DOWNLOAD PDF
"Ko Kelo Nowe" (Close your eyes and sleep) is a lullaby written in Esan, one of the languages spoken in Edo state, Nigeria.
The lullaby translates to
Good night, (Oki ewie)
little baby (Ukpomi omo)
Close your eyes and sleep (Ko kelo nowe)
Tomorrow is another day (Akho ye riwo)
(text by Edewede Oriwoh)
This lullaby is to be sung to lull babies, and children, more generally, to sleep. It also reminds children about the potential of the coming day when all their activities may continue. According to the composer, Africans are driven by futuristic thinking - they are highly future-oriented. This perspective is celebrated in the line "Akho ye riwo".
Esan Text is translated into English by Mr P. Oriwoh
Composed by: Dr Edewede Oriwoh