« They told me Soldat, you want to become a star ? – Then you have to rap in French or English – I should forget where I’m from ?». Determined words by this former French literature student at the University of Ouagadougou, son of a Burkina Faso Independence fighter, and grandson of a Burkinabé tirailleur, proud of his language and culture.
In his lyrics, he talks straight about Africa’s pillaged ressources, forced mariages, Ouagadougou’s street kids, but he also praises the bountiful return of the rainy season. Themes he shares with featured artists Anny Kassy, Conakry’s unique lyricist, Togolese Elom 20ce, and French MC and beatmaker Fils du Béton.
Joey Le Soldat is hip hop at his very core. For over a decade, he has been fine tuning his craft, first as a member of various rap groups in his teen years, then gravitating among Ouagadouhou’s underground sound systems and freestyle sessions. In 2009 he wins the Waga Hip Hop Festival clash contest award. Impressive live, he has shared the stage with Gaël Faye, Casey or legendary New York group Das EFX, during his last French tour with Art Melody and their band Waga 3000. Burkin Bâ propels Joey Le Soldat among the African artists shaping the sound of tomorrow.
« They told me Soldat, you want to become a star ? – Then you have to rap in French or English – I should forget where I’m from ?». Determined words by this former French literature student at the University of Ouagadougou, son of a Burkina Faso Independence fighter, and grandson of a Burkinabé tirailleur, proud of his language and culture.
In his lyrics, he talks straight about Africa’s pillaged ressources, forced mariages, Ouagadougou’s street kids, but he also praises the bountiful return of the rainy season. Themes he shares with featured artists Anny Kassy, Conakry’s unique lyricist, Togolese Elom 20ce, and French MC and beatmaker Fils du Béton.
Joey Le Soldat is hip hop at his very core. For over a decade, he has been fine tuning his craft, first as a member of various rap groups in his teen years, then gravitating among Ouagadouhou’s underground sound systems and freestyle sessions. In 2009 he wins the Waga Hip Hop Festival clash contest award. Impressive live, he has shared the stage with Gaël Faye, Casey or legendary New York group Das EFX, during his last French tour with Art Melody and their band Waga 3000. Burkin Bâ propels Joey Le Soldat among the African artists shaping the sound of tomorrow.
“L’Hivernage [the rainy season] is a return to the childhood village. Joey praises the merits of the bountiful rain, saying at the heart of the hot season, rainfall can always come. Before him, Creedence Clearwater Revival sang Who’ll Stop The Rain, a metaphor asking who would stop the Vietnam war, right as the Nixon presidency disintegrated. Today, Joey Le Soldat says in essence that all forms of hope are allowed, even within the harshest of conditions. There is no doubt the recent January 18 demonstrations, during which rain came miraculously, are nourishing this hope for change. Far from a grumbling, rearguard battle, Joey Le Soldat and a handful of other African rappers are writing the soundtrack of a future where everything now seems possible.”
Chorus:
Farmer I salute you
The first rain, marking the Hivernage, has come
Once more we are all going to the fields to plant seeds
A new rainy season is given to us, it’s time to plow
May the Gods bring rain so the season is plentiful
May the Gods bring rain so the harvests are plentiful
First Verse:
A big cloud darkens nature
I invoke: come, cloud, to water the land
Come down so the season is good
It’s the rainy season, the weather is gentle, the grasses have grown back
Goodbye great heat
In the Mossi language we say
“when the fig tree recovers its leaves the rainy season is coming”
So farmer, hang on and don’t let go
I know it’s hard at times but your craft is noble
By these words I come to praise your work
Second Verse:
In my land it’s the rainy season
Mother nature wore her prettiest dress
I admire her greeneries
It is raining in my village
Goodbye April heat, long period of heat
Rainy season in our villages
From the morning and the rooster’s crow
Man, woman and child
A cart and a donkey are back on the road to the fields
It is raining in my village
Me, from my window
I’m looking at the rain.[:de]
“L’Hivernage [the rainy season] is a return to the childhood village. Joey praises the merits of the bountiful rain, saying at the heart of the hot season, rainfall can always come. Before him, Creedence Clearwater Revival sang Who’ll Stop The Rain, a metaphor asking who would stop the Vietnam war, right as the Nixon presidency disintegrated. Today, Joey Le Soldat says in essence that all forms of hope are allowed, even within the harshest of conditions. There is no doubt the recent January 18 demonstrations, during which rain came miraculously, are nourishing this hope for change. Far from a grumbling, rearguard battle, Joey Le Soldat and a handful of other African rappers are writing the soundtrack of a future where everything now seems possible.”
Chorus:
Farmer I salute you
The first rain, marking the Hivernage, has come
Once more we are all going to the fields to plant seeds
A new rainy season is given to us, it’s time to plow
May the Gods bring rain so the season is plentiful
May the Gods bring rain so the harvests are plentiful
First Verse:
A big cloud darkens nature
I invoke: come, cloud, to water the land
Come down so the season is good
It’s the rainy season, the weather is gentle, the grasses have grown back
Goodbye great heat
In the Mossi language we say
“when the fig tree recovers its leaves the rainy season is coming”
So farmer, hang on and don’t let go
I know it’s hard at times but your craft is noble
By these words I come to praise your work
Second Verse:
In my land it’s the rainy season
Mother nature wore her prettiest dress
I admire her greeneries
It is raining in my village
Goodbye April heat, long period of heat
Rainy season in our villages
From the morning and the rooster’s crow
Man, woman and child
A cart and a donkey are back on the road to the fields
It is raining in my village
Me, from my window
I’m looking at the rain.[:fr]
“L’Hivernage [the rainy season] is a return to the childhood village. Joey praises the merits of the bountiful rain, saying at the heart of the hot season, rainfall can always come. Before him, Creedence Clearwater Revival sang Who’ll Stop The Rain, a metaphor asking who would stop the Vietnam war, right as the Nixon presidency disintegrated. Today, Joey Le Soldat says in essence that all forms of hope are allowed, even within the harshest of conditions. There is no doubt the recent January 18 demonstrations, during which rain came miraculously, are nourishing this hope for change. Far from a grumbling, rearguard battle, Joey Le Soldat and a handful of other African rappers are writing the soundtrack of a future where everything now seems possible.”
Chorus:
Farmer I salute you
The first rain, marking the Hivernage, has come
Once more we are all going to the fields to plant seeds
A new rainy season is given to us, it’s time to plow
May the Gods bring rain so the season is plentiful
May the Gods bring rain so the harvests are plentiful
First Verse:
A big cloud darkens nature
I invoke: come, cloud, to water the land
Come down so the season is good
It’s the rainy season, the weather is gentle, the grasses have grown back
Goodbye great heat
In the Mossi language we say
“when the fig tree recovers its leaves the rainy season is coming”
So farmer, hang on and don’t let go
I know it’s hard at times but your craft is noble
By these words I come to praise your work
Second Verse:
In my land it’s the rainy season
Mother nature wore her prettiest dress
I admire her greeneries
It is raining in my village
Goodbye April heat, long period of heat
Rainy season in our villages
From the morning and the rooster’s crow
Man, woman and child
A cart and a donkey are back on the road to the fields
It is raining in my village
Me, from my window
I’m looking at the rain.[:]
