The music has always been a very important chapter in our life. Music has always existed in the world.
Every population has a form of music that it has evolved over time.
There are many types of music: pop, rock, metal, classic, rap and even folk. If you think that you have listened to all genres of music, you are wrong because probably you haven’t listened to our music… Our Albanian music!
The most popular music in Albania is folkloristic music. This type of music is very antique and it has been handed down orally. Albanian folk music is proudly represented by ‘’shota’’ band, with the most famous soloist Shkurte Fejza.
Albanian music represents a set of different traditional kinds of music, from Balcanic music (with its particular rhythm) to many other Turkish and Western influences. In Kosovo there is a type of Balcanic traditional rap: we call it ‘’tallava’’. Besides, you can even listen to a mix of Macedonian and Albanian songs with Eastern rhythm. It’s a very funny and appreciated genre, especially during weddings.
The characteristic instrument of Albanian music is definetely “çiftelia”.
It is a musical instrument with two strings. It is typically played in popular music. The word “çiftelia” actually comes from the Albanian language “çift” (double).
Nikolle Nikprelaj is one of the most famous person that plays this instrument. The lyrics of popular music usually talks about heroes and love. This instrument is best used by elders because they don’t want to lose their traditional music, so they like to teach young people how to play the çiftelia. Recently, indeed this instrument is played by young people to keep traditions alive as you can see in the following video.
After that, the çiftelia is usually played with “tupani”. It is known as one of the oldest rhythmic instruments comes from Asian countries. It’s a cylindical drum made of leather. It works with a rod, with a set of traditional instruments.
This musical instrument has deserved place in popular Albanian music; without it, popular dances can not be immagine. Indeed the drum can’t miss in Albanian weddings. The “tupan” is an alarming and informative tool, used to inform the people of a neighborhood that the marriage was about to begin. Thanks to his thunder the neighbours could realize that there was a wedding and this automatically meant to be invited to the wedding dinner.
This has happened because there was the lack of communication tools.Finally, in Kosovo, we find modern music that comes from the Western countries. There are others kinds of music too, such as pop, hip-hop, rap, rock and jazz music.
Currently, the kind of music young people mostly listen to is Rap.
GLOSSARY
Handed down => transmit over time, through generations. Lyric=> are words that make up a song usually consisting of verses and choruses. Çiftelia => music instrument, with plucked cordes, the most characteristic thing: only 2 cordes. Tupani => it’s a cylindical drum made of leather. It works with a rod, with a set of traditional instruments. Folk => genre of music that develops traditional thems starting with peasant protests and popular generally. Tallava => albanian music style Elderly => is a person that i san old age. This person is considered old, when has over sixty-five years Neighborhood => the inhabitants of the same street you life.
Three
years ago I felt the most lonely and messiest person in the world.
I was
in a dark period from which I couldn’t get out. I had my heart broken, I didn’t
smile anymore, I wasn’t the same as before.
On a gloomy afternoon of three years ago, I
was going to the train station.
I was
listening to music and looking down, when a boy smiled at me and I did the same.
Just a
smile, nothing more.
A year after, in October, I saw him again: it was another bad day. On that day I was so sad
that I was crying. I was going to the train station and I thought I would have loved to meet
the mysterious boy, but I had almost lost hope.
He passed next to me and I immediately recognizedhim. We didn’t talk and we both had
a very sad face, but we knew we needed to talk together. I went for the train
but a few seconds later the mysterious boy turned to me smiling: I realized
that he had recognized me as well.
I got on the train and I haven’t seen him since that day.
I tried to find out who he was to thank him for helping me with just a simple smile. Since that
day I think that sometimes there are special bonds between people that don’t require words.
Sometimes pain get people together.
People help each other without knowing it: that boy
helped me without saying a word. He helped me with a smile.
Glossary
Lonely: alone,a person who stands alone
Messy: disordered,a confused person
who
doesn’t put things in order
Gloomy: dark,
a day
without sun
Smile: to assume a facial expression
indicating favor and fun
See: to view something with the
eyes
Lose hope: be sad, see negative
Recognize: to know, to see someone among
many people
The first time that I heard this song I didn’t give much weight to its meaning but I liked its rhythm.
Later I understood the meaning as well as the value of things and people. Similar experiences have happened to me, the most recent was a trivial quarrel with a friend but fortunately we put aside the pride and we saved our friendship.
