Thanks to Mutunga, a translation of Nyako Konya, the all-time most popular track that has ever gone up here, is now available.
Here are the lyrics to the Orchestra Les Mangelepa track. ( you can find the rest of the track at this link )
For those of you who may want to dance along as you listen to this, you may want to go to the post that made this blog what is it.
And you can even find the post in its original form here.
A little background. Nyako Konya has a long history with me. More than 2 years ago, I posted for the very first time on Zilizopendwa at this link. I was shocked to check out my server logs 10 days later and find that this one post had received more traffic than all other posts on the site combined. Thus, this zilizopendwa blog was born.
It has been a great 2 years and I think that this is a very suitable way to celebrate.
Thank you Mutunga.
On the way out: one last update. You all know I love deep house. Well, check out some of Nairobi’s finest – Just a Band in Iwinyo Piny (via AfroMusing)
Double-tight!!
Hey Steve
Since you like House music.. do you have the album Dreamland by Blackbox? Just about all the track are great!
If you build it…they will come
And so here we are!!!
Great journey Steve, and congrats,
You are doing a great job.
May you grow with the favor of both God and Man
May you always be in the sunlight
Keep it movin’
Congrats Steve – the good thing about anniversaries, the more you have the longer you live … may you and ntwiga blog have many more … thanks for the good times and music … chris a
@Esororo,
I’m glad I didn’t give up … I think I’ve pinned down
your Kalambya Sisters Mystery Tune – (here is a sample from Amazon). I listened to the track, and got a helping hand from
“Google”.
The title is “Kopulo Onesi” (Corporal
Onesmus). Mind you, “Corporal” in this song doesn’t
really mean “a non-commissioned officer”, but rather,
“an illegal husband”! The track was included in a 1992 Cd compilation entitled “Nairobi Beat Kenya Pop Music” but the Kamba tune might have been separately released in 1989. Kalambya sisters were never really a
band in their own right, but rather, a marketing arm for Kalambya Boys.
Since Kikamba is my mother’s language, I’ve provided the lyrics and a free English translation, which you can find
here.
All the best,
Mutunga
@Mutunga
Thanks for the lyrics to Nyako Konya and Kopulo Onesi.
Lyrics always paint a picture of the song.
For Kopulo Onesi a Corporal wears two stripes so she’s going to force him to have 2 wives, even if he refuses! (Witwika Kopulo, Kindu wakwa o na walea ! )
I always loved that song it’s hilarious.
@Lydia M,
Thanks for the enlightening perspective on the “corporal” metaphor. I’m not exactly savvy on military matters, so I’d have missed the connection. Translated lyrics help those who don’t speak the language to understand the musician’s message. And for me, it’s a good exercise … just to make sure that I don’t forget my African languages. For those of us who live and work in Europe, that danger is very real. And not just for us … I have close relatives in Nairobi (full-blooded Kambas) who can’t speak a word of their mother’s language!
Steve,
Congratulations for your year 2 anniversary with the blog. I hope you have many, many more to come. I don’t know how to thank you, but I can only say thank you.
@ Mutunga,
Thank you for the title and lyrics. I always wondered what it was and what they were singing about. I have had this track since 1990. A Kamba Girl gave it to me when I was visiting in Kenya. Lydia put it in perspective for me. I guess I am 18 yrs late. I did not receive your e-mail. Maybe you can try again.
@ Lydia,
Thank you. Tina Turudiane by Mbaraka Mwinshehe will be posted soon.
@Steve
Happy anniversary! Since you seem to like Franco’s Infidélité Mado I’ve provided the lyrics and free English translation.
@Esororo
If that Kamba girl had succeeded in making you a corporal, you would have become my “muthonua” (in-law) and we would have an extra reason to share goat meat apart from music. It’s never too late in Ukambani and military officers are respected. I reckon at least three Kamba men (Ndolo, Mulinge, Kianga) have held the post of CGS in Kenya’s short history so being a corporal in both senses is not a big deal in Ukambani!
