African Before The Cities · English / Pidgin / Efik / Ibibio / Igbo
Elders' Arena
Where disputes dissolve under the weight of grey hair and measured speech.
Lyrics
(Intro)
Eh eh…
Moonlight for village square…
Drum dey call the people…
Before social media…
Before television…
We already had connection…
Usung ke ufọk idem…
(Culture is the home of the people)
Ama ala… obi ndụ…
(Village square… heart of life)
(Verse 1 — The Gathering Place)
Under iroko tree where elders sit
Village square dey make the people meet
Farmer, hunter, trader, child
Everybody gather from mile to mile
Town crier drum when message come
Whole community dey gather as one
No isolation, no lonely soul
Community life na the central goal
Marriage dance and wrestling fight
Moonlight stories through the night
Masquerade spirit begin to rise
Children watching with wonder eyes
Ama edi ufọk uwem
(The square is the house of life)
Nditọ idem kiet ke kiet
(The people gather together)
(Pre-Chorus)
Before the internet and telephone
Village square already bring us home
Every voice mattered, every story lived
Wisdom and love the elders give
(Chorus — Call & Response)
Lead: Village square… heartbeat of Africa!
Choir: Heartbeat! Heartbeat!
Lead: Under the moonlight we become one!
Choir: We become one! We become one!
Lead: Drum dey speak and the people dance!
Choir: Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhythm!
Lead: Spirit of community never die!
Choir: Never die! Never die!
(Verse 2 — The School of Wisdom)
No classroom wall, no fancy board
But wisdom deeper than written word
Grandmother story under the stars
Teaching life without expensive cars
Folktales carry hidden truth
Building courage inside the youth
Respect elders, honor your name
Protect the family from shame
Moonlight shine on children face
Listening quietly with grace
Proverbs flowing like river stream
Teaching more than school system dream
Itiaba ke usung anam ndọ
(Stories keep culture alive)
Omenala bu ndu anyi
(Tradition is our life)
(Chorus)
Lead: Village square… keeper of memory!
Choir: Memory! Memory!
Lead: Place where wisdom never fade away!
Choir: Never fade! Never fade!
Lead: Drum and dance unite the people!
Choir: Unite us now! Unite us now!
(Verse 3 — Justice & Leadership)
When conflict rise for family side
Village elders no go hide
Everybody gather hear the case
Truth and wisdom face to face
No corruption, no secret game
Community honor protect the name
Chief and elders settle the fight
Seeking balance and what is right
Drum go sound for urgent call
Young and old go answer all
Because village square no belong one man
Na shared heartbeat across the land
Ukpong idem edi kiet
(The spirit of the people is one)
Ikpe ziri ezi bu ndu
(Justice is life)
(Bridge — 2:40–3:05)
Modern city don change the pace
People hide behind digital face
But deep inside the soul still know
We need connection to truly grow
(Verse 4 — Spirit of the Square)
Festival fire begin to rise
Masquerade dancing before the eyes
Talking drum and flute combine
Ancestors spirit crossing time
Children laughing, women sing
Harvest joy the dancers bring
Under the stars community strong
Everybody feeling they belong
Though modernization change the way
Village square spirit still dey stay
In our memory, in our song
Africa roots still standing strong
Usung nnyin ama ọwọrọ
(Our culture still speaks)
Village square edi ubọk Abasi
(The village square is God's gathering place)
(Final Chorus — Big Choir Explosion)
Lead: Village square!
Choir: Heartbeat of Africa!
Lead: Spirit of the people!
Choir: We are one! We are one!
Lead: Under the moonlight!
Choir: We still gather! We still gather!
Lead: Drum and dance forever!
Choir: Africa rise! Africa rise!
Lead: Community spirit!
Choir: Never die!
Lead: Village square!
Choir: Keep us alive!
(Outro — 3:40–4:00)
When the world become too noisy…
Remember the village square…
Where stories heal…
Where drums unite…
Where people belong…
Because beneath the iroko tree…
Africa still breathes…
Na me be McEncomium…
Edemaya Son 🎤
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