I chose this song because it reflects on a very common and important theme: we realize the value of things only after we have lost them.This song makes us understand how the things that at first seem useless,once lost become necessary.
Simple things, simple habits, simple gestures become essential.
Unfortunately, the guy inthe song doesn’t put aside the pride and accept that the girl he loves isn’t longer at his side, suffering for love .
The message is to give the right importance to everything and everyone, because everything and everyone areessential.
Put aside the pride when you have to fight for something or someone important!
Well you only need the light when its burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low
Only hate the road when you’re missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go
Staring at the bottom of your glass
Hoping one day you’ll make a dream last
But dreams come slow and they go so fast
You see her when you close your eyes
Maybe one day you’ll understand why
Everything you touch surely dies
But you only need the light when its burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low
Only hate the road when you’re missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
Staring at the ceiling in the dark
Same old empty feeling in your heart
Cos love comes slow and it goes so fast
Well you see her when you fall asleep
But never to touch and never to keep
Cos you loved her too much and you dived too deep
Well you only need the light when its burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low
Only hate the road when you’re missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go
And you let her go
Well you let her go
Cos you only need the light when its burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low
Only hate the road when you’re missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
Cos you only need the light when its burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low
Only hate the road when you’re missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go.
Glossary
Useless: something that is not useful Surely: something that is sure Ceiling: the highest part of the wall Empty: something that does not contain anything Give much weight: Trivial: something for granted Quarrel: discuss with a person Put aside: forget something
I've chosen this song because James Arthur has decided to express his sorrow in a song. The first time that I have listened to this song, it gave me the shivers.
I like this song because it conveys the sorrow of a story that has finished, the love rage and the sadness that sometimes we experience when a story ends. The first time I listened to this song I was moved by the words of the lyrics. But the thing I find more interesting is James Arthur's voice: so sweet and at the same time so powerful...
Enjoy that sound!
IMPOSSIBLE
I remember years ago
Someone told me I should take
Caution when it comes to love
I did
And you were strong and I was not
My illusion, my mistake
I was careless, I forgotI did
And now when all is done
There is nothing to say
You have gone, and so effortlessly
You have won
You can go ahead tell them
Tell them all I know now
Shout it from the roof tops
Write it on the sky line
All we had is gone now
Tell them I was happy
And my heart is broken
All my scars are open
Tell them what I hoped would be
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
Falling out of love is hard
Falling for betrayal is worse
Broken trust and broken hearts
I know. I know
Thinking all you need is there
Building faith on love and words
Empty promises will wear
I know.
I know
And now when all is gone
There is nothing to say
And if you're done with embarrassing me
On your own you can go ahead tell them
Tell them all I know now
Shout it from the roof tops
Write it on the sky line
All we had is gone now
Tell them I was happy
And my heart is broken
All my scars are open
Tell them what I hoped would be
Impossible, impossible
Impossible impossible
I remember years ago
Someone told me I should take
Caution when it comes to love
I did
Tell them all I know now
Shout it from the roof tops
Write it on the sky line
All we had is gone now
Tell them I was happy
And my heart is broken
All my scars are open
Tell them what I hoped would be
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
Glossary Mistake: a mistake is an error Careless: when you're careless about something, you're not giving it much attention or consideration Embarrassing: something that is shameful or humiliating Shout: utter in a loud voice Faith:when you have faith, you trust or believe in something very strongly Ahead: when you're ahead, you're further along or further forward
We are good friends and last summer we went to the sea in Sardegna together.
Every day we went to the beach and we used to listen to this song.
Now, every time we occur to listen to this song we immediately remember ot that great time we spent having fun!
“Take me back, take me back, back to summer paradise”: this sentence is very important for us because we hope to live those moments again very soon.
We enjoyed a lot going to the beach with so many friends (… and beautiful guys as well!)
So… we share this positive and funny song to wish a great summer holiday to everybody!