Steve
I’ve only known this web site a couple of weeks, but congratulations on your anniversary, I wish you many more.
@Mutunga
It’s true there are many who don’t learn to speak their mother tongues. I went to school when it was even fashionable not to know your own mother tongue!(Shame on us!) Many of us learn to appreciate and respect what is ours only after leaving home. But on a good note I see people (writers, musicians etc) at home who are commited to preserving their mother tongues and culture. Hope we can promote/cherish it without developing tribalism (Moi is saying that the vernacular stations are promoting tribalism .. which maybe so after seeing what happened after the elections).
Your lyrics are always appreciated now I’ve been trying to follow along! How did you learn Kilangala?
@Esororo
I went to your site and listened to ‘Tina Turudiane’… Sweet!! Thanks! Kind of makes me wonder what rock I’ve been living under to only just find out about sites like these! I’ve been spreading the word though!
@Lydia M,
In the Golden 1970s (around the time Steve was born), Lingala music was so popular in Kenya that VOK had a popular programme called “Lugha Ya Wanamuziki” (presented by Jim Akenga) in which a lot of Lingala music was translated. I was one of many Kenyans who tuned in to that. Besides, the late Kazungu Katana, a very popular announcer, had a weekend programme (I forget the title), which even featured a Lingala lesson. I also listened to that. The rest has been through books (I have about 30 Lingala titles (Handbooks, Grammars, dictionaries and the Bible). I also download the news in Lingala (mp3 format) from Radio Okapi and I listen to these every day.
I got into Lingala due to my passion for the music. In a sense, I can combine business and pleasure because I’m a career polyglot (I won’t say “linguist” because that’s different as a theory-oriented field).
Mzee Moi has had many wise words to tell us, but I’m afraid he is wrong on vernacular radio stations. Without them it will be much harder to preseve our linguistic heritage.
@Esororo,
Like Lydia, I’ve also checked out the Mbaraka Mwinshehe tune. I’ve also listened to “Tobina Weekend” by Orchestre Veve. Thank you!
@Mutunga
Polywho….. OK so you sent me to the dictionary today!
Curious.. so what other languages are you fluent in?
You have a point about vernacular radio.. a language needs to be spoken to be alive .. many are becoming extinct as the last speakers die off. I do have tapes of vernacular radio made from home for when I’m in the mood of hearing someone other than myself speaking it.
@Lydia M,
Sam Mangwana is one African musician I admire a lot. He speaks eight languages fluently. This should surprise only Europeans not Africans. I was born in multilingual Kenya and spent a long school and university career specialising in langages (French, German, Italian). I teach at university in Italy, dealing with the more pragmatic aspects of language (e.g making sure students can actually translate, instead of telling them about translation processes. To get to know languages well, you need to travel a lot, and indeed Sam Mangwana owes his language skills to the fact that he changed residences a lot (not always by his own choice). Right now I’d love to be at Kinshasa, but I’ve been a family man for the last fifteen years. I have two daughters to look after and a job to think about so moving about isn’t that easy. I use books, the internet and music to make up for what I can’t do physically.
@ Everyone,
Can someone find a track I am looking for. by
Nairobi City Ensemble – Ladies Night.
Hi folks,
Sorry, been quite underground, but I’m just ending the academic year for my wanafunzi and it means lots of marking, class councils etc etc. So popping in briefly, but will catch up with conversation soon.
