La musique d’Owa
Entre les envolées vocales puissantes et atmosphériques de Nadia Simon
et les notes célestes des Handpans de Laurent Sureau se déploie la musique d’Owa.
Leur style Pop Trip- Hop nouveau et inclassable (parce qu'il faut bien les mettre dans une case), nous rappelle l'univers musicale de Lisa Gérard (Dead can dance) et Manu Delago (batteur de Björk).
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Lancinantes et entêtantes, les mélodies d’Owa se
retiennent instantanément, telles des ritournelles de pop anglo-saxonne. La plupart des
textes sont en effet chantés en anglais : Birds - qui ouvre le premier album du duo - met
en garde ceux qui voudraient voler trop haut, au risque de se brûler les ailes ; Dreamers
débute comme une berceuse évoquant des temps difficiles pour les rêveurs, mais enfle en
hymne de rébellion invitant à rêver deux fois plus ; Promises - qui a donné son nom au
disque - s’interroge sur la meilleure façon de rendre vivants nos promesses ; Ice Flow s’ouvre
sur une pluie de notes cristallines, puis s’accélère et scande "qu'on n’a qu’une vie " ;
le seul cover est To build a home (The cinematic orchestra) qui emporte
l’auditeur dans une douce mélancolie ; enfin, We are est un hymne en puissance qui
rappelle que « l’être » vaut mieux que le « faire ».
Mais si l’anglais est la langue internationale par excellence, l’universalité du propos d’Owa
puise aussi sa source dans le dialecte imaginaire qu’a inventé Nadia Simon (à l’instar de
Christian Vander avec son groupe Magma ou, plus récemment, Nosfell et Camille).
Cette langue expressive et délicate aux consonances africaines habille sur mesure les chansons
Doumana et Djana’s Spleen.
Quant au morceau qui clôture l’album, Green leaf, il a été enregistré avec la complicité
d’une « plante musicienne » : des capteurs posés sur les feuilles ont permis de transférer
les impulsions électriques de la plante vers une source midi, afin de les traduire en notes
de musique. Comme un symbole de ce dialogue qu’Owa se plaît à retisser entre l'homme et le végétal.
Lyrics
Birds
You always look very far, you always think about tomorrow and you forget the real things.
You better listen to the signs
listen to the sweet voices in your heart
and not the call of fear?
you die cause you fly too high.
to always want more you burned your wings
Is too much to listen to his desires?
Wanting to be either ,is really wanting too much?
Refrain
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Dreamers
She find the day to long , she roars
When the moon comes , she howls
She speaks the language of the stars
She tells stories and makes rituals
She paints her face and beats ,the drum
The pace of our mother earth
She crosses into the unseen worlds
Wonderful places full of colors
Won't she let herself shine ?
Won't she let herself shine ?
Won't she let herself shine ?
Won't she let herself shine ?
She feels the truth and feels the love
She touches your soul and you cry a lot
Her songs speak straight to your heart, straight in your heart ,So
Won't you let yourself shine ?
Won't you let yourself shine ?
Won't you let yourself shine ?
She catches all the nightmares and paints them all as a rainbow
She catches all the nightmares and paints them all as a rainbow
She catches all the nightmares and paints them all as a rainbow
Times are hard for the dreamers
Times are hard for the dreamers
Times are haaaaard …haaaaard.....for the dreamers
Times are hard for the dreamers so let’s dream twice more
Ice Flow
Before there was the ice floe
Before there was the sea , there was the sea
Before there were bees
Before there were trees , there were Trees
Life is merciless
Life is merciless
In the dismay and the fear keep silent
Stay at the bottom of the abyss
You blame the merciless life
You fell into the hole
Why do you look pushed you when it's you who jumped
So much hatred, rancor, which are blinding you
You don't even see the moon that guide you
If you grow up in the lessons of the deepest of your wounds
You will see that the world is good
Life is merciless
Wait, wait,
wake up wake up
You must breathe before the breaking up
If life is Merciless, I think you are worse and you win !
So
Be kind and quit all your remorse .
Look in the mirror
Love your Body and your soul.
There is no error
it's your life and you've got just One ! x2
Before there were bees
Before there were trees , there were Trees
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Doumana
Dououmana amacéo
douououna doumacéko
dé omalaaa céko
douna soafidé omanaaa sounooow
douououou omaléo
douououou doumacéko
Promises
Under the tree i was thinking of how
our dream could become true and alive ?
We were full of promises
And what about today ?
I was looking beyond the time and the past how
our memories stay alive in our hearts
We were full of promises
we were and today ?
Remember the joy and the melody
and that feeling that danced in your
Body
Yes we were hope and we are still be
just walk on the path and sing
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We are
I want to ear your voices through the ocean
i want to touch your souls with mine
I want to open doors of hearts
i want to show you the light
Everyone knows That we are only passing
through the earth finally
so share the only treasure you have ,There
is nothing to do , just to be
Because
We are love
We are love ...