Oh, oh, take me back, take me back
Oh yeah, back to summer paradise
My heart is sinking as I’m lifting up
Above the clouds away from you
And I can’t believe I’m leaving
Oh, I don’t kno-kno-know what I’m gonna do
But someday I will find my way back
To where your name is written in the sand
‘Cause I remember every sunset
I remember every words you said
We were never gonna say goodbye
Singin’ la-ta-ta-ta-ta
Tell me how to get back to
Back to summer paradise with you
And I’ll be there in a heartbeat, oh, oh
I’ll be there in a heartbeat, oh, oh
(Tell ‘em)
My soul is broken, streets are frozen
I can’t stop these feelings melting through
And I’d give away a thousand days, oh
Just to have another one with you
(What’d you say?)
Well, real life can wait
(It can wait)
We’re crashing like waves
(Uh-uh)
We’re playin’ in the sand
(Me and you)
Holding your hand, yeah, yeah
‘Cause I remember every sunset
I remember every words you said
We were never gonna say goodbye
Singin’ la-ta-ta-ta-ta
Tell me how to get back to
Back to summer paradise with you
And I’ll be there in a heartbeat, oh, oh
I’ll be there in a heartbeat, oh, oh
Yeah, uh, I remember sunny mornings and summer evenings
Now you’re not next to me and I am freezing
Was it real? Oh baby, tell me, was I dreaming?
How can you show me paradise when I’m leaving?
Now my heartbeat is sinking, hope’s shrinking
When I try to speak, no words, lip-syncing
Hope this is not just wishful thinking
Tell me that you care and I’ll be there in a heartbeat
Someday I will find my way back
To where your name is written in the sand
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s go)
‘Cause I remember every sunset
And I remember every words you said
We were never gonna say goodbye
(No, no, no)
Singin’ la-ta-ta-ta-ta
Tell me how to get back to
Back to summer paradise with you
(Yeah)
And I’ll be there in a heartbeat
I remember where we first kissed
How I didn’t wanna leave your lips
And how I’ve never ever felt so high
Singin’ la-ta-ta-ta-ta
So tell me how to get back to
Back to summer paradise with you
And I’ll be there in a heartbeat, yeah oh, oh
I’ll be there in a heartbeat
(Summer paradise)
Oh, oh, I’ll be there in a heartbeat
Glossary
Sink: to go down, below the surface of water, mud, etc.
Clouds: a cloud is a clump of water vapor that you can see in the sky. Clouds are sometimes white and puffy, and other times so big and gray that they completely block the sun
Sand: the very tiny, loose pieces of rock that cover beaches, deserts, etc.
Sunset: the time when the sun goes below the horizon in the evening
Heartbeat: the action or sound of the heart as it pumps blood
this song was a catchphrase of the
summer 2010 and now all times we listen, we think of the football. The song
remember the beautiful moments of football and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Waka Waka is a song performed by the Colombian singer Shakira with the South African group Freshlyground, chosen as the official anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which took place in South Africa. The song was written by the same Shakira and John Hill based on the song Cameroonian Zangalewa, which was almost entirely taken up in the refrain.
The South Africans have criticized the fact that the official song was not played by a local artist, believing that Shakira does not represent their country. Shakira responded to this criticism by saying that the World Cup is a global event that connects countries, religions and conditions in a single passion, furthermore the World Cup is an event able to unite and integrate, and this is the topic of this song .
This time for Africa
You're a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and back in the saddle
You're on the front line
Everyone's watching
You know it's serious we're getting closer, this isn't over
The pressure is on
You feel it
But you've got it all
Believe it
When you get down oh oh
And if you get up eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
'Cause this is Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Listen to your God
This is our motto
Your time to shine don't wait in line y vamos por todo
People are raising
Their expectations
Go on and feed them this is your moment no hesitations
Today's your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it
If you get down get up oh oh
When you get down get up eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Ame la mejole biggi biggi mubbo wa A to Z
Asi tsu zala makyuni biggi biggi mubbo from East to West
Asi waga waga ma eh eh waga waga ma eh eh
Tendency suna tsibuye 'cause this is Africa (Africa, Africa Africa)
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Django eh eh
Django eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a
We're all Africa
We're all Africa
We're all Africa
Glossary catchphrase: Hit of summer anthem: an anthem is a song that represents the ideals of a group of people take place: come to pass able: the skill to do something refrain: the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers shine: to give off a bright
The A Team is a single of the singer Ed Sheeran, the first extract from the third studio album published June 12, 2011.
This song is about an eighteen years old girl who lives in the drug world.
Ed Sheeran describes the characteristics of this girl (white lips, pale face and burned lungs) who prostitutes herself to afford drugs before killing herself.