@Esororo and kabuga. Esororo, I’ve just listened to the “petite Zizina” that you’d sent on an earlier link. It turns out that it’s incomplete,(it starts from the middle of the song!) I think it’s Kabuga who’d requested for it. So, I’ve rammed through my archives and found an entire Bella bella CD, and so I’m sending the real McCoy, complete “petite Zizina” that sends me to the days when I was in the early classes od O level and once per month we were allowed to have a “disco” for enteriainment. As opposed to many a Saturday when entertainment was simply going to class for preps! I don’t regret though cos hasn’t it made it possible for us to have entertainment most Satos now?
http://media.putfile.com/Orchesta-Bella-Bella-petite-Zizina
I’ve found Theo Blaise’s “Eden”. my own file was mysteriously empty but a buddy swang over “unknown” tracks and I fiuodn it among them. yaani “Aimée, aimée, je suis à toi tu es à moi!” was s’one looking for it?
@ Steve,
Thank you, I don’t know why it never came up when I do the search.
@ Mutunga
The Kamba girl was a little late, I was already a family men. And the distance help me from her. It was a funny situation. I was visiting a friend in Nairobi West and knocked on the wrong house and out came this beautiful girl you can imagine my eyes. For a week she stoped by to chat for hours. When I was leaving, she came to airport to see off that is when she gave me the track. So, for years I have wondered why. Just waiting for you and Lydia to solve the mystery. The truth, I don’t know where she is or what happened her. We still can share goat meat. Do you get some in Italy?
@ Josephine,
Thank for Petite Zizina, and welcome back.
@ Lydia,
I don’t think that you have been living under any rock, you just had to spend a few more moments searching, that is all it takes. And you did it. Now the sky is the limit. Enjoy.
@ Everyone
Here is something I found in my music Junk box, I used to own a night club back in the late 80s and 90s and this DJ guy used to mix it up, check it out.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/royhxv
Let me know what you think….
@Esororo,
In Milan, there’s a place called “King’s and Queen’s” which is run by Nigerians. There, you can get most West African dishes, including goat meat. The food is fresh though they tend to play the music too loud. It would be a great place for a get together if you ever stop over at Milan.
Mutunga,
I have lived and worked in Eastern and Western Europe. Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary back in 1999 and 2000. I worked with Siemens headquartered in Munich, before that I lived in England, New Hampshire for 3 years. Those were wonderful University days back in early 80s. I left England for the USA in 1985. While in Munich I had a chance to visit Italy. Towns like Innsbruck, Trento, Verona, Modena, Bologna, Florence and Rome. Most of the visits were done during the weekend. Just driving down E45 and E65 If I can remember well. That is one thing I like about Europe. You can be in 3-4 countries within hours. Vienna and Prague were beautiful places. I fall in love with Hungary and I have been back there twice since. So, I have an idea where you are Sir and it is a beautiful country. One thing surprised in Hungary, we had gone like 3 hrs drive into the rural area from Budapest where I met a Kikuyu gentleman running a shop. Imagine they had just broken from Communism, boy, did we have one big party with Nyama Choma. It is getting tough to get away with 4 kids. To top it all, teenagers. If I get that chance, I will stop by in Milano.
@Esororo
Well you know what, I’m glad we could be of assistance!
It took 18 years to finally get the message!!
Visited your home page, saw your current home.. it’s beautiful.. as is the Hilton in its own wonderful way. I wish you could have both pics side by side.
@ Mutunga
I can appreciate the challenges of attaining and maintaining fluency in a language outside of where its spoken. On lesser scale than yours, my husband managed to teach himself Kiswahili to the point he’s more fluent than me and most Kenyans than I know. He’s also managed to teach our kids, they all speak it fluently inspite of the fact that we live in the US. He used books, news papers when we were home (he would buy Taifa Leo and Nation and translate the stories), school books, magazines, radio and anyone he could talk to was converted into a teacher!
The funny thing though is when we go home our kids speak more Kiswahili than the kids at home! So much for taking then home kupata mazoezi ya Kiswahili!
@Esororo,
Apart from England, where I had an extended stay as a student, my “wanderings” have been limited to France and The Ivory Coast. I’ve now lived in Milan for fifteen years but there are still parts of Italy I haven’t been to. I miss Kenya very much but I know life must go on.
