Nous Sommes Ensemble

Dear brothers and sisters in the one 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. 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 of 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.

Listen Now

Listen to the song now either below or on your favourite music app (Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Deezer, etc.).

Read the lyrics.

Nous Sommes Ensemble - Version COVID-19

The song expressed my hopes for the world as we faced the coronavirus crisis together so well that I asked Del and Merveille Musavuli, the female vocalist, to produce a COVID-19 version. They quickly made the changes 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)

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Nous Sommes Ensemble - Version Ebola

The song was written in the Congo in the midst of the second largest Ebola crisis to date. May God protect us from this devastating disease. We need to stick together to finally vanquish it.

(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)

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 its joyful voice to the music. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences I have ever enjoyed!

Nous Sommes Ensemble - Producing a Song for Peace

Lyrics

Nous Sommes Ensemble	We’re One Global Family
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re One Global Family
Soit pour la paix ou la guerre	Whether for peace or for war
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re One Global Family
Soit pour soigner les autres ou les blesser	Whether to heal others or to hurt them
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re One Global Family
Soit pour la justice ou l’impunité	Whether for justice or impunity
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re One Global Family
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 choisis la paix	Me, I choose peace
Moi, je choisis le respect	Me, I choose respect
Moi, je choisis la justice	Me, I choose justice
Moi, je choisis la santé	Me, I choose health

Nous sommes ensemble	We’re One Global Family
Soit pour pardonner ou rétribuer à jamais	Whether to forgive or revenge
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re One Global Family
Soit pour un bon avenir ou un mauvais	Creating our future for good or ill
Nous sommes ensemble	We’re One Global Family
Soit pour l’amour ou pour la haine	Whether for love or for hate

Moi, je choisis pardonner	Me, I choose to forgive
Moi, je choisis contribuer	Me, I choose to give
Moi, je choisis aimer	Me, I choose to love

Nous, nous choisissons l’amour	We, we choose love
Nous, nous choisissons l’unité	We, we choose unity
Nous, nous choisissons l’amour	We, we choose love
Nous, nous choisissons l’unité	We, we choose unity
Sommes-nous ensemble ?	Are you with us?

Moi, je choisis la paix	Me, I choose peace
Moi, je choisis le respect	Me, I choose respect
Moi, je choisis la justice	Me, I choose justice
Moi, je choisis la santé	Me, I choose health
Êtes-vous ensemble ?	Are you with me?

Moi, je choisis la paix (êtes-vous ensemble ?)	Me, I choose respect (are you with me?)
Moi, je choisis le respect (êtes-vous ensemble ?)	Me, I choose justice (are you with me?)
Moi, je choisis la justice (êtes-vous ensemble ?)	Me, I choose health (are you with me?)
Moi, je choisis 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 strife

Moi, je choisis la paix	Me, I choose peace
L’amour, c’est la route vers la paix	Love is the path to peace
Moi, je choisis aimer	Me, I choose love
La haine donne rien, non, non, non	Hate steals the soul that gives it control
Moi, je choisis la paix	Me, I choose peace
L’amour nous guidera vers la paix	Love will guide us towards peace
Moi, je choisis aimer	Me, I choose to love
La haine donne rien que la peine	Hate brings nothing but pain

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