From the recording Trumpets Around The World
Prepare & Beware
Saskia’s wry trumpet, funky Jex and Gaasterland’s guitars countered with a sample from Hindi singer Sushmitha Patlolla, over broke-funk bass and a 2-n-4 backbeat kicks off this summer- in-the-park track, switched from her originally intended pure hip hop. An April 2019 tour in Burundi hoarded the voices of female rapper Vannina Kaneza providing English and Kirundi text and slameur (aka “poetry slammer”) Serge Le Griot in French and Swahili. The impelling hook line was spawned by PremeAlom
in his own studio, a grand-neph of Byrd, and son of hip-hop Hartford, CT pioneer, Princess Nuabi. Saskia first met him as a precocious tyke. Further flavored by Saskia solos and a Beets- Laroo bebop line, this bawler twerks the soul.
Lyrics
2 Prepare & Beware
(PremeAlom:)
Kicking a little something different
Got that loves now she's finishing all my sentences
Plant a seed got a son that's photosynthesis
Bought a house in the hills and now I'm living good
Couldn't have predicted this
Mama said it's written
How the story comes out in the end
Had a lot of struggles
I prepared for all the different trends
Lost a lot of people
Guess you can't depend on every friend
Now I'm on my wave back up
If you don't know how to swim
Be prepared for the rats hiding in the dark
And beware of the hate hiding in they hearts
Snakes that wait for the chance and tear you apart
I persevered had to put the pain up in my art
Now I'm strong residing on cloud nine
Doing gigs with the band life looking so divine
Prepare and beware that's how I got mine
And no matter what happens
I know I'm bouta shine, Rah
Prepare and beware you gotta prepare and beware
Prepare and beware you gotta prepare and beware
Prepare and beware you gotta prepare and beware
Prepare and beware you gotta prepare and beware
(Vannina:)
(in English:) Put you down,
they cannot to hold you down,
They try to make you run
And make you want to touch the ground,
But then, like the sun rises up in that sky,
They might try to put down
But you’ll always rise high, yeah
Yes there is hope, just prepare your own truth yeah,
And beware of those who don’t know
Why you came to this earth,
Your battles are yours, your mind is your game right,
Don’t mind about them,
(in Kirundi:) bareke bavuge (Let them talk!)
Bareke bavuge bivugire ivyo bashaka
(let them talk, let them say what they want to say)
Kukwinzira zabo sizo zitum’utaka (because their ways
aren’t the ones keeping you from shining)
Activate yourself,
(in Kirundi:) Komera (be strong)
cause you can,
Reach that level that you see in your dreams!
Life is short and is just what you make it,
And if you trust in your call you’re gonna make it,
More fire, feed your passion, and do what you love,
If this ain’t a game man,
(in Kirundi:) Ndeka ntambe! (Now let me dance!)
(Serge Le Griot:)
(in French:) La vie est une course de fond mon ami
Prépare-toi, garde tes pieds sur le starter
Le départ n’est pas encore annoncé évite les ennuis
Reste patient et attend gentiment ton heure
Faut pas confondre vitesse et précipitation
Sinon tu vas finir la tête dans un mur
Choisis avec délicatesse et plus d’attention
Avant d’être gladiateur, il faut avoir une armure
Tu sais bien que les Burundais comptent sur toi, alors
(in Swahili) AMKA KIJANA BURUNDI INAKUNGOJA
(Translation from French & Swahili to English:)
(from French:) Life is a cross-country race my friend
Get ready, keep your feet on the starter
The start is not announced yet avoids the troubles
Stay patient and gently wait for your time
Do not confuse speed and precipitation
Otherwise you'll finish your head in a wall
Choose with delicacy and more attention
Before being a gladiator, you must have armor
You know that Burundians are counting on you, so
(from Swahili:) Wake up young Burundi wait you