Ayub Ogada was also an actor landing major roles in films including the Academy Award Winning Out of Africa (1985) and Kitchen Toto (1987).
Ogada arrived in the United Kingdom in 1986, and in 1993 recorded the album En Mana Kuoyo on Peter Gabriel's Real World label. His music has also been heard on the soundtrack of the 2005 film The Constant Gardener and collaborates with Susheela Raman on several tracks on her "Salt Rain" album, such as "O Rama" . In addition, Ayub Ogada has collaborated with the Afro Celt Sound System on their first and fourth releases.
In 2012 UK guitarist/producer Trevor Warren visited Ayub in Kenya and recorded the album Kodhi:Trevor Warren's Adventures with Ayub Ogada, released on Long Tale Recordings 2015.
Kothbiro
Ayub Ogada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hahye hahye aye hahye
BIS
Om maam na pum imjya
Kothbiro
Ke luru do ketaa-lha
Om maam pum imjya
Kothbiro
Ke luru do ketaa-lha
Hah
Hahye hahye aye hahye
BIS
Om maam pum imjya
Kothbiro
Ke luru do ketaa-lha
Om maam na pum imjya
Kothbiro
Ke luru do ketaa-lha
Hah
Hahye hahye hahye
Hah
Hahye hahye hahye
Yah yebi tom nuguee
Um kuru tili bare made
Kothbiro
Kem luru do ketaa-lha
The lyrics to Ayub Ogada's song Kothbiro are in an indigenous Dholuo language from the Luo community in Kenya. The song is a beautiful tribute to the beauty of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, which is also known as Nam Lolwe by the Luo community.
The first verse talks about the lake as the singer describes the sounds and sights of the lake. The repetition of the phrase "Om maam pum imjya Kothbiro/Ke luru do ketaa-lha" is a poetic way to describe the ebb and flow of the lake's waves. The second verse is more of an ode to the people who live along the lake's shores, as the singer describes the daily activities of a fisherman on Lake Victoria.
The chorus, "Hah Hahye Hahye aye hahye," is a rhythmic chant to match the undulating waves of the lake. The bridge talks about a person who has gone away and the singer wonders when they will return, singing "Yah yebi tom nuguee/Um kuru tili bare made Kothbiro/Kem luru do ketaa-lha."
Kothbiro is a beautiful and evocative song that not only pays tribute to Lake Victoria and its people but also speaks to the universal longing for the return of a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Om maam na pum imjya
I have come from a land far away
Kothbiro
I am here
Ke luru do ketaa-lha
To find peace of mind
Om maam pum imjya
I have come from a land far away
Hah
A sound of astonishment
Hahye hahye aye hahye
A welcoming chant
Ke luru do ketaa-lha
To find peace of mind
Om maam na pum imjya
I have come from a land far away
Kothbiro
I am here
Ke luru do ketaa-lha
To find peace of mind
Hah
A sound of astonishment
Hahye hahye hahye
A chant of contentment
Yah yebi tom nuguee
Let us unite and celebrate
Um kuru tili bare made
The beauty of our land and our people
Kothbiro
I am here
Kem luru do ketaa-lha
To find peace of mind
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MBARAK ACHIENG, AYUB OGADA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind