Dorothy Masuka (3 September 1935 - 23 February 2019) was a South African ja… Read Full Bio ↴Dorothy Masuka (3 September 1935 - 23 February 2019) was a South African jazz singer.

She was born in Bulawayo, (Southern Rhodesia, nowadays Zimbabwe), the fourth of seven children, and her mother was Zulu while her father was a Zambian hotel chef. Still, she attended a Catholic school deemed good by the standards of education allowed blacks. Her family moved to South Africa when she was 12 due to her health. By the time she was 19 she was touring in South Africa with singers she had admired as a girl.

Masuka's music was popular in South Africa throughout the 1950s, but when her songs became more serious, the government began questioning her. Her song "Dr. Malan," mentioning difficult laws, was banned and in 1961 she sang a song for Patrice Lumumba, which led to her exile. This exile lasted 31 years in total during which she lived in Zambia and worked as a flight attendant. She returned to Zimbabwe in 1980 after independence. Many of her songs are in the Ndebele language or Sindebele languages.

In August 2011, Dorothy Masuka and Mfundi Vundla, creator of the popular South African soap opera Generations, confirmed plans to make a film of Masuka's life. The film would concentrate on the years 1952 to 1957.

On 27 April 2017 she featured in the concert "The Jazz Epistles featuring Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya" at The Town Hall, New York City, opening the show and delivering "one passionate performance after another, warming up and winning over the crowd".

Mfan' Omncane
Dorothy Masuka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ekhaya kukhona lomfana omncinane
Lomfan'umncane kodw'ingqondo yakh'inkulu
Bathethe bonke bagqibelise ngelithi
Nkosi nced'umgcine

Ekhaya kukhona umfana omncinane
Lomfan'umncane kodw'ingqondo yakh'inkulu
Bathethe bonke bagqibelise ngelithi

Nkosi nced'umgcine

Siyamthanda yena
Simkhonzile
Ngezenzo zakhe (Ewe)

Somandla
Phezulu
Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)

Siyamthanda yena
Simkhonzile
Ngezenzo zakhe (Ewe)

Somandla
Phezulu
Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)

Ekhaya kukhona lomfana omncinane
Lomfan'umncane kodw'ingqondo yakh'inkulu
Bathethe bonke bagqibelise ngelithi
Nkosi nced'umgcine

Ekhaya kukhona umfana omncinane
Lomfan'umncane kodw'ingqondo yakh'inkulu
Bathethe bonke bagqibelise ngelithi
Nkosi nced'umgcine

Siyamthanda yena
Simkhonzile
Ngezenzo zakhe (Ewe)

Somandla
Phezulu
Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)

Siyamthanda yena
Simkhonzile
Ngezenzo zakhe (Ewe)

Somandla
Phezulu
Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)

Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Hmm nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Aw nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)

Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Nced'uzumgcine (Nceda, nceda)

Unced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)

Overall Meaning

The song "Mfan Omncane" by Dorothy Masuka is a tribute to a young boy who possesses a mature mind beyond his age. The song opens and closes with the same lyric which describes the boy as a young boy, but with a mature and wise mind. The lyric repeats twice with slight variation throughout the song. The verses describe the boy's wisdom with people talking about him and recognizing his intelligence. The chorus repeats the phrase "Siyamthanda yena/Simkhonzile/Ngezenzo zakhe (Yes)" which means "We love him/We respect him/For his deeds (Yes)." The chorus also implores God with the phrase "Somandla/Phezulu/Ncdaumgcine (Please, please)" which means "God above/Please protect him."

The song captures the essence of a young boy who may not possess worldly knowledge, but has a wise and intelligent mind. It is a tribute to the power of intellect and how it can overcome societal expectations. The song's message is still relevant today as it inspires listeners to recognize and appreciate intelligence in all its forms.

Line by Line Meaning

Ekhaya kukhona lomfana omncinane
At home, there is a small boy

Lomfan'umncane kodw'ingqondo yakh'inkulu
This young boy, however, has a great mind

Bathethe bonke bagqibelise ngelithi
Everyone speaks highly of him

Nkosi nced'umgcine
God protect him

Siyamthanda yena
We love him

Simkhonzile
We respect him

Ngezenzo zakhe (Ewe)
For his actions

Somandla
God almighty

Phezulu
On high

Nced'umgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Protect him (Please, please)

Nced'uzumgcine (Nceda, nceda)
Please protect him tightly