Hello, in this post I will be translating and explaining the lyrics of the song ‘Fearless’ by Flavour featuring Ejyk Nwamba from the new album ‘African Royalty’.
The song is about a masquerade in the Igbo land known as Ijele, the song talks about how superior the Ijele masquerade is to every other masquerade.
[Intro]
Give me chance
Anọchikwena ụzọ
(Don’t stay on the road)
I kwụchikwee m ụzọ, na aga m ajamụkwa gị, kpowaị!
(If you block my road/path, I will jam you)
kpowaị!
In the intro, the singer was addressing someone and told the person to make way for him and not obstruct his path and he proceeded to warn the person that if he/she should block his road, he will run over the person. Kpowai is an illustration of the sound a car makes when it collides with someone or something.
[Chorus]
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
The king is here, make everybody dobale o
(The king is here, everybody should prostrate)
I mana Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(Do you know that if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
Anya fụlụ ugo daa, na ana-afụ ugo daa-daa
(The eyes that sees the eagle should bow, because the eagle is hardly seen)
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
The king is here, make everybody prostrate o
I mana Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(Do you know that if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
In the chorus, Flavour was saying that if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade that is on stage, the masquerade that everyone respects and fears will have to pause his performance and give chance for Ijele.
In the hierarchy of masquerades, the Ijele masquerade is the biggest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Igbo culture, whenever a masquerade is outside performing, if a bigger masquerade shows up, the smaller masquerade must give chance for the bigger masquerade. So here Flavour was singing about how superior the Ijele masquerade is. Since no masquerade in Igbo land is higher than Ijele, if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade that is on stage must pause his performance and give chance for Ijele. (For more details about the Ijele masquerade, read here and/or here)
Here is a photo of Flavour in front of Ijele.
Here is a video of Ijele.
Anya fụlụ ugo daa, na ana-afụ ugo daa-daa
This part of the song means, the eyes that sees the eagle must bow because the eagle is hardly seen. The Igbos adore the eagle and for the Igbos, the eagle symbolizes excellence. That’s why in the red cap of Igbo chiefs. You don’t run into an eagle randomly just like most other birds, it is rarely seen.
The eagle in the context of the song is referring to the Ijele masquerade. The Ijele masquerade is not a masquerade that comes out often, before the Ijele comes out, Seven Cannon gunshot are released to the air alongside the sound of its royal music, or else Ijele won’t come out. So whenever the Ijele eventually comes out, it must be respected and praised.
Fearless
Atụegwu
(Fearless)
Ị sị na ọ ma mba (hewu) ọ bụrụ ọgwụ na ọ ma nle (eyeleh)
(If you say it won’t work, if it’s charm, the charm won’t work)
Fearless
Lion heart
Ị sị na ọ ma mba (hewu) ọ bụrụ ọgwụ na ọ ma nle (eyeleh)
(If you say it won’t work, if it’s charm, the charm won’t work)
I si na o ma m ba
O buru ogwu na o man le. Let me explain this with an example, let’s say you are supposed to get a contract by next month and an evil jealous neighbor comes and tells you that you won’t get that contract, you can reply with “I si na o ma m ba, O buru ogwu na o man le” meaning if you say it won’t work, of it’s charm, your charm won’t work” that’s even if the person uses charm to try to stop it from working, their charm won’t work.
Unshakable (eyii, oh), unstoppable (eleleh)
Ijele nnwa, mmanwụ jee, mmanwụ anaa
Agbala nnwa, ọ kwụlụ, ọ kaa (eyeleh)
Ejyk Nwamba, ọ salụgo ọkụ (ọ salụgo ọkụ)
‘Mmanwu jee mmanwu a naa’ this means ‘Masquerade come, masquerade go’. Normally when a small masquerade is on stage and is performing, if a bigger masquerade shows up, the small one will immediately give chance for the big one. Whenever Ijele shows up, every other masquerade gives chance for Ijele. So that’s the meaning of ‘Mmanwu jee mmanwu a naa’, that is masquerade come, masquerade go.
Agbala nwa
O kwulu o kaa
This one means a huge person or someone with an intimidating physique.
O salugo oku. It literally means ‘It has caught fire’ but in the song’s context, it means things have gotten heated up or like it’s action time now.
[Chorus]
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
The king is here, make everybody dobale o
(The king is here, everybody should prostrate)
I mana Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(Do you know that if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
Anya fụlụ ugo daa, na ana-afụ ugo daa-daa
(The eyes that sees the eagle should bow, because the eagle is hardly seen)
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
The king is here, make everybody prostrate o
I mana Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(Do you know that if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
Ah-eh, ọgbọ ọgụ adịgo tight oh (ọ sagụ ọkụ oh)
(Ah-eh,The stage fight has gotten tight/serious (It has caught fire))
I bukwa ike, i bukwa ike eji eme odogwu?
(Do you have strength, do you have the strength of Odogwu?)
Ah-eh, ọgbọ ọgụ adịgo tight oh (ọnọ n’ogbọ, ndị mmụọ nọ n’ogbọ)
(Ah-eh, The stage fight has gotten tight/serious (He’s on stage, the spirits are on stage))
I bukwa ike, i bukwa ike eji aba mba?
(Do you have strength, do you have strength they use in shouting/complaining?)
I bukwa ike e ji eme Odogwu? it literally means do you have strength they use in doing Odogwu? That is do you have odogwu’s type of strength?
Odogwu means a strong person or a mighty person.
Ah-eh, ọgbọ ọgụ adịgo tight oh (ekeke)
(Ah-eh, the stage fight have gotten tight/serious)
I bukwa ike, i bukwa ike eji eme odogwu?
(Do you have strength, do you have the strength of Odogwu?)
Anyị apụta ọgbọ
(We have come out on stage)
Ah-eh, ọgbọ ọgụ adịgo tight oh
(Ah-eh, the stage fight have gotten tight)
Ọ salụgo ọkụ
(It’s on fire)
I bukwa ike, i bukwa ike eji aba mba? (Eyeye)
(Do you have strength, do you have strength they use in shouting/complaining?)
Fearless
Atụegwu
(Fearless)
Ị sị na ọ ma mba (hewu) ọ bụrụ ọgwụ na ọ ma nle (eyeleh)
(If you say it won’t work, if it’s charm, the charm won’t work)
Fearless
Lion heart
Ị sị na ọ ma mba (hewu) ọ bụrụ ọgwụ na ọ ma nle (eyeleh)
(If you say it won’t work, if it’s charm, the charm won’t work)
Unshakable (eyii, oh), unstoppable (eleleh)
Ijele nnwa, mmanwụ jee, mmanwụ anaa
Agbala nnwa, ọ kwụlụ, ọ kaa (eyeleh)
Ejyk Nwamba, ọ salụgo ọkụ (ọ salụgo ọkụ)
[Chorus]
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
The king is here, make everybody dobale o
(The king is here, everybody should prostrate)
I mana Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(Do you know that if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
Anya fụlụ ugo daa, na ana-afụ ugo daa-daa
(The eyes that sees the eagle should bow, because the eagle is hardly seen)
Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(If Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
The king is here, make everybody prostrate o
I mana Ijele pụta, mmanwụ ukwu na ọgbọ ga-echelụgodi
(Do you know that if Ijele comes out, the big masquerade on stage will wait)
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