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Dear brothers and sisters in the global family, we are together - for peace! Nous Sommes Ensemble (which means "we are together" in French) is CryPeace's song to express this. A translation of the words into English is provided below.

It was so fun and fulfilling to produce this, my first song, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, last year. I am an avid poet and a pianist, but this was the first time my words were set to music. To transform them from paper to music was a collaboration. Nzanza Del and I worked for several weeks on the melody, then Del invited the rest of the talented local singers and musicians to the studio. For hours over three days, we laid down tracks, mixed, improvised, and emerged with the song. After 3 days listening to the song come together on repeat, I still loved singing and dancing along to it! I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed producing it.

 

Nous Sommes Ensemble - Version COVID-19

The song expresses my hopes for the world as we face the current coronavirus crisis so well that I asked Del and Merveille Musavuli, the female vocalist, to produce a COVID-19 version. They quickly made the changes and we want to share this message of solidarity with the world. We can overcome COVID-19, but only if we work together.

(please scroll to the bottom of the page to play the song)

 

Cover.jpg

Nous Sommes Ensemble - Version Ebola

The song was written in the Congo in the midst of the second largest Ebola crisis to date. At the time of writing, May 2020, the Congo is approaching the second anniversary of the outbreak, but the end is not yet in sight. God protect you and heal you from this devastating disease. We need to stick together to finally vanquish it. Stay tuned for this version - I'm working on the cover art so it will look beautiful in your mp3 player!

• (please scroll to the bottom of the page to play the song)

 

Nous Sommes Ensemble - Version Original

The original version of the song is the most lasting and universal. Written in memory of all conflicts, and all dreams for peace, it expresses my hope that we will choose peace - together.

• (please scroll to the bottom of the page to play the song)

 

Video

Please visit this page again for the upcoming videos.

• Coming soon

 

Learn more about the production

To learn more about how it the song was produced, and watch a fun video of the very basic one-room studio in a lively compound in Goma, DRC, please see my related blog post. As we recorded, children were dancing outside the window, a woman was cooking over a three-stone fire in the courtyard, while another woman was doing laundry in a basin. Sometimes a rooster would crow (adding their joyful voices). It was one of the most fun experiences I have enjoyed!

• Nous Sommes Ensemble - Producing a Song for Peace

 

Lyrics

 

Nous Sommes Ensemble	We’re in this Together
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re in this together
Soit pour la paix ou la guerre	Whether for peace or for war
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re in this together
Soit pour soigner les autres ou les blesser	Whether to heal others or to hurt them
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re in this together
Soit pour la justice ou l’impunité	Whether for justice or impunity
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re in this together
Soit pour guérir notre pays ou tous mourir (Soit pour nous protéger d’Ebola ou tous mourir) (Soit pour nous protéger du COVID-19 ou tous mourir)	Whether to heal our country or all die (Whether to protect ourselves from Ebola or all die) (Whether to protect ourselves from COVID-19 or all die)
Moi, je choisi la paix	Me, I choose peace
Moi, je choisi le respect	Me, I choose respect
Moi, je choisi la justice	Me, I choose justice
Moi, je choisi la santé	Me, I choose health
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re in this together
Soit pour pardonner ou rétribuer à jamais	Whether to forgive or revenge forever
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re in this together
Soit pour un bon avenir ou un mauvais	Whether for a good future or a bad one
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re in this together
Soit pour l’amour ou pour la haine	Whether for love or for hate
Moi, je choisi pardonner	Me, I choose to forgive
Moi, je choisi contribuer	Me, I choose to give
Moi, je choisi aimer	Me, I choose to love
Nous, nous choisissons l’amour	Us, we choose love
Nous, nous choisissons l’unité	Us, we choose unity
Nous, nous choisissons l’amour	Us, we choose love
Nous, nous choisissons l’unité	Us, we choose unity
Sommes-nous ensemble ?	Are you with us?
Moi, je choisi la paix	Me, I choose peace
Moi, je choisi le respect	Me, I choose respect
Moi, je choisi la justice	Me, I choose justice
Moi, je choisi la santé	Me, I choose health
Êtes-vous ensemble ?	Are you with me?
Moi, je choisi la paix (êtes-vous ensemble ?)	Me, I choose respect (are you with me?)
Moi, je choisi le respect (êtes-vous ensemble ?)	Me, I choose justice (are you with me?)
Moi, je choisi la justice (êtes-vous ensemble ?)	Me, I choose health (are you with me?)
Moi, je choisi la santé (êtes-vous ensemble ?)	Are you with me? (are you with me?)
Cherchons la paix avec tous	Let’s seek peace with everyone
Éradiquons le tribalisme, et l’égoïsme, la violence du côté, du côté	Eradicate tribalism and egoism, put violence aside, put it aside
Car sans la paix il n’y a pas de vie meilleure	Because without peace there is no better life
Car sans la paix il n’y a que le mort	Because without peace there is nothing but death
Moi, je choisi la paix	Me, I choose peace
L’amour, c’est la route vers la paix	Love is the path to peace
Moi, je choisi aimer	Me, I choose to love
La haine dans rien, non, non, non	Hate gives nothing, no, no, no
Moi, je choisi la paix	Me, I choose peace
L’amour nous guidera vers la paix	Love will guide us towards peace
Moi, je choisi aimer	Me, I choose to love
La haine dans rien que la peine	Hate brings nothing but pain

 

A Note To Radio Producers and Choirs

If you need a high-resolution version for radio, or an instrumental track to perform Nous Sommes Ensemble live, please email Carole or contact me via Whatsapp at +1-249-490-4888.

Artist: CryPeace with Nzanzu DeL and Merveille Musavuli

Lyricist: Carole St. Laurent

Composer: Nzanzu DeL with Carole St. Laurent

Album: CryPeace

Contributors: Nzanzu DeL (male lead vocalist), Merveille Musavuli (female lead vocalist), Yeremia Vindu (sound engineer, trumpet), Josias Yusubu (vocals), Alain Sivihwa (vocals), Mandela Maliro (guitar), Aspirine (percussion)

Cover art: https://crypeace.org/sites/default/files/Covid_Cover_1400.png

Artist bio:

Carole St. Laurent is a peace poet who has travelled the world in search of personal stories for peace. She shares these stories, and reflections on peace, through poems, articles, video and photography, hoping to nurture empathy which leads to peace. In the last twelve years Carole has heard the stories of street children and former child soldiers in Uganda, survivors and peacebuilders of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, citizens and peacebuilders in Israel and the West Bank, indigenous people in Panama, bikers in Ontario, and ordinary people in Turkey, Cyprus, Cambodia, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and beyond.

Nous Sommes Ensemble is Carole's first song. It was one of the most powerful ways she has found to communicate peace. She hopes to collaborate with other musicians on future projects.

Learn more about Carole.

 

Listen to the Song