Inspired by the traditional song Kuku from Guinea W. Africa
lyrics
Kuku
[Hip Hop verse]
It’s a world of confusion, cuz we consumin’ bad dreams through the food that we tubin’.
From all across the North American Union, yeah them belly full and mine is too.
But whatcha wanna do, tell me what you gonna do when the big trucks stop comin’,
The gas stop pumpin, the sheep start runnin’…reckless, gettin’ free and killin’ shepards?
And now there’s nothin’ in the fridge for breakfast. Ah shhhh, this life is hectic.
You take a whole week a pay to the pharmacy for a fallacy so they can profit B.
Fill chemically, with ill energy like dependency that ain’t healthy G.
You want medicine, plants be the best of friends,
meet me at the Grow House, gotta some things to learn from them.
[Hip Hop Chorus]
Eat, write, meditate, grow your own food.
Body, mind, spirit, land, water, sun, moon.
[Susu Call]
Ah Rey, ku em bo jaman oo wey (Without community, nothing is possible)
[Susu Response]
Aaaaaaah Ku em bo jaman oo eh (Yeah, without community, nothing is possible)
[Susu Call 2]
Woe nee bah tah (x4) (When we are in a group…)
[Susu Response 2]
Eh eh eh eh ally mommy yo (…we need a good leader)
[Chorus]
Call: Bande, bande, bande. Bande fah nee nah da (Food food food for all]
Response: Ee-nu-ah-lee, ee-fang nu ah lee (Thank you and you’re welcome)
[Verse]
Call: I know my culture be polluted with plenty
Response: so why cant we even feed our own?
Call: I roam through these allies liberating what we don’t eat
Response: cuz food is a basic necessity.
The Kuku ngoma celenbrates the peace (Ngoma = music/dance…the two concepts are not separate)
Response: of food for the entire village you see.
Call: And no one gets left out of a community
Response: everyone gets a slice of the cheese.
Call: Wontanara (x4) (Wontanara = we are all connected like a family)
Response: take it from me we've got ppl to feed.
Call: Wontanara (x4)
Response: we are all connected like a family.
credits
from Taste Your Medicine,
released October 4, 2015
Written by Yuzo Nieto, Molina Speaks on rap vox, Fara Tolno on djembe, Mikey Mestas on dun dun, Nick Krier on Baritone Sax, Ric Urrutia on Bass, Mikey Neff on Guitar, Peter Rountree on Keys, John Olsson on Drum Set, Lannie Shelton on Violin
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