In an interview, the singer explains the song's title this way: "A drug like crack cocaine is called a 'Class A drug'. That's in the same category as heroin. Instead of making it clear and just saying what the problem was, I'd say, 'She's in the 'Class A' team.' It was kind of my way of covering up (a person's addiction), I guess, making it a bit more subtle."
The video tells the life of this girl sleeping on a bench in a park.
During the day she is in the streets to sell newspapers, but no one buys them if not a boy (the singer Ed Sheeran). With little money she earns she buys something to eat and she sits in front of a shop window with all the people walking by and she cries. She decides to freshen her make up, put on a shirt and a miniskirt and go into the street. A car stops and she assumes a sensual attitude, gets in the car and goes into a hotel room.
At the end of her work, she takes the money to buy the drug and in the end she commits suicide.
We chose this song for two reasons: the first reason is for the words. We love the way the singer describes the life of this girl. The second reason is the subject: drugs. We think that drugs are a serious problem nowadays, above all for the consequences that drug may have on you for the rest of your life.
White lips, pale face
Breathing in snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste
Light's gone, day's end
Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men
And they say
She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18
But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us
Cos we're just under the upperhand
And go mad for a couple of grams
And she don't want to go outside tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland
Or sells love to another man
It's too cold outside
For angels to fly
Angels to fly
Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim and stay afloat
Dry house, wet clothes
Loose change, bank notes
Weary-eyed, dry throat
Call girl, no phone
An angel will die
Covered in white
Closed eye
And hoping for a better life
This time, we'll fade out tonight
Straight down the line
And they say
She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18
But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
They scream
The worst things in life come free to us
And we're all under the upperhand
Go mad for a couple of grams
And we don't want to go outside tonight
And in a pipe we fly to the Motherland
Or sell love to another man
It's too cold
For angels to fly
Angels to fly
To fly, fly
Or angels to die.
Glossary
Struggling: to struggle in a difficult situation.
Upperhand: vantage point of superiority, over an opponent.
Day dream: dreaming with a open eyes, fantasying.
Sinking: a person with a shock, upset.
Crumbly: object that quickly crumbles.
Mad: person with a mental disorder, mentally ill.
Motherland: country, nation in which someone was born.
Stuck: a person locked in a situation.
Afloat: an object that floats, which remains on the water surface.
Raincoat: a piece of clothes that protects from water.
In 2011 Nas and Bob Marley’s son, Damian a.k.a. Jr Gong, wrote this fabulous song where there are clear questions about the difference of thought, culture, life style and religion. Questioning the lifestyle of the poor and the rich as well, the singers are sarcastically saying that science is not always right. We think that if this song could be heard in 15 years it would have the same shocking effect. In this video there are two singers sitting on thrones, in the background there are pyramids, animals and some people. All the population meet near the houses and there are two women dancing. They move constantly across a bridge to the desert and the two singers are in a pond with a waterfall behind, in the sky there are stars and the moon. The singer is sitting on the throne and at his right there is the Islamic symbol and at his left there is the Christian one. The two hip hop’s legends describe the ill society using unusual and little considered topics, like the Egyptian culture, clairvoyance, zoo, paparazzi and sacred books’ writers and if you try to imagine the scenery while listening to this song you can do a trip in your mind and take a look at the perversity of the actual world. In this song the masters mix hip hop with classic music and a little bit of reggaeton in one of the most catchy song of all time with American slang and a Hindi refrain.
Close your eyes, good listening and have a good trip!
Some of the smartest dummies Can't read the language of Egyptian mummies An' a fly go a moon And can't find food for the starving tummies Pay no mind to the youths Cause it's not like the future depends on it But save the animals in the zoo Cause the chimpanzee dem a make big money This is how the media pillages On the TV the picture is Savages in villages And the scientists still can't explain the pyramids, huh Evangelists making a living on the videos of ribs of the little kids Stereotyping the image of the images
[RIT]
Huh, we born not knowing, are we born knowing all? We growing wiser, are we just growing tall? Can you read thoughts? can you read palms? Huh, can you predict the future? can you see storms, coming? The Earth was flat if you went too far you would fall off Now the Earth is round if the shape changes again everybody would start laughing The average man can't prove of most of the things that he chooses to speak of […]Can you read signs? can you read stars? Can you make peace? can you fight war? Can you milk cows, even though you drive cars? huh Can you survive, Against All Odds, Now?
