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E KOTTO Issue 43 PORTADA ADOLFO.jpg

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bötyö Maype

It's never too late

Bötyö Maype

Images and videos

Music and social media

The importance of social media in promoting Bubi culture

BOLAWARI

Bötyö Maype

Elò a Luë'o

New single by Mastho Ribocho, literary work Jamaican Patwah has Ëtyö Words by Audrey McLaren, Löbëla by Justo Bolekia Boleká, Vövíla (African palm tree) by Mario Mulé Ribala.

Soésiöbo y Carlos Bolete Lobete

lobela blue.jpg

Ë KOTTÒ, is a magazine of the cultural field in all its disciplines.

 

We are committed to bringing culture closer to our readers. Our goal is to give visibility to sectors that lack this opportunity of presence in large media platforms.

Our publications will be monthly and we will focus on four basic sections and four complementary ones.

INFORMATION, INTERVIEWS, ACTIVITY AND PROMOTION, and SOKKÒ,  ËTYÖ  LAÖTYA, OPINION y EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

A general story on a specific theme of each edition.

INFORMATION: Its content will be based on knowing the path of our guests. That is, what you could call their biography.
2. INTERVIEW. Focused on the professional field.
3. ACTIVITY: Focused on our guest's current affairs.
4. PROMOTION: Publicize everything related to the works of our guest or in its case what it believes  necessary to promote related to his or her professional work.

OPINION

It is a section for sociocultural opinion articles.

SOKKÒ

It is a section with a variety of socio-cultural news.

POET'S BLOG

A section for poetry and poems.

ËTYÖ  LAÖTYA

It is a section of learning and knowledge about the Bóbë-Bubi identity in its different manifestations.

 

With the magazine Ë KOTTÓ, we will bring culture a little closer to our homes.

Editorial

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

Hope, faith, and determination are what we must never lose in any situation that arises in the calendar of our BEING.
Day-to-day life is the clock that marks our human routines. There are so many things we would like to do in a second, a minute, but our mind advises us to wait a little longer until we find the right moment.
No dream is unattainable as long as the mind is the driver of our purposes, because it gives us reason and takes it away. 
It is never too late, because there is no barrier between the light of day and the darkness of night; we simply have to wait for an opportunity from these two real-life phenomena that mark our destiny.
Sometimes the enemy of our dreams can be the rush that our heartbeats impose on us, a situation that sometimes does not make us lose hope and faith, but as a troubadour once said in Bubi:
"H
átyí bökó, ná bó tòki itohí"/ there is no day without sunlight.

 

Story

BÖTYÖ MAYPE

I lived and grew up with music in my home from an early age. It wasn't until 2018 that I decided to make music and embrace the saying: it's never too late if the outcome is good.


From 2018 onwards, with a guitar at my disposal,

I began to struggle with the strings and learn a few chords that helped me to inspire and compose my songs.

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I recorded my first songs in a simple way with my guitar and sent them to my close friends and family to hear their opinions. Then I raised the bar a little and recorded a few demos. I currently have five singles released that focus on life and love.


Concerts:
Patron saint festivals in my town, Basakato de la Sagrada Familia, wedding celebrations,

and Bubi Mother Tongue Day in Batoipoko and Belebu Balacha.

Interview

Bötyö Maype
Ko bóyálo, ¿Káwëlè?

Potóo. Në lèlè.

1. Bötyö Maype, for those who don't know you yet, how did you get started in music and what role did Basakato del Este play in your artistic development? 

Speaking of training, I would say that my Basakato de la S.F. people gave me spiritual training and blessed me to start this journey of singing and composing songs, since this people, from the past until now, is a people full of talent. My body and spirit were already demanding that I start to express the inspiration I already had inside me, and thank God, the train has already arrived.

2. Your songs mix Bubi, Spanish, and Pidgin. Why did you decide to sing mainly in Bubi, and what does it mean to you to do so in your mother tongue?

In my songs, I sing much more in Bubi because it is my most beloved and preferred language, and it is also an attempt to persevere and catalyze the Bubi language to my countrymen. In my songs, I mix different languages so that everyone can understand the message of the song.

3. What topics inspire you most when writing your songs?

The topics that inspire me most are society, life, and love.

4. On your social media, you often share content about the Bubi language. Do you think music can be a tool to revitalize and strengthen the language?

On social media, I share topics related to the Bubi language more and more frequently. The topic I share is: LABBA LABBE NA EBOBE ERIBERI, where I mention and encourage the Bubi people to speak the language and not let it fall into oblivion.

5. Eastern Basakato is known for producing great Bubi talents. What is it about this place that generates so much creativity?

As a Christian with great faith in God, I say that God knows how to distribute. In fact, this talent that has been generated for so long is a gift that God has given to the people of Eastern Basakato, and it is necessary to maintain this great wealth for future generations.

6. How would you describe your musical style? Is it more traditional, modern, or a mixture of both?

My musical style is Afro-Bubi. It's a bit traditional, with a mix of cupé de callé and afrobeat.

7. How has your relationship with the public changed thanks to social media and digital platforms? 

My relationship with the public on social media is very positive, with congratulations and encouragement telling me that every day I am improving little by little in my lyrics and rhythm.

