Sumach Ecks was born in San Diego to a Hispanic mother and an Ethiopian father. He has been musically active since the 1990s, when he rapped with Masters of the Universe and self-released some solo albums under the name Sumach. In 2008 he made his first two notable appearances on record: rapping a verse on "Anything Is Possible" (on the album Johnson&Jonson by Blu and Mainframe) and singing on "Testament" (on the album Los Angeles by Flying Lotus). The latter garnered Ecks a great deal of attention, and led to him being signed to Warp Records and releasing A Sufi and a Killer under the moniker "Gonjasufi" in 2010.
Since signing to Warp, Ecks has also released three more records: The Caliph's Tea Party in 2010, The 9th Inning EP in 2011 and MU.ZZ.LE in 2012.
Kowboyz&Indians
Gonjasufi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rosa de caliz
Bounce, yeah
Cowboys and Indians, Cowboys and Indians
Cowboys and Indians, real Cowboys and real Indians
Hm hm hm-hm hm-hm
Hm hm hm-hm hm-hm
Real Cowboys and real Indians
No, I don't trust 'em, no
I don't trust 'em, no I don't
Will I ever trust 'em?
No I won't
Would you trust 'em?
No you don't
Would you trust 'em?
No you won't
Should you ever trust 'em?
No you don't
Should we ever trust 'em?
No we won't!
A na na nainananaina naina nanaina
Naino naino naino naino nonaino aaahhh ahhh
No naino no naino no ná
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
I'm turning your John Wayne into another John Doe
I'm not your Little Ranger, I'm not your Tonto
I'm comfortable about that oh ancient long road
Well if your boys walk with they'll tool their heads off slow
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
Bella kalí
A na na nainananaina naina nanaina
Naino naino naino naino nonaino aaahhh ahhh
No naino no naino no ná
A na na nainananaina naina nanaina
Naino naino naino naino nonaino aaahhh ahhh
No naino no naino no ná
The song "Kowboyz&Indians" by Gonjasufi is a powerful expression of distrust towards authority and the societal systems that oppress individuals. The chorus repeats "Cowboys and Indians, real Cowboys and real Indians" which serves as a metaphor for the power dynamic in society where those in power are the cowboys and the oppressed are the Indians. The repetition of the phrase also represents the cyclical nature of oppression and the historical legacy that has perpetuated it.
The lines "No, I don't trust 'em, no/Will I ever trust 'em?/No I won't" further emphasize this lack of trust and highlights the hopelessness of ever being able to trust those in power. The use of the Spanish phrases "Anajarí anarbaba" and "Rosa de caliz" adds a mystical quality to the song and implies a deep-rooted cultural history that has been oppressed and suppressed.
The singer of the song identifies as neither a cowboy nor an Indian but instead rejects both archetypes. The line "I'm turning your John Wayne into another John Doe" speaks to the dismantling of societal norms and expectations. The singer refuses to be limited by the roles and stereotypes that society has imposed upon them. The song ends with the phrase "Bella kalí ven a volar" which translates to "Beautiful kali come fly" which can be interpreted as an invitation to liberate and embrace one's true identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Anajarí anarbaba
Unintelligible utterance with no clear meaning
Rosa de caliz
Red wine in a glass, possibly referencing a toast or celebration
Bounce, yeah
Expression of excitement or anticipation
Cowboys and Indians, Cowboys and Indians
Reference to a childhood game where players take on the roles of cowboys or Native Americans
Cowboys and Indians, real Cowboys and real Indians
Acknowledgment of the existence of both fictional and real-life cowboys and Native Americans
Hm hm hm-hm hm-hm
Unintelligible humming
Hm hm hm-hm hm-hm
Unintelligible humming
Erm hm hm-hm hm-hm
Unintelligible humming
Real Cowboys and real Indians
Emphasis on the existence of authentic cowboys and Native Americans
No, I don't trust 'em, no
Distrust of someone or something
I don't trust 'em, no I don't
Reiteration of distrust
Will I ever trust 'em?
Rhetorical question about future trust
No I won't
Firm denial of future trust
Would you trust 'em?
Question about someone else's opinion of trustworthiness
No you don't
Response indicating lack of trust
Would you trust 'em?
Repetition of the previous question
No you won't
Reiteration of lack of trust
Should you ever trust 'em?
Question about the possibility of future trust
No you don't
Denial of future trust
Should we ever trust 'em?
Question about the possibility of collective future trust
No we won't!
Assertive denial of collective future trust
A na na nainananaina naina nanaina
Unintelligible singing
Naino naino naino naino nonaino aaahhh ahhh
Unintelligible singing with vocalizations
No naino no naino no ná
Repetition of unintelligible singing
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
Invitation to someone named Bella Kalí to come fly
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
Repetition of the previous invitation
I'm turning your John Wayne into another John Doe
Declaration of taking away someone's hero or idol
I'm not your Little Ranger, I'm not your Tonto
Rejection of assigned roles or expectations
I'm comfortable about that oh ancient long road
Acceptance of one's own path or journey
Well if your boys walk with they'll tool their heads off slow
Threat or warning to aggressors
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
Reiteration of the earlier invitation to Bella Kalí to come fly
Bella kalí ven a volar ven a volar bella kalí
Repetition of the earlier invitation to Bella Kalí to come fly
A na na nainananaina naina nanaina
Repetition of earlier unintelligible singing
Naino naino naino naino nonaino aaahhh ahhh
Repetition of earlier unintelligible singing with vocalizations
No naino no naino no ná
Repetition of earlier unintelligible singing
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mutantchinchilla
This is my first listen of this artist. I heard half the song and contemplated leaving my house to purchase the album. Can't say that's ever happened before holy crap...
@maisied.7101
Did you buy the album bro?
@theTeknoViking
Saw Gonjasufi and Gaslamp Killer live in Amsterdam back in the day (+10 years ago). Gonja was great (except for trying to 'steal' my date afterwards in the smoking room 😀) but what really blew my mind was Gaslamp Killer. Shared a joint after the gig and talked music geekery, awesome DJ, awesome human being.
@maclennan73
The future....eastern beats, psych noise, ragga warblings, loving it, I was beggining to loose faith in everything, shame on me, thanks for posting!
@YSC2000
💀
@vivisake
this song is absolutely amazing! it makes me wanna dance!!
@SongOfTheLastCamel
it feels like listening to a whole album at the same time
@pseudocuasithinker
La madre patria me habla a través de esta canción. Gonjasufi is fluent in 'human'.
@totesforgoats
this is one of those things where it takes quite a few listens to get used to, then you'll love it.
@jayteet4544
This sound is totally new to me. Love it!