Yo, Yo, Mwana Oyo Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Congo Basin’s cradle-song tradition, where the region’s great rivers often appear in lullaby imagery. Here you will find the lyrics, English translation, meaning, and chords.
Lyrics & chords
An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
Verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
What “Yo, Yo, Mwana Oyo” Means
The great rivers of the Congo Basin run through daily life and through its music — even a traditional rowing song like ‘Uele moliba makasi’ (‘the current is very strong’) doubles as a cradle song in some communities. This original lullaby echoes that river imagery in Lingala, with ‘mwana’ (child) as its gentle refrain.
More songs to sing & play
Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies — each one with a different friend.
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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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