@ Lydia M,
I’m glad to know that your children are fluent in Swahili. Mine are growing up as native speakers of Italian. Over here, people are simply monolingual apart from special status regions like Alto Adige or Valle D’Aosta where you might find people who speak German or French in addition to Italian. Our humble KBC TV used two languages, and therein lay its power! Perhaps it should have used more!
@Steve
There are some Kenyans in Italy but they seem to prefer Rome’s sunny climate, where you can find lush palm trees and you don’t even need a winter coat in December! They keep off Milan and Northern Italy in general, where the winters are more severe.
@ Steve,
I think it is the surprise element that makes us appreciate each others company. Also, you have someone to identify with. Whereby, when you know and expect an individual to be around it takes out the surprise element so it becomes normal just as if you were in Nairobi.
I don’t think it is a trait to just Kenyans. I have seen it happen with my co-workers when we meet unexpectedly outside the company settings. People who otherwise wouldn’t even say hello suddenly becomes accommodating.
It can be true to other cultures depending on the trust levels. Americans questions why someone is trying to be nice to them.
@ Lydia,
Can you imagine 18 yrs. Talk about being slow, I am the king. I hope she is okay wherever she is. I must have broken her heart. I can try, but I don’t have any control of Uploading the pictures.
@ Mutunga,
Kenya lives in my heart, You can always visit when you have a chance. That is all I do. 2001 I was in Kenya for 8 weeks, can you imagine I had home sickness wanting to return to the USA. I thought something was wrong with me. Then, I shared it with a few of my friends they told me it was normal that they had the same exprience but never shared it with anybody. I ‘am still wondering what happened?. Anyone with the same exprience out there?
@Esororo
I think it has to do with missing and needing to be in your own space, around your own stuff and in your own home with your own agendas. I think being/feeling like a guest is enjoyable but then it can get tiresome after a while.
Lydia,
I agree with you, also the stress that people bring wanting you to help with their problems.
Thank you.
Josephine,
Thanks for Petite Zizina. How can i download from putfile?
Asante sana
Steve
I have gone over almost every writing here-in and it seems to me that we share almost same experiences while outside the country when it comes to hangin’ out as Kenyans. Usually the encounter can be very thrilling, and the passion for generosity can be staggering. No boarders, no grudges, no resentments, no stereotyping, no zoning, no spinning….and the list is endless. It is a time when you experience the true spirit of `Uzalendo’ with a fellow-country man. But that’s all about it. As soon as you have exchanged contacts and parted ways,
the rest becomes History. Till there is a problem.
Why? I have never understood the whole idea. This includes even students whom I have taught at College level.
This `one time nice-guy’ demeanor is quite puzzling in the West.
We must stop acting and behave. After all, the culture in the West is one that promotes honesty, credibility, and openness.
It is a credibility issue that leaves behind many casualties.
Else where, last summer I was in Nairobi as well as Ingo and life was so sweet- people are great, food was yummy, and my peers in the Village were so welcoming. I met guys with whom I attended a nearby primary school in Seventies and later High School. The atmosphere was one of mixed emotions-saddness coz some folks had passed away on one hand, and Joy coz we had such an exciting get-together after many years, on the other.
Besides my educational career, I am a die-hard Soccer fan. Besides playing, I coach in the states and my three sons aged 12, 11, and 8 are already doing MLS try-outs.
Who knows, one of them could end up in Italy and guess what… our favorite club ic ACMilan. The kids love to see KaKa’s pace and great runs with the ball, including Seerdof. My focus is on Ronaldhino and I hope he recovers his form to set up the rest, Shevchenko, Pato, and Inzaghi up front. I have flown through Rome once en route home and next time, I plan to bring along my 12-year old who plays center forward to Milan.Have fun and hope to read more from you.
Let me know.
Eliud
Fl, USA.
Took me ages to find this post, this time I’ll bookmark it.
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