Born Edmond Montague Gr… Read Full Bio ↴Eddy Grant (b. 1948) is a Guyanese musician.
Born Edmond Montague Grant on the 5th March 1948 in Plaisance, Guyana, he emigrated with parents to London, England when he was still young. As a teenager he formed the multi-racial group The Equals. He sported dyed blonde hair, and had his first million-selling number-one hit in 1968, when he was the lead guitarist and main songwriter with his song "Baby Come Back". Grant openly used his songwriting for political purposes, as in " Police on My Back", and later "Gimme Hope Jo'anna" about the then-current apartheid regime of South Africa.
By the early 1980s Grant released Killer on the Rampage, using MTV exposure to have big hits in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia with the '80s techno reggae of "Electric Avenue", and following that up with the title song for the successful 1984 film Romancing the Stone. The album Walking on Sunshine produced the popular tracks "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "Gimme Hope Jo'anna".
Grant owns and operates a leading recording studio called Blue Wave in Barbados, near St Lawrence Gap, and it has hosted some of the world's top recording artists and producers over the years. He has produced music for the likes of Sting, Mick Jagger, and Elvis Costello.
Hello Africa
Eddy Grant Lyrics
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(How do you do, Africa?)
Well, hello, hello Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Tell me, how do you do, Africa?
(How do you do, Africa?)
Tell me, how do you do, Africa?
(How do you do, Africa?)
Hey, jambo wana wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Abaligani wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Abaligani wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Hey, you sent me away with an empty heart
(How do you do, Africa?)
But I wanna get back and make a fresh start
(How do you do, Africa?)
You sent me away with an empty heart
(How do you do, Africa?)
But I wanna get back and make a fresh start
(How do you do, Africa?)
So hello
Well, hello, hello Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Abaligani wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Abaligani wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Tell me then, which is my home?
(How do you do, Africa?)
Where is my jungle I used to roam?
(How do you do, Africa?)
The only tigers I see are tame
(How do you do, Africa?)
The only tigers I see are tame
(How do you do, Africa?)
You call my cattle game
Hello, hello Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Africa ah bay-no buntungwa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Oh, Africa ah bay-no buntungwa
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
(How do you do, Africa?)
Well, hello, hello Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Well, hello, hello Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Tell me, how do you do, Africa?
(How do you do, Africa?)
Tell me, how do you do, Africa?
(How do you do, Africa?)
They found the jewels I hid in the earth
(How do you do, Africa?)
And now that I want I can't buy a shirt
(How do you do, Africa?)
I hope that the air is still mine to breathe
(How do you do, Africa?)
Ain't I your brother you used to believe?
(How do you do, Africa?)
Hello
Hello, hello Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Africa ah bay-no buntungwa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Africa ah bay-no buntungwa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Inakwana Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Inah-gay geeah Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Alaheenahnah Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Alaheenahnah Africa
(How do you do, Africa?)
Ay kay-tahnay, bay-kay tahnay
(How do you do, Africa?)
Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
(How do you do, Africa?)
Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
(How do you do, Africa?)
Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
(How do you do, Africa?)
(Hello, hello)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(Hello, hello)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(Hello, hello)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(Hello, hello)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(Hello, hello Africa)
Jambo wana wa-Africa
(Hello, hello Africa)
Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
(Hello, hello)
Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
(Hello, hello)
Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
(Hello, hello)
Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
(Hello, hello Africa)
Africa ay kay-tahnay
(Hello, hello Africa)
Eddy Grant's "Hello Africa" is a song about the singer's nostalgia for his homeland and his conflicting observations about the reality of Africa as a continent. The song is an emotional appeal to the African continent to accept him as their own and recognize the African heritage that exists within the diaspora. The lyrics are loaded with questions that are both rhetorical and introspective, intended to interrogate the idea of Africa, the reality of postcolonial Africa, and the singer's experiences and sense of connection to the continent.
The opening lines of "Hello Africa" express a cordial greeting to Africa as if the singer is returning after an extended absence. The song acquires a distinct sense of melancholy that speaks to the disconnect that exists between the singer and his African roots. The question of where home is and which jungle he used to roam is a yearning for a deeper connection to the African continent that the singer struggles to articulate. The chorus of the song encapsulates the central message of the song, which is a call for the continent to recognize and embrace its diaspora as a source of cultural richness.
The lyrics of the song are poetic and powerful, illustrating the complex relationship between the diaspora and Africa. The original version of the song was released in 1977 and has since been covered by numerous artists, cementing its place as a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, hello, hello Africa
Greetings, Africa, how are you doing?
Tell me, how do you do, Africa?
Could you tell me how you are doing, Africa?
Hey, jambo wana wa-Africa
Greetings, children of Africa
Abaligani wa-Africa
Greetings, people of Africa
Hey, you sent me away with an empty heart
Africa, you left me heartbroken
But I wanna get back and make a fresh start
Yet, I want to return and start anew
Tell me then, which is my home?
Could you tell me where my home is, Africa?
Where is my jungle I used to roam?
Where is the jungle I used to roam in, Africa?
The only tigers I see are tame
I only see domesticated animals that were once wild in Africa
You call my cattle game
You treat my cattle as if it's a game to be hunted, Africa
Africa ah bay-no buntungwa
How are you, Africa?
They found the jewels I hid in the earth
Someone discovered the hidden wealth that I kept buried in Africa
And now that I want I can't buy a shirt
Despite wanting to use my wealth, I am unable to even purchase a shirt
I hope that the air is still mine to breathe
I hope that I can still breathe the air in Africa as my own
Ain't I your brother you used to believe?
Don't you consider me your brother anymore, Africa?
Inakwana Africa / Inah-gay geeah Africa / Alaheenahnah Africa
How are you, Africa?
Ay kay-tahnay, bay-kay tahnay /Africa ay kay-tahnay, Africa bay-kay tahnay
Hello, Africa
Jambo wana wa-Africa
Greetings, children of Africa
Writer(s): E. Grant
Contributed by Hannah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Eden Charles
One of the greatest entertainers to come out of the Caribbean. Born in Guyana, sojourned in Uk, lived again in the Caribbean. But always had his mind on his ancestral homeland. A true anthem for Africa and the diaspora.
uche ejims
He also lived in Lagos Nigeria
Emma Ibn-talal Ikhwan
Eden Charles, truly this should be the ANTHEM at every History Month all over the UK and the Caribbean
Afrofusion TV
Well said!
Rick Natureboy
Eddie Grant a fellow carribean and True son of Africa. I'm Jamaican 🇯🇲 & I got love for my ancestral home of Africa. God Bless Africa.
Blowdecurtis
Rick Natureboy, I love Jamaicans. They so proud of their root. The music capital of the Caribbean
Chiddy Mgbedike
You are on Point - NatureBoy
God's Anointed
Lyrics that make shed tears. All the way from motherland Africa - I love 💕 you Eddy Grant! You are always welcome to your ancestral land - AFRICA!
Calldy uk
This is a killer track, I mostly listen to metal, but if i want a bit of reggae- its Eddy every time - this is my favorite Eddy Track of all time, and love the video - quite emotional watching this and just very lovely..
bukola olatubosun
I'm sooooooooooooo proud of you Eddy Grant. Can't remember when last I heard this 😂