Thursday, June 30, 2011

Travel Challenge, Day 9 - A Favorite Song from Another Country/Language


Day 9, A song you like from another country/language

This was much easier than yesterday's prompt. :)

I feel like this Travel Challenge is turning into "Let me tell you about South Africa...."

Anyhoo, this music reminds me of my time there. Mafikizolo is/was a popular South African group that had a few big hits when I was living there. They sing in Zulu, and their music can be called kwaito, which is a generic name for urban electronic music influenced by life in South Africa's townships. It's definitely a distant cousin of American hip-hop.

The name of this song is "Ndihamba Nawe" which literally means "I walk with you." After some research, I found out that the smoother translation means "I choose you." Awwwwwww!!

Here's the song:






They had another big hit, "Marabi".




I actually learned a little bit of Xhosa, the one with the clicks that is very similar to Zulu (if you can speak either language, you can usually communicate in the other). In the little Zulu/Xhosa I can make out, I do know this:

Marabi is a form of indigenous South African jazz, and this song resembles that style.

umtwana = child

eGoli = Johannesburg. It is actually directly translated as "City of Gold." Many Black South Africans, who came to Jo'burg to mine its gold and diamond mines, called it eGoli.


Are there any songs from another language or culture that resonate with you?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is my favorite song from SA as well!! Totally reminds me of my time there too!!
-Special K

Unknown said...

I learned a lot about the tribes that speak with the clicks in my college anthropology class and really took an interest to it. These are great songs to dance to.

Not that it compares to the history or cultural of these songs, but sometimes I like to listen to spanish songs, they can be very romantic.

I promise to keep up my blog and come back to yours...sorry Ive been MIA! MISS YOU!

Unknown said...

PS...I hope you, your husband, and friends and family have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Unknown said...

Another PS...wanted to tell you about the giveaway were having


http://allwomenstalk.com/giveaway-handmade-earrings-from-asters-in-august/

 

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