Konkoba is MELO Collective's second official release, and we are proud to present this collaboration with Bijou from Guinea, Conakry. 

The track is our contribution to the support album for the Swedish political party Feminist Initiative: "F!". The release features 65 artists including Robyn, The Knife, Zhala, A Camp, Asha Ali, Linda Pira, Lune, Gnucci, Jaqee, Sarah Dawn Finer and many more. All revenues from the project will support Feminist Initiative's work to enter the European and Swedish national and local parliaments in 2014. 

See all contributions here: http://feministisktinitiativ.se/valskivan-f/ 
Order the double CD (39 tracks): http://butik.feministisktinitiativ.se/skivan
Listen to the full album (65 tracks) on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/16XLBiTCmMxMzoJn9zFEMW

See lyrics and credits below. Here follows a brief interview with Sara Soumah of MELO Collective, and Kadiatou Bijou Traore about the project:

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What is feminism to you? 
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Bijou: Feminism is a great responsibility, a responsibility to talk about the inequalities between men and women, and to talk about what the situation is like for women in their everyday lives.

Sara: Feminism is a struggle for rights and freedom. A struggle for real equality and liberation from ready-made templates of how people have to, or should, live. It's a fight for a society where everyone is included, are equal and have equal opportunity to make their own choices for their lives.

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Why are you supporting Feminist Initiative on this project?
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Bijou: When I was asked by Sara and MELO if I wanted to write a text about the situation of women in Guinea and the world, and to rap on Konkoba, I felt that I had the opportunity to say what is so deeply within me, to talk about how women are being treated and how this makes me hurt. It is an honor to be part of the F! album, and to speak about women's inequality.

Sara: Also for MELO it is an honor to contribute to bringing the feminist and anti racist struggle into the European and Swedish Parliaments. It is an incredibly important and necessary project, because this is about a politics that radically starts from the equal rights of all people. MELO wants to contribute to bringing in a clear opposition and resistance to the racists and nationalists who are becoming more established in Europe, and promote a politics where anti racist feminism is self-evident and included in all parts of society.

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Can you say something about the track?
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Sara: MELO first created a demo track using a Guinean rhythm called Konkoba, starting from a sample we recorded with the awesome drummers Bayano Soumah, Daouda Camara & Mackan Sylla. Having heard of an incredible Guinean rap artist, Bijou, MELO asked her if she wanted to write a text about womens' situation around her and in the world, and to do the vocals on the track, which she immediately accepted. She wrote the lyrics together with Kra de Lazia, and the vocals ware recorded in Conakry, Guinea. After that, MELO finished the editing, mixing and mastering in Sweden. We're very happy about the artistic results and think that we've managed to produce a pretty special soundscape, rhythm, and message; and Bijou's voice and flow on the beat is simply amazing..

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LYRICS (FRENCH & SOSO)
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(translated to English below)

PART 1
Si tu sais pas
les femmes ont souffert
victimes de tracas
des hommes lucifers	

Qu'est-ce qu'il faut faire
elles sont sans repère
pourtant c'est elles qui donnent la vie sur cette terre

[repeat x 2]

PART 2
Femme, non tu mérite pas ça	
tu n'es pas un outil		
pour qu'on te traite comme ça	

Femme, au réveil c'est toi la première	
quand la nuit tombe pour se coucher
c'est toi la dernière	

Femme, c'est toi qui gère le foyer
dès que ca ne va pas 
c'est toi les hommes veulent noyer

Femme, c'est toi qui fait le ménage
tu t'occupes de tout	
des enfants depuis leur jeunes âge

Femme, c'est toi Bijou veut défendre	
je me bats pour toi	
du janvier jusqu'au décembre

Femme, tu dois pas baisser les bras	
lève-toi, bat-toi, sûrtout réclame ton droît

PART 3 
Wo émali wo émali 
wo guinée yayé, yémali	
wakolon törè mouyérali	
konyi khaméra
fo woli	
kelli ba, imonèba
iramakha kata iféraba
guinée barra törö n'mou doundouma	
fo nkhafala, nkhafala konkoba

[repeat x2]

REPEAT PART 1 & 2

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LYRICS (ENG)
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PART 1
If you don't know
The women have suffered
Victim of troubles
Men of Lucifer

What can we do
They have no way out
Yet they're the ones bringing life onto this earth

[repeat x 2]

PART 2
Woman, you don't deserve it
You're not a tool
That can be treated this way 

Woman, when it's time to get up you're the first
When night falls to go to sleep
You're the last

Woman, it's you who takes care of the home
As soon as something's wrong
It's you the men put the burden on

Woman, you're the one cleaning up
You take care of everything
The kids from when they're born

Woman, it's you Bijou wants to defend
I'll fight for you
From January to December

Woman, don't lower your arms
Rise up, fight, claim your right!

