koutja ma tieje
i ko fani (sabara / motoro / magasin) no kieje
be sen ker ma mi fot je; ne tissa tissa ora
la ma da ma mi fot je; ne tissa tissa ora
fila ma mi foto je; ne tissa tissa ora

On Spotify you can listen to Miribali (album Nemako) by Farafina ♪♪ here ♪♪

Speaking of dresses and clothes …..

In Burkina it is sometimes custom for the guests at a wedding to dress in the fabric that the bridal couple has chosen for the guests. The intention is that you have a dress or suit made from that fabric especially for that wedding.

The year before, Ami had regularly walked into Hotel Zion, where we usually stay. Thus, she was a friend who invited us to her wedding the following year, when we happened to be there too. A great opportunity to dress up in new clothes in the design she had chosen. Well, the first choice was now sold out everywhere, so we made do with the second choice fabric. But something special nonetheless! Youssouf also participated and we left for the party assuming that we would blend in with a crowd of uniform clothes. That was a bit disappointing; we were a striking group after all. Luckily we were able to spot two more African women in the same outfit who wanted to be photographed with us …. Not cheap fabric, so not really Biworo Fani!