Sankofa

Africa listen ooh!

The Almighty created--

The Almighty created the drummer.

What did He create? The Divine drummer.

What do you want here?

Where do you come from?

Here is sacred ground, covered with the blood of people who suffered.

It is from here that our people were snatched and taken by the white man.

Get away from here. Leave this ground.

And you, you! Return to your past.

This ground is holy ground. Blood has been spilled here before.

It was from here that we were bought and sold

to America, to Trinidad, to Jamaica.

The white man forcefully snatched away our people. It was genocide.

They treated us with contempt.

They disgraced us, put us to shame. Go back. It is special ground.

If you must be here, be aware. Blood has been spilled here.

It's alright. Go! Move!

Where do you come from?

It's enough, go.

Go back to the past-- to the source.

Get away from here. Go, go, go. What do you want from here?

Get away from here. Go.

Go back to your past. You, you'll see.

Leave me alone-- Let go of me!

You're a good woman, Shola. Eat some of this food, too.

So, you gonna do what I asked you? I have everything ready you know.

You call that evil? What do you think be goin' on here day and night?

You don't call that evil? You not killin' no one.

You don't call that evil? You not killin' no one.

That's the price you have to pay for freedom sometimes, you know.

The nearer you get to the white man, the more you gonna eat what's left

and you're liable for dead.

Don't bother to tell 'em not to eat cause they'll go tell the white man.

Nathan, they catch Kuta. We have to do something about it.

Me, I'm minding my own business. I'm in enough trouble already you know.

One of them days you going to find out.

Naughty boy.

I'm your mother, I'm your mother, I gave to you

You are useless, should I have a walking stick that's longer than me?

You are useless.

Ah, Oh, mother. Mother with Child.

Warriors, Saviors of nations. One of us is suffering.

Let's go and see Akyemfo whom we consult in time of need.

Now is the time to rise up in arms. A mother is about to take a child.

Cobra! We are not afraid of the devil.

Cobra, we are not afraid of the devil.

A day will come when men will be made women.

Generous mother hold on, people! Do not let her take the child away!

Warriors, stand firmly behind me.

Mother cannot take a child away like this. Oh generous mother.

Oh, Almighty Spirit, I thank you. Nana Akonadi, Good mother, thank you.

You delivered this child safely unto me. I name him Kwame, the witness.

Who's baby is this? My Mother Abenaa's baby.

Put him under the palm tree? Thorns abound under the palm tree.

Put him under the silk tree? The silk will fall on my baby.

Take you and go which part?

Which part you want me take you go? You nah see how me stay.

Shola why you can't be like one of we? Eh?

Why you can't crawl on your belly like a snake,

through the trees, through the grass.

One of dem day the whole uh we gwine eat frog.

That is the only way we'll get our freedom.

The whole uh we gwine have to eat frog.

You know, the snake will eat whatever is in the frog's belly.

Hug me -- hug me -- hug me.

Well done, well done, come hug me my child.

Brave men are scarce.

You've done very well.

Good news from the hills.

Since we last met we celebrate the birth of seventeen children.

Ten girls and seven boys.

We have ten machetes, eight forks,

seven pick axes.