Happy Friday folks. Today I turned in my application to continue studying Swahili in Tanzania this summer. I am wildly excited about the chance to return to East Africa - thrilled in a way that makes me feel tingly all over. It feels like falling in love. In honor of this exciting (and financially stressful...) moment in life, I'd like to offer the following song, which, in my opinion anyway, is a beautiful rendition of the Tanzanian national anthem. The video that I'm posting of the song is just a guy, Lukazi Sambatree, and his acoustic guitar. If you go to Lukazi's website, www.sambatree.com, you can listen to the (much better) recorded version of the song. I would also highly recommend listening to the other song he has posted on his website, called "Blessing and a Curse." It has a really cool sound and is pretty catchy - and it's in English. (There are some background vocals on "Blessing and a Curse" that are in Swahili - "Sikiliza moyo yako" - "Listen to your heart.") So, head to the website!!!
Anyway, I've been listening to this version of the Tanzanian anthem non-stop for about a week and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. It's a beautiful song to begin with, and his guitar arrangement is lovely.
Below are the lyrics to the Tanzanian national anthem (and English translation). Enjoy.
Mungu ibariki Afrika
Wabariki viongozi wake
Hekima, umoja na amani
Hizi ni ngao zetu
Afrika na watu wake
Ibariki Afrika
Ibariki Afrika
Tubariki watoto wa Afrika
Watoto wa Afrika
Mungu ibariki Tanzania
Dumisha uhuru na umoja
Wake na waume na watoto
Mungu ibariki Tanzania na watu wake
Ibariki Tanzania
Ibariki Tanzania
Tubariki watoto wa Tanzania
Watoto wa Tanzania
God bless Africa
Bless her leaders
Wisdom, unity and peace
Are our shield
Africa and her people
Bless Africa
Bless Africa
Bless us, the children of Africa
The children of Africa
God bless Tanzania
Grant us freedom and unity
Women, men and children
God bless Tanzania and her people
Bless Tanzania
Bless Tanzania
Bless us, the children of Tanzania
The children of Tanzania
Mungu mbariki, rafiki zangu (God bless you, my friends).
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa. Show all posts
Friday, February 1, 2008
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Yelli :: Baka Women
So I've got the delightful problem of having to choose between several very different songs. In fact, I'm pretty sure it'll just get worse and that the darling bottleneck of songs will continue to back up from here to kingdom come. Cuz there's so much sweet music out there! But just knowing that there will be Sundays to come (and Unsundays for the gobbling up of YOUR chosen tunes) is one consolation. OUR BLOG IS SO BOSS! And at least there's no contest which of these songs should get posted first.
Whilst chillin' with my train adventure friends 'tother night, I was smacked in the ears by yet another soul-rending musical discovery. The album is called "Heart of the Forest" and features on site recordings of the Baka people of South-Eastern Cameroon. From what I hear, the Baka (also known as the Pygmies) make music pretty much all the time. They have songs and chants and beats for just about everything. Everything from washing their clothes in the river to storytelling to greeting the day on the morning of a hunt has music to it. As one who who is looking to build a life and community where music is the mortar for the bricks, I'm friggin' fascinated by these people and their music.
This website is helpful: http://www.baka.co.uk/baka/
This clip isn't the version of the Yelli that I heard first (it's the first three tracks on the CD and starts with a single female voice adding to the crickets and other forest sounds), it's still a good example of the music they make. The British guy's voice in the following clip is kinda annoying and pretentious, but the stuff he's saying is cool to know.
If you have the time, DO hunt down the CD or have a good look at the site. Cuz the clip I'm posting is just one tune in the pile of music the Baka make of their lives every day! It's really humbling to acknowledge the fact that much of the world would say these fabulous folks are in need of "civilization". Maybe this is just the raging hippy in me, but I can't think of anything more bad ass or marvelously human than speaking Spirit language and listening to it even when the World is trying to drown it out. I wanna listen and sing enough to learn from them or at least do my part to preserve their way of life and spread it in any way I can.
Whilst chillin' with my train adventure friends 'tother night, I was smacked in the ears by yet another soul-rending musical discovery. The album is called "Heart of the Forest" and features on site recordings of the Baka people of South-Eastern Cameroon. From what I hear, the Baka (also known as the Pygmies) make music pretty much all the time. They have songs and chants and beats for just about everything. Everything from washing their clothes in the river to storytelling to greeting the day on the morning of a hunt has music to it. As one who who is looking to build a life and community where music is the mortar for the bricks, I'm friggin' fascinated by these people and their music.
This website is helpful: http://www.baka.co.uk/baka/
This clip isn't the version of the Yelli that I heard first (it's the first three tracks on the CD and starts with a single female voice adding to the crickets and other forest sounds), it's still a good example of the music they make. The British guy's voice in the following clip is kinda annoying and pretentious, but the stuff he's saying is cool to know.
If you have the time, DO hunt down the CD or have a good look at the site. Cuz the clip I'm posting is just one tune in the pile of music the Baka make of their lives every day! It's really humbling to acknowledge the fact that much of the world would say these fabulous folks are in need of "civilization". Maybe this is just the raging hippy in me, but I can't think of anything more bad ass or marvelously human than speaking Spirit language and listening to it even when the World is trying to drown it out. I wanna listen and sing enough to learn from them or at least do my part to preserve their way of life and spread it in any way I can.
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