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".

Yombela
Dorothy Masuka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dorothy Masuka's song Yombela Yombela are in the Xhosa language, a Bantu language spoken in South Africa. The repetitive words "Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza" translate to "Lift, lift high the burden quickly". The song is a call to action, urging people to lift their burdens and move forward. The phrase "utyix’amacango" can be interpreted as a metaphorical burden or a physical burden that is preventing someone from progressing, and the song tells them to "yombela", or lift up that burden quickly.

This song is both motivational and spiritual in nature. The repetition of the message emphasizes the urgency and importance of lifting up one's burden quickly. The rhythm is upbeat and reminiscent of traditional African music, adding to the song's energy and encouragement.

Line by Line Meaning

Yombela yombela utyix’amacango khawuleza
Keep on walking fast, carrying your burdens with you

Yombela
Keep moving forward

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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