Khadja Nin (born June 27, 1959) is a Burundi singer and musician. She was b… Read Full Bio ↴Khadja Nin (born June 27, 1959) is a Burundi singer and musician. She was born in Burundi as the youngest of a family of eight. Her father was a diplomat. She studied music at an early age like most of her brothers and sisters. With her exceptional singing voice, at the age of 7 she became one of the lead vocalists in the Bujumbura choir and performed in the local cathedral.

Khadja left Burundi for Zaire in 1975 and got married in 1978. In 1980 she emigrated to Belgium with her two-year old son. In 1985 she met musician Nicolas Fiszman, who helped her get a contract with BMG. Her second album, a 1994 release entitled Ya Pili, was critically acclaimed. Her breakthrough, however, came in 1996 with her widely popular album Sambolera, which was sung in Swahili, Kirundi, and French. Khadja Nin successfully used a blend between African rhythms and modern pop to create her own unique brand of music. One of her most popular songs is Sina Mali, Sina Deni, a translated cover version of Stevie Wonder's song Free.

Mama Lusiya
Khadja Nin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ni zamani sana mbele ya mbele
Amani ingali fasi yoyote
Ni zamani sana kama milele
Ni adisi yako wewe ma mkubwa nasikiya
Dunuya muzima wanaku ita wewe mama
We wuko wapi

We mama Lusiya
Wuko wapi ma Lusiya
We mama Lusiya
jaribu usayidiye

Ivi sasa ivi uje uone
Utakuta vita fasi yoyote
Siye watoto yako tumepoteya
Ukiweza mama uje utuoneshe njiya

Duniya muzima wanaku ita wewe mama
We wuko wapi

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Khadja Nin's song Mama Lusiya depict a sense of desperation as the singer questions the whereabouts of Mama Lusiya, possibly a symbolic mother figure. The first verse implies a hopeful past with the line "peace is still anywhere", but this is juxtaposed with a sense of timelessness and despair in the following line "as long as I can remember". The singer then addresses someone older, possibly a parent or authority figure, asking where Mama Lusiya is and referring to her as "the lost" ("ni adisi yako").

The chorus repeats the question "We mama Lusiya, wuko wapi?" which translates to "Where are you, Mama Lusiya?" The second verse suggests that the "children," potentially the younger generation, are lost and searching for guidance. The singer pleads with Mama Lusiya to guide them and show them the way. The repetition of "dunuya muzima wanaku ita wewe mama" which means "the whole world is calling for you Mama" emphasizes the urgency of the situation and the need for Mama Lusiya's presence.

Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of longing and confusion for a figure who can bring peace and guidance in a world filled with chaos and uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

Ni zamani sana mbele ya mbele
It was a very long time ago, even before the distant past

Amani ingali fasi yoyote
Peace is still nowhere to be found

Ni zamani sana kama milele
It was a very long time ago, seemingly eternal

Ni adisi yako wewe ma mkubwa nasikiya
I hear your wisdom, O elder one

Dunuya muzima wanaku ita wewe mama
The whole world is calling you, mother

We wuko wapi
Where are you?

We mama Lusiya
You're mama Lucia

Wuko wapi ma Lusiya
Where are you, mama Lucia?

jaribu usayidiye
Try and guide us

Ivi sasa ivi uje uone
Come now and see for yourself

Utakuta vita fasi yoyote
You will find wars everywhere