Kathleen Battle (born August 13, 1948, Portsmouth, Ohio, USA) is an African… Read Full Bio ↴Kathleen Battle (born August 13, 1948, Portsmouth, Ohio, USA) is an African-American soprano known for her agile and light voice and her silvery, pure tone. One of the most prominent recitalists and opera singers of her generation, she is admired for her wide ranging recital repertoire and performances of the operas of Georg Friedrich Händel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid 70s. She made her opera debut in 1975 and by the early 1980s had become a favorite at many of the world's best opera houses within the soubrette repertoire. Battle expanded her repertoire into light lyric soprano and lyric coloratura soprano roles during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1985, Michael Walsh of Time magazine called her "the best lyric coloratura in the world". Although she no longer appears in operas, Battle remains active in concert and recital performances.

As a child and young adult, Battle was both a good student and a good singer, but her ambitions were not grand. She was awarded a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in Ohio, but she chose to major in music education rather than risk a performance career. In 1971, with both bachelor's and master's degrees, Battle set out to teach music to Cincinnati's inner-city youth. While teaching 5th and 6th grade music, she continued to study voice privately, which resulted in an audition with Thomas Schippers (then conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra). He was so moved by Battle's remarkable voice that he hired the almost totally inexperienced singer to perform at the 1972 Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

Ninghe Ninghe
Kathleen Battle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ninghe, ninghe, tan chiquitito,
El negrito que no quiere dormir.
Cabeza de coco, grano de cafe.
Con lindas motitas,
Con ojos grandotes
como dos ventanas
que miran al mar.

Cierra los ojitos,
Negrito asustado,
El mandinga blanco
te puede comer.
Ya no eres esclavo!
Y si duermes mucho
El señor de casa
promete complar
traje con botones
Para ser un “groom”.

Ninghe, ninghe, ninghe
duérmete negrito, mmm
Cabeza de coco,

grano de cafe
grano de cafe...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kathleen Battle's song Ninghe Ninghe tell a story about a little black boy who refuses to go to sleep. The song starts by addressing the boy, and describes him as being small with a head full of curly hair, like a coconut, and with big eyes, like windows that look out onto the sea. The lyrics then go on to tell the boy to close his eyes and not to be afraid of the white man, who might eat him. The song then reassures the boy that he is no longer a slave, and if he sleeps well, the man of the house promises to buy him a suit with buttons, so that he can dress up and look like a groom.

The lyrics are written from the point of view of someone who is caring for the little boy and trying to get him to sleep. The song expresses concern for the boy's safety, but also a desire to see him grow up and become successful. The lyrics touch on themes of race and class, and reflect the complex history of slavery and oppression in the Americas. Overall, the song is a poignant reminder of the challenges that black people have faced throughout history, and a call for hope and resilience in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Ninghe, ninghe, tan chiquitito,
Hush, hush, little one, so small,

El negrito que no quiere dormir.
The little black one who does not want to sleep.

Cabeza de coco, grano de cafe.
A coconut head, a coffee bean.

Con lindas motitas,
With beautiful speckles,

Con ojos grandotes
With big eyes

como dos ventanas
Like two windows

que miran al mar.
That look towards the sea.

Cierra los ojitos,
Close your little eyes,

Negrito asustado,
Scared little black one,

El mandinga blanco
The white devil

te puede comer.
Can eat you up.