Formerly self-exiled from South Africa in the 1960s, Caiphus Semenya has bu… Read Full Bio ↴Formerly self-exiled from South Africa in the 1960s, Caiphus Semenya has built a solid reputation as a musical director and composer, working with his wife, vocalist Letta Mbulu, as well as with a variety of other exiled and semi-exiled African artists, such as Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba. Moving to Los Angeles, Semenya found himself working with and composing for a broad range of jazz and pop artists, including Lou Rawls, Nina Simone and Cannonball Adderley, his facility with both jazz and African forms serving him well.

Semenya's Los Angeles stay also yielded an ongoing collaboration with Quincy Jones, resulting in Semenya providing African compositions for the scores to Roots (both parts) and Steven Spielberg's adaptation of The Color Purple. He later worked on the score to Disney's The Lion King. After his return to South Africa in 1990, he composed scores for Molo Fish, Vicious Circle and Gaba Mootho, three series broadcast by the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation. He continues to work in America, Europe and Africa in a variety of capacities, including with Letta Mbulu as Caiphus & Letta. He is an executive producer for Quincy Jones' Qradio website, for which he also writes a regular column.

Woman Got The Right To Be
Caiphus Semenya Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ba ya khala bo mama
Bo dadeweth ba ya khala
Ba ya khala bo gogo
Na bafazi bethu ba ya khala

Hay' madoda
Nanzindaba
Ba khala ka buhlungu

Nje ba khaliswa hithi
Hawu madoda hawu
Nanzindaba
Bathi ba khathele bafazi
Hi zi ... zethu

Sayi funda 'phi le mikhuba
(Hey madoda siya buza)
Yo ku nga hloniphi a ba nkosikazi
Si no ku ba thatha o kwa zingane
Si ya lahleka
We madoda qhaphelani

Hawu madoda
Nanzindaba
U zu phakamisa isandla sakho u shay' um'nka kho
U the ma u lobola
Wath' u funa umfazi
Se ku jike khuphi naa
S'um enzi i ngane yakho

Madoda bo
Ma si hloniphe bo gogo bethu
Si hloniphe o mama wethu no dadewethu
Si hloniphe abafazi bethu
Ba si akhela i khaya
Ba si belethela izingane
Nani abe sfazane hloniphani abe silisa
Ni khumbule ukuthi nga phandle kwabo ani kwazi uku phila

Kanti nathi bantu be silisa si khumbule ukhuthi nga phandle kwenu asi kwazi uku phila
Masihloniphane

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Caiphus Semenya's song "Woman Got The Right To Be" celebrate the role of women in society and emphasize the importance of respecting and honoring them. The first verse acknowledges the mothers, grandmothers, and women in general who cry and mourn in times of pain and distress. The refrain "Hawu madoda nanzindaba" (Oh men, what's the news?) suggests that men should pay attention to the struggles of women and offer support.

The second verse raises the issue of gender inequality and questions the lack of respect and honor given to women, asking "Sayi funda 'phi le mikhuba?" (Where did you learn this behavior?) The lyrics urge men to be protective of women and to stand up against those who mistreat them. The line "Si ya lahleka" (We're laughing at them) implies that those who disrespect women are not taken seriously and are considered foolish.

The last verse highlights the importance of respecting and honoring women, especially mothers, grandmothers, and wives. The refrain "Hawu madoda nanzindaba" is repeated, emphasizing that men need to pay attention to the struggles of women. The lyrics remind us that women are the backbone of society, raising families and contributing to the community, and they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Line by Line Meaning

Ba ya khala bo mama
Our mothers are crying

Bo dadeweth ba ya khala
Our fathers are crying too

Ba ya khala bo gogo
Even our grandmothers are crying

Na bafazi bethu ba ya khala
And our women are crying as well

Hay' madoda
Hey men

Nanzindaba
What is happening?

Ba khala ka buhlungu
They cry from pain

Nje ba khaliswa hithi
They are crying and it hurts

Hawu madoda hawu
Hey men

Bathi ba khathele bafazi
They say women have been oppressed

Hi zi ... zethu
It's our fault

Sayi funda 'phi le mikhuba
Where did we learn these ways?

(Hey madoda siya buza)
(Hey men, let's ask)

Yo ku nga hloniphi a ba nkosikazi
Why don't we respect our women?

Si no ku ba thatha o kwa zingane
Instead, we mistreat and abuse our children

Si ya lahleka
We are a laughing stock

We madoda qhaphelani
Hey men, be careful

U zu phakamisa isandla sakho u shay' um'nka kho
Raise your hand, hit your wife

U the ma u lobola
You pay lobola

Wath' u funa umfazi
You say you want a woman

Se ku jike khuphi naa
But where are you going to find one?

S'um enzi i ngane yakho
You are mistreating your own child

Madoda bo
Hey men

Ma si hloniphe bo gogo bethu
Let's respect our grandmothers

Si hloniphe o mama wethu no dadewethu
Let's respect our mothers and fathers

Si hloniphe abafazi bethu
Let's respect our women

Ba si akhela i khaya
They build us homes

Ba si belethela izingane
They take care of our children

Nani abe sfazane hloniphani abe silisa
And you women, respect each other

Ni khumbule ukuthi nga phandle kwabo ani kwazi uku phila
Remember that outside of them, we don't know how to live

Kanti nathi bantu be silisa si khumbule ukhuthi nga phandle kwenu asi kwazi uku phila
And us, men, we must remember that outside of you we don't know how to live

Masihloniphane
Let's respect each other

Writer(s): Caiphus Semenya

Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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