Diarra Allay

D A Bambara (Dioula) balafon piece from Mali / Burkina Faso. ‘It is more important to be loved by god than by a man or a woman’. Diarra Allay literally means ‘God loves me’. The story behind this piece of music is that a balafon player (the balafola) has to play at a wedding. However, the bride is a former love of this balafonist (mutual feelings, not sexual). The bride asks him to play a love song for the bride and groom. The balafon player then plays this song to indicate that the groom does not have to be jealous.

Diarra mogo jee, um ma dja mogo jee
Diarra allay ye ki ti ba na

also:
Dia allah moggo yee, um ma, dia mogo yee
di allah allayee ki ti ba na

‘God loves me, and I also love God ”
“If there is someone who does not love me, then there is no justice!”

The video is made in Konsankuy in Mali 2012. On balafon play Youssouf and Kassim Keita, Talkings drums (two at the same time!) by Farabe ‘Yaya’ Dembele, on Karandjan Vieux Keita (†). The singer is Fatoumata Sanogo.

124 bpm Pattern A

124 bpm Arrangement

172 bpm Pattern A

172 bpm Arrangement

205 bpm Pattern A

205 bpm Arrangement

Sources:

Youssouf en Kassoum Keita, Konsankuy, Mali 2012