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".

Ndi Yagula
Dorothy Masuka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma (Sahamba noDali)
Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)
Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma (Sahamba noDali)
Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)

Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Hayi ndiyagula

Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Sahamba nodali sayokubon'amagqirha (Sahamba noDali)
Afik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)
Sahamba nodali sayokubon'amagqirha (Sahamba noDali)
Afik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)

Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Iyho ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma (Sahamba noDali)
Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)
Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma (Sahamba noDali)
Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)

Iyho ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Iyho ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma (Sahamba noDali)
Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)
Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma (Sahamba noDali)
Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)

Iyho ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Iyho ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Sahamba nodali sayokubon'amagqirha (Sahamba noDali)
Afik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)
Sahamba nodali sayokubon'isangoma (Sahamba noDali)
Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula (Sahamba noDali)

Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Iyho ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Hayi ndiyagula
Hayi ndiyagula

Overall Meaning

The repeated lyrics of "Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma" and "Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula" suggest a journey to a sangoma (traditional healer) in search of healing. "Ndiyagula" translates to "I am sick," so it is clear that the singer is seeking the help of a sangoma for an illness. The repetitive use of "hayi ndiyagula" reinforces the urgency of the need for healing.

The use of the name "Dali" in the lyrics suggests a reference to a spiritual or divine figure. This could be interpreted as a trust in a higher power to guide them in their search for healing. Furthermore, the reference to "amagqirha" (traditional healers) highlights the importance of traditional healing practices within African cultures.

Overall, the song seems to be a call to embrace traditional healing practices and trust in the guidance of a higher power for healing, rather than solely relying on modern medicine or neglecting the importance of spiritual health.

Line by Line Meaning

Sahamba noDali sayokubon'isangoma
Dali and I are going to see a traditional healer

Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula
When we see the healer, I say I am not well

Hayi ndiyagula
No, I am not well

Iyho ndiyagula
Oh, I am not well

Sahamba nodali sayokubon'amagqirha
Dali and I are going to see a traditional healer

Afik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula
When we see the healer, I say I am not well

Hayi ndiyagula
No, I am not well

Sahamba nodali sayokubon'isangoma
Dali and I are going to see a traditional healer

Safik'isangoma sathi hayi ndiyagula
When we see the healer, I say I am not well

Iyho ndiyagula
Oh, I am not well

Hayi ndiyagula
No, I am not well