Mi Bère

M Mi Bère (welcome all) is a Bwaba musical piece from Mali / Burkina Faso, which has a welcome song. Literally, then, translated from Bwamou, the language of the Bwaba, it means ‘Welcome all’. At the start of a performance, this song is often used and focused on the person(s) playing it fen then they first address the bride’s parents to welcome them; after all, they are the first ones invited to a wedding.  If the performance is on the occasion of another event then the organisers of the party and their first invited guests are ‘welcomed’ such as an organisation or a board or the like. But if the party is organised in honour of a specific person, they are naturally mentioned first in the song. Eventually, many people are listed who are seen to attend.
‘Bère’ is more focused on one person. Bara = men, Hana = women, Holande yira = youngsters from the Netherlands, Pari = solidarity.

Mi Bère Lo Lo Mi Bara Mi Bère
         ”      ”    Mi Hana     ”    
Holande Yira Mi Bère Ma Mi Fo
Ma Mi Bwagna Benu, Mi Ma Pari
Ma Mi Bwagna Benu, Mi Nu’unu Sé
Ma Mi Bwagna Benu, Mi BanBa Yu

Welcome all men, welcome
Welcome all women, welcome
Welcome all young people from the Netherlands, I salute you
with all the work you do and your solidarity / …. / …..

Hakiri sings the song

119 bpm Arrangement

119 bpm Pattern A

140 bpm Arrangement

140 bpm Pattern A

152 bpm Arrangement

152 bpm Pattern A

172 bpm Arrangement

172 bpm Pattern A

Exercise to come to Pattern A

Sources:

Youssouf Keita, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, January 2022.