by Maria Kouvarou

“Adorable Child”

(Dioh & Andreas)

“I’ll always love you, remember

You will be mine forever

You’ll be attached to my heart

No one will take you apart”

…sings Dioh, and in her lullaby she captures the majesty of maternal love. That bond between mother and children that is eternal, unbreakable, and universal. It defies geographical locations, cultural backgrounds and historical specificities. Dioh speaks as a mother, and her words resonate with every mother of this world. She speaks to her children and her melodies unfold to embrace every child of this world.

Being a mother is a significant aspect of who Dioh is, as is evident to anyone who has seen her spreading her love to her three little angels – her mother, her coucou and her mee-mee. At the same time, she is a woman; a creative person who loves to sing. She comes from the English-speaking South-West region of Cameroon and she carries many melodies, traditions and stories in her from Ndian division, Bamuso sub-division.

All these melodies, traditions, and stories – along with the love for her children – reside in the lullaby “Adorable child”, even if they are not immediately heard. Because the lullaby itself is part of her, her story, her experience, her existence. An existence that glances upwards when she sings every night… 

“Bright stars over the sky

Sweet dreams my beautiful child”

…and knows that under that same sky, hundreds of other children are being lulled to sleep, or ought to be. And, with all the maternal love she has within, goes on to sing for all the children of the world,

“Sleep tight on this splendid night”

Artist collaborating with mother: Andreas Michalopoulos

Lullaby Supported by: Frederick University  

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