8. If you had to choose one of your songs that best represents who you are as an artist, which one would it be and why?

The song I chose is titled BÖLÁWARI. I like it because of its content and the elements it has regarding the love life of a man and women in love and coexistence.

9. What projects or collaborations do you have in mind for the future? Will we see more music, music videos, or even a full album soon?

My future projects are to collaborate with other artists, record music videos, and organize concerts.

10. Like every artist, you have also had detractors or critics. How do you deal with those negative opinions and what motivates you to keep creating?

I have received a lot of criticism since the beginning of my musical journey. Many say that now is when you realize that you should sing, that you don't know that music is a waste of time that doesn't make money, and much more... My response was that it's never too late if the outcome is good. I didn't sing to show off or to get rich. I simply loved this art form since childhood. God inspired me, and I was part of a family tree full of very professional and talented musicians and singers. I defended myself, and many came to see reason.

Thank you for sharing with us. Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers of Ë Kottò magazine?

I have nothing more to say. I would like to thank Ë Kottò magazine for the interview.

Activity

Promotion

ERIBOTYOWELLÁ

Bötyö Maype

E PAÑA

Bötyö Maype

PHOTO-2025-08-12-18-56-00.jpg

OPINION

JAVIER BAITA BANCH

The importance of social media in promoting Bubi culture

We live in an age where social media dominates global communication. With a single click, an image, video, or song can travel around the entire planet. And we must ask ourselves: why not use these same tools to show the world the beauty of our Bubi culture?


Bubi culture is a living treasure. It is full of wisdom, respect, spirituality, and love for the land. It encompasses our language, our traditions, our dances, our stories, and our unique way of understanding life. But if we do not share it, if we do not show it with pride, it risks being forgotten by new generations.


Social media can be our ally. Through it, we can teach young people who we are, where we come from, and why we should be proud to be Bubi. We can share our traditional songs, our dances, our words in the Bubi language, our recipes, and our legends, doing so in an attractive, modern, and accessible way.


Imagine a young person in Rebola, Batete, or Batoicopo posting a video dancing to the rhythm of the elevó, or a young woman in Madrid sharing a Bubi proverb on TikTok, or even an elderly person telling an ancestral story that reaches Europe or America. In this way, little by little, Bubi culture can travel to all corners of the world.
 

Social media is a bridge: a bridge between generations, between continents, and between hearts. If we use it wisely and lovingly, it can help us keep our identity alive and awaken in young people a sense of pride in belonging to a people with history, values, and greatness.
 

Promoting Bubi culture on social media is not just a task, it is a mission. A mission of love, commitment, and hope. If each of us contributes our voice, our talent, or our creativity, we will succeed in making the world know, respect, and admire who we are.
 

Because being Bubi is not just a legacy of the past,
it is a force of the present and a promise for the future.

 

Long live Bubi culture!
And may its voice resonate across all the networks of the world!

JAVIER BAITA BANCH

Poet's Blog

LÖTÓ’ÓLLÓ

Ö lötó’ólló ló oberi lue ribellè

Ëbóbë Kó lötó’ólló luaò

Kó vöótè wè eria’.ö.

 

Ö lötó’ólló ká rihóle, ka eteba,ká rimmamabió

wë pálá o párá lötó’ólló á tyílèrò itè atá,

hèrahò ö winnòò, ë tébáò,

ö wétáò,

 

Ö lötó’ólló kò bösori wè

tyekkú bö lè ökana bö, lö lókka,

lë kárityöbbò, lö bötatté,

lé bíriia biaó.

 

Kò böhai bö lè alla ‘ bö ë tyé tö purí ë.

 

Ë bëkeu bia betyö bi la rekèssa

ë bó wella ò lötó’ólló,

I nokkò í útubbam ka’ó :

ë bëtyètye bié biöllo bi kákabia

ë biëtta wëlla biá bikëbíkë.

 

Ö lötó’ólló Kó vöótè wè eria’ö le ribobo re biëká biao.

 

Ö lötó’ólló Kó böe, ló bö’ó bottó wà ribötyö rito.

 

“É ribötyö welá rima o le’á tölló, wae a ló lötó’ólló luá abobé, ötyommá.”

 

Soésiöbo. ©️2024

Ë ILÁM (MI VOZ)


by Carlos Bolete Lobete
 


Ë ilám.

Ballá ná bá la ipölla

öámmo ö böém wëla.

Biebba la ëhëá ná ë nkòm wëla

ë la tuturó.



Ë ilám.

Ballá ná bá la etya.

Ë röppa wëla bí la seballa la ëháe,

bësari ná bí la sölla ë bi íkkiò bí hatte

lë sihúruru.



Mi voz.

Palabras que emergen

desde lo profundo de mi alma.

Ondas sonoras que en los túneles de mi cuello

se deslizan.



Mi voz.

Palabras que crecen.

En el dolor sueñan con la calma,

notas sinfónicas que dejan volar su resuello

con la brisa.

ËTYÖ LAÖTYA

For more information

Ë KOTTÒ

Publisher

Diversity Ëtyö Project

Magazine Director

Barbara May

Editor in Chief

Tomás May Pelico

Designer

Böhulá

Colaboration

Eduardo May Mata

ISSN 2833-4124

© 2025

All rights reserved.

May not be reproduced without the written permission of Ë KOTTÒ.

Contact

ekottomagazine@gmail.com

diversityetyoproject@gmail.com

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