[RIT]
Who wrote the Bible? Who wrote the Qur'an? And was it a lightning storm That gave birth to the earth And then dinosaurs were born? damn Who made up words? who made up numbers? And what kind of spell is mankind under? Everything on the planet we preserve and can it […]Like somebody got a doll of me Stickin' needles in my arteries But I can't feel it Sometimes it's like 'pardon me, but I got a real big spirit' I'm fearless.... I'm fearless Don't you try and grab hold of my soul It's like a military soldier since seven years old I held real dead bodies in my arms […]
Glossary A.k.a.: Also know as Average man: the normal and common man Catchy: a nice thing to hear Claim: when you express your right to something Clairvoyance: the ability to predict the future Dummy: a dummy is a type of doll that looks like a person/stupid Fearless: invulnerable to fear on intimidation, without any fear Flat: something straight Pillage: to rob someone Refrain: the repeating part of a song Rib: a bone of the body Root: the part of the plant that’s underground Shape: the form of something Starving: people who have so hungry that they could die Stereotyping: repeating often the same images Storm: a violent weather condition Tummies: the principal organ of digestion Wiser: when you possess knowledge of something
This song is a beautiful jazz track performed by The ink spots (they are an unknown group, who sang during the 1940s)in 1944 in which the band imagines a love story between a man and a woman. The man is a bourgeois who has lost all his ambition of wordly acclaim beacause he's fallen in love.I think this is one of the most romantic song written during the second World War.
Unfortunately there's no video for this song, maybe beaucause it was written in hard times.
Lyrics:
I don’t want to set the world on fire
I just want to start
A flame in your heart
In my heart I have that one desire
And that one is you
No other will do
I’ve lost all ambition for worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you feel the same
I’ll have reached the goal I’m dreaming of
Believe me
I don’t want to set the world on fire
I just want to start
A flame in your heart
[Spoken Word] I don't wanna set the world on fire, honey
I love you too much
I just wanna start a great big flame
Down in your heart
You see, way down inside of me
Darlin' I have only one desire
And that one desire is you
And I know nobody else ain't gonna do
Believe me
I don’t want to set the world on fire
I just want to start
A flame in your heart
The song's lyrics is not very long but in a few verses The ink spots had made an eloquent track.
In the first verses they compare the war destruction (the world is on fire because of the Second World War) with the passion and tje flame that burns the main character heart beacause he's in love with a woman.
This man is ready to give up his fame and all his ambitions to run after his beloved lady and he
doesn't want anything else but passion.
Maybe he thinks that only this girl can give him what he wants for his life.This track is the perfect mix of Jazz and Doo Wop, two of the most famous kinds of music in the 19th
century.
Glossary
Flame: burning gas or vapor, as from wood or coal. A fire makes flames, flames can be dangerous because you can get burnt Wanna: want to, it expresses a desire
Wordly acclaim: the fame and notoriety in the society
I wasn’t that type of guy that listens to rock music. I usually preferred the most commercial one, like some rap, pop, the Italian one… But that day I started loving that music genre!
It was a Saturday afternoon, my friend Giovanni and I were ready… We were ready to go to the betting shop like we do every week and place a winning bet... or at least to try to win!
During the trip Gio connected his phone to the car’s bluetooth, and he started playing some random songs.
Than he looked at me saying: “Listen to this!”
I don’t know... My first impression was how good that song was, how relaxing music can be.
So I tried to listen to it a few more times and then I fell in love!
I started listening to other similar songs and to other bands: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, etc. I loved them all, but this was the one that makes me appreciate this type of music, so... here it is!
The text talks about Jimmy, a guy that is in a psychological confusion, sadness and loneliness period.
He is in a lonely, silence and empty road and he is walking alone. This guy consideres this road like a house and the only place he has ever really known. In that street the only living things are his heart and his shadow and he sometimes has the wish that beside him there could be someone but “Till then I walk alone".
“Boulevard of broken dreams”
I walk a lonely road,
The only one that I have ever known,
Don't know where it goes,
But it's home to me and I walk alone,
I walk this empty street,
On the boulevard of broken dreams,
Where the city sleeps,
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone,
I walk alone,
I walk alone,
I walk a..
