Ready for a reggae reality check? In Plus Rien Ne M'étonne Tiken Jah Fakoly turns a simple, hypnotic chorus — “Ils ont partagé le monde, plus rien ne m’étonne” (“They have divided up the world, nothing surprises me anymore”) — into a biting satire of global politics. One by one he exposes the cynical bargains that powerful nations strike: “If you let me have Chechnya, I will leave you Armenia… give me your uranium and I will fight at your side.” The list feels endless, and that is the point. Fakoly’s calm voice masks a deep outrage at the way wars, borders and natural resources are treated like playing cards on a table.
The second verse zooms in on Africa, recalling how Europeans sliced up entire empires without ever asking the people who lived there. Fakoly name-checks the Mandingue, Mossi, Soussou and Wolof to remind listeners of cultures fractured by colonial lines that still shape today’s conflicts. When he sighs that nothing amazes him anymore, he invites us to see the absurdity of a system where lives are traded for oil, gold or political favors. The song is catchy, but its message is razor-sharp: stay alert, question the deals made in your name, and refuse to let indifference settle in. 🎶