Lyrics

One of the most widely-played pieces in the traditional kora repertoire, Alla L’a Ke has a deep history among the Mande ethnic groups. It’s often the first piece taught to young kora students. My late father, Ibrahima Cissokho, taught me this song is like school for a kora player. It teaches the alphabet of the kora and how to speak its language. When I hear this song I think about my father, who often said, “This is the number one song! Keep it close.” In this version of Alla L’a Ke, I sing about my profound disbelief when he passed away. When he died I was so surprised, but I realized I had to accept it. L’homme propose, Dieu dispose, as they say: No matter what a person wants, it’s God who decides what happens.

A person can choose / but God’s decision is everything / nobody can undo it / my father has passed away / it can’t be taken back / God, you have surprised me / I didn’t know you could do this to me / but Father, I’m back / I’m back playing Alla L’a Ke for you / come back! / I’m singing to the Cissokhos / everybody clap your hands / today is gonna be a beautiful day