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me,
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating,
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me,
'Til then I walk alone
I'm walking down the line,
That divides me somewhere in my mind,
On the borderline of the edge,
And where I walk alone,
Read between the lines of what's
Fucked up and everything's alright,
Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive,
And I walk alone
Glossary: Trip: a journey for some purpose (usually including the return) Betting shop: a licensed bookmaker's shop where people may place bets, watch horse races etc on television, and collect their winnings Appreciate: to recognize with gratitude, to be grateful for something Sadness: emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being Loneliness: sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned
“Africa” is the song recorded by me (Young Stev).
I have written the lyrics alone and I have sung it.
The song talks about Africa.
It's a very nice song, I wrote the song thinking about a friend of my father who died very young because of a gunshot on December 8th 1999.
The song was written on January 9th 2015 and recorded atFresh African Composers Studio inc.
The first comments on this successful song could only come from a friend called Rich Boy, the president of the Fresh African Composers (the group I'm part of), who distributed and advertised the song and the soundtrack.
On December 12th 2015 the song came out to commemorate the date of Stev’s father’s friend.
A.F.R.I.C.A.
Many people dying for many reasons.
Because of war,
We don't have love.
We let our people die on the floor.
Jah gave us knowledge but we use it for money.
We never give a damn about the future coming.
Selfishness is killing us,
We never give a damn about somebody else.
(V. 1)
Uh.. Moma used to tell me,
Nigga you're stupid.
But I know that you can't do it,
never think about this foolish.
Many children in Africa, working for some shoes.
And now I know that you got many excuse to go to school.
Course we're living in a world,
Full of war,
Because of Yella stupid,
motherf*cker on the throne.
We were born to be kings.
Not to be losers.
Not to be losers like Mike Alex and Cooper.
(Hook)
A.F.R.I.C.A
Many people dying for many reasons.
Because of war,
We don't have love.
We let our people die on the floor.
Jah gave us knowledge but we use it for many.
We never give a damn about the future coming.
Selfishness is killing us,
We never give a damn About somebody else.
(V. 2)
All I want to say is : " Thanks to Jah"
For what he does,
He makes me get the muss.
Course all he always do,
Is forgiving and saving us.
One day I'll be like Nas.
Can't believe my life sometime.
At the age of six my grandma died and pass away.
My Daddy cried many times it was like he lost the way.
People fall everyday but we try to stay on.
Many people dying all because of starvation (Peace).
(Hook)
A.F.R.I.C.A
Many people dying for many reasons.
Because of war,
We don't have love.
We let our people die on the floor.
Jah gave us knowledge but we use it for many.
We never give a damn about the future coming.
Selfishness is killing us,
We never give a damn about somebody else.
Glossary
War: it is an armed combat between two or more countries or between different groups of people within the same country. As the soul singer Edwin Starr asked, "War! Huh! What is it good for?" Absolutely nothing.
Knowledge: to know or be aware of things.
Selfishness: the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others.
Throne: kings and queens sit on thrones on special ceremonial occasions, and so do religious figures such as bishops and popes.
Starvation: the act of depriving of food or subjecting to famine.
Soundtrack: a recording of acoustic signals
Jah: a name for the God of the Old Testament as transliterated from the Hebrew consonants
Give a damn: don't care
Many: If you have a great number of
Loser: A loser is the team or person that did not win or succeed
About three years ago there was a dance competitions between Ashraf and Evelyn (two of my classmates).
Ashraf is from Morocco and Evelyn from Gana and she’s one of my closest friends.
Our Italian teacher didn’t know that she has two very brilliant dancers in her class but she became more curious about them and decided to announce a dance challenge.
When they start dancing everyone having fun, most of the guys in the classroom were cheering for Evelyn because she was good and perfect with each and every move also because she started dancing when she was very little so maybe that was her plus point, but our teacher she was cheering for both of them. At the end Evelyn win the dance competition.
The duration of this challenge was almost half an hour and those 30 minutes were one of the best moments for the whole class.
The best part of this competition it was the participation, the desire and having fun the whole class with each other, that’s why I have chosen this song.
TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE
They be like smooth(what?)
Can you teach me how to dougie?
You know why?
Cause all the bitches love me(aye)
All I need is a beat that's super bumpin
And for you, you, and you to back it up and dump it!
