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.
Sina mali sina deni
Khadja Nin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kwa baraka
Mimi napona
Kabisa, ni hajabu
Sina mwili tena
Niko sawa upepo
Mimi masikini
Sina mali mali, sina deni
Ina nyesha kama mvua
Ina ruka kama ndege
Ina cheka kama mtoto
Ahiya, mam'ahiya
Sina haja, ya kitu,
mimi napona
I'm free, kama maji
Anatembeya mpaka katika pori
Mimi, mi masikini
Sina mali mali, sina deni
Mali yangu baba
Ina ota kama maua
Ina pita kama nyota
Ina waka kama jua
Pole pole mama
Wakati wangu umefika, mimi napona
I'm free, kama hewa
Ina ingiya mpaka fasi inapenda
Mimi, ni masikini
Sina mali mali, sina deni
Mali yangu baba
Ina ona kama macho
Ina waka kama moto
Ina lia kama ngoma
I'm free kama maji
Ana tempaka mpaka kati ya pori
Kama hewa, kama macho kama nyota, kama maji
Kama mimi leo, mimi napona
I'm free, I'm free
Kama mimi leo, mimi napona
Ahiya Mam'ahiya
sina mali, Mungu, sina deni
"Sina mali sina deni" is a Swahili song by Burundian singer Khadja Nin. The song is about being content with what one has and being free from material possessions and debts. The lyrics express a sense of liberation, as the singer realizes that she does not need anything to be happy and free. The opening lines, "Ahiya, Ahiya/Kwa baraka/Mimi napona," can be translated to mean "Oh yeah, oh yeah/With blessings/I'm completely healed."
The singer goes on to say that she no longer has a body, and she feels like the wind, blowing wherever she pleases. Despite being poor and having nothing, she feels rich because she is free. Her only possession is her father, who is like rain that pours, a bird that flies, and a child that laughs. This is a beautiful metaphor that showcases the singer's appreciation for the little things in life.
In the second verse, the singer says that she doesn't want anything because she is already healed and free like water. She is so free that she can wander through the forest like an animal without any worries. She is poor but happy because she doesn't owe anyone anything, and she doesn't have any possessions weighing her down. Her father is like a flower that blossoms, a star that shines, and the sun that glows.
Finally, the singer tells her mother to be patient because her time has come, and she is now completely healed and free like the air. She can go wherever she wants, and nothing can stop her. She is poor, but she has everything she needs, and her father is like eyes that see, fire that burns, and a drum that beats.
Overall, "Sina mali sina deni" is a beautiful song that celebrates the simple things in life and reminds us that true happiness comes from within. The singer's powerful voice and moving lyrics make this song a joy to listen to.
Line by Line Meaning
Ahiya, Ahiya
Oh Lord, Oh Lord
Kwa baraka
With your blessings
Mimi napona
I am healed
Kabisa, ni hajabu
Truly, it's a wonder
Sina mwili tena
I have no body anymore
Niko sawa upepo
I am like the wind
Mimi masikini
I am poor
Sina mali mali, sina deni
I have no wealth, I have no debts
Mali yangu baba
My wealth, oh Father
Ina nyesha kama mvua
It showers like rain
Ina ruka kama ndege
It jumps like a bird
Ina cheka kama mtoto
It laughs like a child
Pole pole mama
Slowly, