'60s Africa found the Zulu and Sotho beginning to incorporate the influences of African American R&B, jazz, and blues into their traditional, indigenous music. New styles such as township jazz, pennywhistle street music, Kwela, and marabi were formed. Eventually, these myriad styles coalesced to create a new hybrid pop music that came to be known as mbaqanga. Though mbaqanga employs the traditional instrumentation of Western pop (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals), the approach to song structure and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrasing is uniquely African.
Recorded between 1981 and 1984, THE INDESTRUCTIBLE BEAT OF SOWETO is the first (and arguably the best) of a slew of South African pop recordings that soon followed. Characterized by insistent, rhythmically complex beats, elastic, burbling basslines, tight, ska-sounding guitar accompaniment, and thick, multi-part vocals, this music is as intriguing as it is appealing. Groups with such names as Udokotela Shange Namajaha and Amaswazi Emvelo serve up bright, infectious melodies and percussively insistent tracks that are clearly intended for dancing. Though this "pop" may at first seem strange to Western ears, repeated listens reveal its true nature: rich, individual, joyous, and simply wonderful music.
U Nowa
Amaswazi Emvelo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inkosi yamabandla yathumela uNowa
Ukuthi makatshele bonke
Abantu isikhathi siphelile
Kudala kudala kwaZulu
Inkosi yamabandla yathumela uNowa
Ukuthi makatshele bonke
Kudala kudala kwaZulu
Inkosi yamabandla yathumela uNowa
Ukuthi makatshele bonke
Abantu isikhathi siphelile
Abazange bathande ukumlalela
Abazange bathande ukumlalela
UNowa
Abazange bathande nokumlalela
Abazange bathande ukumuzwa
UNowa
Shwele baba
Bon'abazange bathande nokumlalela
Abazange bathande nokumuzwa
Kwathi lapho selibhubha ilizwe
Bakhala bonk'abantu
Bathi Nowa
Sivulele
Kwathi lapho selibhubha ilizwe
Bakhala bonk'abantu
Bathi Nowa
Sivulele
Kwathi lapho selibhubha ilizwe
Bakhala bonk'abantu
Bathi Nowa
Sivulele
Abazange bathande nokumlalela
Abazange bathande nokumuzwa
UNowa
Shwele baba
Abazange bathande nokumlalela
Abazange bathande nokumuzwa
UNowa
Shwele baba
Abazange bathande nokumlalela
Abazange bathande nokumuzwa
UNowa
The lyrics of "U Nowa" by Amaswazi Emvelo tell a story of an ancient kingdom in Zululand. The song begins with the repetition of the phrase "Kudala kudala kwaZulu" which means "Long ago, in Zululand." The Inkosi yamabandla, the chief of the kingdom, sends a messenger named Nowa to deliver a message to the people. Nowa is instructed to inform everyone that their time is running out and they need to make the most of it.
The repetition of the phrase "Ukuthi makatshele bonke, Abantu isikhathi siphelile" emphasizes the urgency of the message. It means "Tell everyone, the time is running out." However, it seems that the people were not receptive to Nowa's message. The lyrics mention that they didn't want to listen to him or hear what he had to say.
In the second part of the song, the lyrics mention that at some point, the land was in turmoil and everyone was crying out for Nowa. The repetition of the phrase "Bathi Nowa, Sivulele" means "They said Nowa, we plead with you." It seems that now the people realize the importance of Nowa's message and are desperately calling out for his help.
Overall, the lyrics of "U Nowa" convey a story of a kingdom in crisis and the plea for Nowa to be heard and taken seriously. The song serves as a reminder to seize the day and make the most of our time because it is limited.
Line by Line Meaning
Kudala kudala kwaZulu
Long ago, in the land of Zulu
Inkosi yamabandla yathumela uNowa
The chief of the people sent Nowa
Ukuthi makatshele bonke
To tell everyone
Abantu isikhathi siphelile
That the time is running out
Abazange bathande ukumlalela
They did not want to listen
Abazange bathande nokumlalela
They did not want to follow
UNowa
Nowa
Abazange bathande nokumuzwa
They did not want to be heard
Shwele baba
Wake up, father
Kwathi lapho selibhubha ilizwe
When the land was in turmoil
Bakhala bonk'abantu
All the people cried
Bathi Nowa
They said Nowa
Sivulele
Let us open our eyes
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Greg Kozak
You just can't beat this music. It is absolutely phenomenal. South Africa is a treasure trove of fantastic sounds, especially from the '70s through the '80s.
toshir0m1
+1 I'm at a loss for words. This is just true. Africa is music's homeland, and South Africa seems to shine even there, among the best.
rasta franco
TREMENDO DISCO U NOWA SABOR AFRICANO VALLA...
peter nyombi
Amaswazi, I love you. Thanks for the nice staffs!!!
Joppah Ncube
This song is so professional
toshir0m1
Fantastic. Thank you forever.
toshir0m1
Lyrics someone?
Sindy Peralta Borja
pls Reupload the soukousman songs