Put your arms out front, lean side to side
They gona be on you when they see you hit dat dougie right?
Aint nobody fuckin wit my bro from morningside
He go by bubba and he hit dat dance with thunder
I ain’t from dallas but I d-town boogie
I show my moves off and everybody tryna do me
I leave da function and all da ladies tryna screw me
You just do you and ima do me(all day)
Niggas love to hate so they try to screw me
Bitches be stuck to me I think they tryna glue me
I make the party shine bright when it start to boomin
Dis beat was bubblegum so I had to chew it
[Chorus]
Teach me how to dougie
T-teach me how to dougie
Teach me how to dougie
T-teach me how to dougie
All my bitches love me
All my, all my bitches love me
All my bitches love me
You ain’t fuckin with my dougie! x2
[Verse 2]
My name is young!
For da dudes who don't know me
I know I'm from da west but I can teach you how to dougie!
Step up in da club and all these bitches bug me
All da niggas dancin and none of them know me
I hear da crowd screamin like "aye! get it brody!"
So I'm on my and I take it real low
Dey like "how you do dat?" he can dougie on the floor
And when dat nigga stop they like "dougie some more!"
I'm like a nigga kinda tired so, I pass it to da bro!
M-bone! show these cats how to do dat down south dance
Dat we learned a lil too fast and bought it to da hood
And got da whole crew askin..
In the song the expressions “teach me”, “all I need”, “how you do dat” are connected to our daily life and to the fact that we often need to ask someone for help. It is a good thing to ask for help, butwe should never forget to believe in ourselves and in our skills. If anyone thinks that we are not good at doing something it’s our duty to prove who we really are(“So I'm on my and I take it real low”).
Glossary
Challenge: a call to engage in a contest or fight.
Desire: the feeling of wanting to have something or wishing that something will happen.
Smooth: having a surface free from roughness or irregularities.
Dougie: a
slang used when someone wants another to teach them how to be like themselves
or someone else. Basically it means
teach me how to be cool.
Beat: hit
repeatedly.
Dump it: to put down or drop something in a careless way.Lean: to incline or bend from a vertical position. Ain't: is like saying are not...am not. Thunder: the sudden loud noise that comes from sky Glue: adhesive used to stick two items together. Chew it: to bite and grind with the teeth. Dude: a man who is very fancy and sharp in dress and demeanor/comportment. Crowd: a large number of things or people considered together. Lil:the short form for “little”: Hood: a headdress that protects the head and face. Crew: an organized group of workmen.
Da: the
Dis: this These words are used in the rap music and they are the simple transcription of the pronounciation of the same words
The Mars Cake is a tasty and crispy dessert. It is very easy to prepare, but generally the recipe is interpreted at pleasure by the chef with the addition of creative ingredients, sometimes not included in the original recipe. Definitely the purists of the kitchen will turn up their nose hearing a recipe of a cake made with Mars (junk food), but I think that every sweet contains at least one unhealthy ingredient and that is not the use of junk food in itself to define our health, but how much of it we consume! I personally know a special recipe that one of my dearest friend has kindly given to me: we cooked it together last summer and during the preparation she confided to me that this dessert always reminds her of her childhood and her holidays in Tunisia, when her grandfather prepared it with much care and passion for her and her sister. He died four years ago and whenever she misses him, she makes the Mars Cake to feel a little better. Obviously there is a secret ingredient that he has handed down to her granddaughter and that unfortunately we can not reveal …
Ingredients:
· 200 grams of puffed rice · One confection of Mars · Chocolate · 80 gram of butter.
Preparation: 1. Butter the pie; 2. Slice to pieces the Mars; 3. Melt the butter with the chocolate in a pot, if you want you can use the microwave oven; 4. Put the puffed rice in the baking tray with the chocolate; 5. Put everything in the baking tray in the fridge for two hours; 6. Remove from the fridge your cake and taste it!
Glossary Crispy: something that is thin, dry, and breakable Slice: to cut some objects Pieces: it is a portion of the food, a portion of something larger Melt: to reduce something from a solid to a liquid state. Pot: it is a container used in cooking Baking tray: it is kitchen utensil made of metal used for cooking cookies or biscuits in the oven
The song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur is one of his most famous songs.
In this song many subjects about Afro-American injustices are examined: themes like poverty and racism influence the life of African-American deeply, indeed. In the song “Changes”, Tupac gives an inside look at the daily life of an African-American: in the first part of the song Tupac first talks about how some social problems are linked together. He makes a correlation between his skin color and being poor: “I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black”.
Then he explains how poverty causes crime: “My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch".
Tupac suggests that the African-Americans should work together to solve poverty, racism and violence: “I got love for my brother, but we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other. We gotta start makin' changes”. In these two verses, it could be noticed that Tupac uses the pronoun “we” to represent Afro-American unity. The importance of unity makes it possible to change the ways to deal with these social problems.
In the song Tupac also speaks about Huey Percy Newton: Huey was an Afro-American political activist and revolutionary who, along with Bobby Seale, co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966The Black Panther Party or BPP was a revolutionary black nationalist and socialist organization active in the United States from 1966 until 1982. Government oppression initially contributed to the growth of the party as killings and arrests of Panthers increased support for the party within the black community. Black Panther Party membership consisted of recent migrants whose families traveled north and west to escape the southern racial regime.
Tupac says then that they aren’t ready to see a black president: in my opinion he was saying that maybe someday in the future this would be a wonderful thing but at that time people should try to focus on the willingness to change because there are many reforms needed in the black community (it sounds strange thinking that the song was released in 1998 and that 11 years later Barack Obama would have become President of the USA).
In some verses Tupac says that it is time for Afro-American people to do some changes from the way they eat to the way they live, becoming independent and successful people, fighting injustices and staying together. Then Tupac speaks about the war on drugs instead of the war of poverty that people are fighting for, he sees in the police a reason to bother him about drugs and not about poverty. A couple of verses further, Tupac talks about the unity for changes that has not happened because there are too many selfish people who are not ready to give up their personal interests.
“Try to show another way, but they stayin' in the dope game”: these verses show that people have a choice but they choose the life of crime instead . I like this song for two reasons: the first one is that I think Tupac is the best rapper ever existed and the second reason is that this songs talks about the everyday reality of black people all around the world. Maybe black people lived bigger and more evident injustices before (in the 50’s or 60’s) but even now they have to do with racism and violence: their life is hard, for sure. They have always suffered a lot and this makes me sad and I feel a little useless because I can’t do much to help them. I hope someday people will not make differences between black and white skin because we are all in this together and we are all the same.
Come on come on
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
Is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black
My stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
Pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
One less hungry mouth on the welfare
First ship 'em dope and let 'em deal the brothers
Give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
Two shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
Unless we share with each other
We gotta start makin' changes
Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers
And that's how it's supposed to be
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids
But things changed, and that's the way it is
That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah
That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah
I see no changes all I see is racist faces
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
One better place, let's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'Cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
And only time we chill is when we kill each other
It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
The penitentiary’s packed, and it's filled with blacks
But some things will never change
Try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
Bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
Sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid"
Well hey, well that's the way it is
That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah
That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah
We gotta make a change
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
And let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
What we gotta do, to survive.
And still I see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
It's war on the streets and the war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
So the police can bother me
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do
But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,
Crack you up and pimp smack you up
You gotta learn to hold ya own
They get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
But tell the cops they can't touch this
I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
My mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped
And I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
Some buck that I roughed up way back
Comin' back after all these years
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh
That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah
That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah
Some things will never change.
Glossary Linked: when something is connected Explains: when you give a reason for something To solve: when you have something to do Noticed: something that can be seen Pronoun: I, you, he/she/it, we , you, they Deal: when you accord something with someone Further: something additional Worth: something that has got a value Erase: to remove something, to delete Snatch: to steal something and to run away Trigger: it is a metal lever that when pulled discharges a gun Dope: street name for marijuana Step back: to return back Close: near to someone Wonder: to ask yourself Chill: when you get relaxed Heal : to get recover from an illness Conceal: hiding from being seen or discovered Penitentiary: it is a prison for big-time criminals convicted of big-time crimes Packed: something filled to capacity, full Sleazy: something low and nasty Jack you up: to lift with a special device Strapped: when you are strong and large, or when you have no more money Buck: slang word for dollar Selfish: when a person is egoist and thinks only about himself Give up: to admit defeat
It’s a cylindical drum made of leather. It works with a rod, with a set of traditional instruments.
