Malinke Lullaby
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Malinke Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Malinke people of eastern Guinea, heirs to the ancient Mali Empire and a rich oral storytelling tradition. Malinke oral historians, known as griots or jeliw, have for centuries preserved the epic of Sundiata Keita, the legendary founder of the Mali Empire, reciting it to the sound of the kora, a 21-string harp-lute that remains one of West Africa’s most distinctive instruments. Here you will find the lyrics, meaning, and chords.
Lyrics & chords
An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
Verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
What “Malinke Lullaby” Means
The Malinke people of eastern Guinea are heirs to the historic Mali Empire, with a culture rich in oral storytelling traditions passed down through generations. This original lullaby draws on those savanna and storytelling images of Malinke life.
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- An original lullaby by Relax In No Time, inspired by the musical traditions of its region. The words, melody, arrangement and recording are ours.
- Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
- Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
- Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.
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