PART 3
Help them, help them
Help the women
You know suffering is not for them
They're no slaves
They're constantly working
Rise up, you will succeed
Move, force yourself to do something
The women are suffering, I can't be silent
I will say it to you in Konkoba

[repeat x2]

REPEAT PART 1 & 2

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CREDITS
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Musical concept: MELO Collective (Sweden)
Lyrics: Kadiatou Bijou Traore & Kra de Lazia (Guinea)
Vocals: Bijou 
Project coordination, arrangement, composition, samples & additional vocals: Sara Soumah
Drums: Bayano Soumah, Daouda Camara & Mackan Sylla
Programming and editing: Anders Jacobson
Guitars: Ola Hjelmberg
Mixed and mastered by Andrea Fantuzzi

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MELO Collective Records are in part supported by Music Development and Heritage Sweden during 2014.


Konkoba (feat. Bijou)

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/4CSkZF3s5L093dKkfdFfc5
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/se/album/hollow-feat.-bahamadia-ep/id843378908
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/89704668
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-4O_MEbCYjoHXauTo3N6Cuav5KD5BXfn

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LYRICS
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1v.
So much injustice in this world operable under the sun / exploitation of the insolvent / misuses of guns / development of nuclear warheads a warning to some / large percentage hope's diminished systematically numbed / enchanted or stunned confused bout which direction to run due to vices of evil strategists thrown at us at once / classified like some cattle an expendable bunch / words like empowerment and freedom not intended for us....

Vamp
Cause most who we've elected meant to govern us / abuse positions like it's a prerequisite / to make elitist, heartless, egotistical / decisions that ultimately effect us all...

Chorus
Through cruel eyes an illusion magnified to a mind when it's shallow / will soon realize that within due time all lies unravel / ties that bind any thoughts assigned to the dark like shadows / til it's roots are aligned where TRUTH resides otherwise it's hollow...

Georgia Break
What have we become? / What are we running from? / It’s hard to see this world grow so cold / It’s time we rise / Wisely excersise / your natural right to shine / Open up your mind / Alas, there’s still time to make things right / Make it right

2v.
Political insanity's firmly gripped on humanity casually catching casualties gradually managing to move our condition beyond damaging / experiencing tragedy after tragedy for centuries throughout history / masterfully crafting the quality of LIFE'S vanishing / a travesty / one I'm compelled to speak about candidly how can there be / less accountability for faculty as if this mess they have made will repair itself magically / apparently authority has been charmed by vanity to hold in very high esteem any form of fallacy / disguising itself as anti anything traveling / against a current of what they've made a deranged fantasy...

Chorus x 2
Through cruel eyes an illusion magnified to a mind when it's shallow / will soon realize that within due time all lies unravel / ties that bind any thoughts assigned to the dark like shadows / til it's roots are aligned where TRUTH resides otherwise it's hollow...


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CREDITS
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Concept: MELO Collective (MELO Collective Records 2014) 
Vocals, lyrics & vocal mix: Bahamadia
Remix production, additional vocals and lyrics: Georgia Anne Muldrow
Bahamadia appears courtesy of Samadia Music
Co-Produced by A. Reed for Samadia Music
Co-Written by A. Reed published by Samadia Music (ASCAP)

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MELO Collective Records are in part supported by Music Development and Heritage Sweden during 2014.

Hollow (feat. Bahamadia) – Georgia Anne Muldrow Remix

Single from the new EP "For Grandma" by MELO Collective, release 28 August 2015.

Old Grandma

EP "Spåra - ett interaktivt äventyr för barn" ("Trace – an interactive adventure for kids". Spåra is a show that has performed over 200 times since 2012 for kids with and without special needs/abilities, and now it's time to share the music with everyone who has not (yet) seen the show :)

Spin to "The Circle Dance", climb and draw to "The Wall Dance", build a cozy house to "The Tunnel Dance" and dance around to the eternal question – does it end to begin with?The new versions are remastered and the release contains the bonus track "På jakt". 

Spåra is released on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon and most other digital services on October 27 2015.

CREDITS
Tar det slut där det börjar? // Does it end to begin with?
Music by Mia Dahlgren (cello), Anders Jacobson (composition, programming, glockenspiel, ukulele, melodica, percussion, vocals & editing), Olle Svensson (trombone) & Andrea Fantuzzi (synth bass, mix and mastering).
Danced on stage by: Markus Almqvist, Mathilda Bilberg, Agnes Brandemark, Andrea Fantuzzi, Ola Hjelmberg, Anders Jacobson, Melina Mastrotanasi, Stina Nyström, Josef Palm, Michelle Persson, Sara Soumah.


Tar det slut där det börjar? (Does it end to begin with)

Seven atmospheric tracks with guitar and electronics, clarinet, violin and metallophone. The music is created and performed by MELO Collective's Ola Hjelmberg, Andrea Fantuzzi, Isa-Maria Kvensler and Anders Jacobson.

Swamp

Sinking

Beginnings Happen [Bonus Track]

Music from our latest Performance, "a place". MELO Collective feat. Format. All music by MELO Collective, except "Track of Time", music and lyrics by Anna von Hausswolff and "Motljus", written by MELO Collective and Format.

07 Track Of Time

06 Motljus

04 Som Du

05 The Walk

03 Krackelering

02  Leaving

01 A Place

MELO Collective is a group of artists, dancers, musicians and architects. Since 2005 we have created performances, installations and music.

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