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".

Themba
Dorothy Masuka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Themba, bath’ ithemba
Themb’ alibulali

Ngani, ngoba ela, bendikuthembile
Undidanisile, ngezi zenzo zakho
Ngabe kufa manje, kodw' alibulali

Themba, hhay’ ithemba

Themb’ alibulli
Themba, bath’ ithemba
Themb’ alibulali

Ngani, ngoba ela, bendikuthembile
Undidanisile, ngezi zenzo zakho
Ngabe kufa manje, kodw' alibulali

Themba, hhay’ ithemba
Themb’ alibulali

Ngani, ngoba ela, bendikuthembile
Yini, yini, yin’ undenze njalo

Hhayi, bath’ ithemba
Themb’ alibulli

Undidanisile, ngezi zenzo zakho
Ngabe kufa manje, kodw' alibulali

Themba, themba
Themb’ alibulli
Themba, bath’ ithemba
Themb’ alibulali

Ngani, ngoba ela, bendikuthembile

Themba, themba
Themb’ alibulli
Themba, bath’ ithemba
Themb’ alibulali

Themba, themba
Alilbulali

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dorothy Masuka's song "Themba" speak to the themes of hope and perseverance in the face of struggle. The repeated phrase of "Themba, bath’ ithemba/Themb’ alibulali" (which can be translated to "Have hope, they have hope/They will not kill hope") serves as a form of encouragement to those facing hardship. The lyrics also discuss the feelings of betrayal and disillusionment that can come when someone we trust fails to keep their promises, as the singer says "Ngani, ngoba ela, bendikuthembile/Undidanisile, ngezi zenzo zakho" (which can be translated to "Why did you lie to me/I trusted you, with all your good intentions"). Despite this disappointment, though, the singer expresses a desire to hold onto hope and not give up, even in the face of possible death: "Ngabe kufa manje, kodw' alibulali" (which can be translated to "Maybe I'll die now, but hope will not die").

Overall, the lyrics to "Themba" use a repetitive refrain to emphasize the importance of hope in difficult times, while also acknowledging the difficult emotions that come with disappointment and betrayal. The song's message of hope and perseverance has made it a popular and enduring piece of music, both in South Africa and beyond.

Line by Line Meaning

Themba, bath’ ithemba
Oh trust, they say trust

Themb’ alibulali
But trust does not kill

Ngani, ngoba ela, bendikuthembile
Why, because I trusted you

Undidanisile, ngezi zenzo zakho
But you disappointed me with your deeds

Ngabe kufa manje, kodw' alibulali
Am I going to die now, but trust does not kill

Themba, hhay’ ithemba
Oh trust, I still have trust

Ngani, ngoba ela, bendikuthembile
Why, because I trusted you

Hhayi, bath’ ithemba
No, they say trust

Themb’ alibulli
But trust does not kill

Undidanisile, ngezi zenzo zakho
You disappointed me with your deeds

Themba, themba
Oh trust, trust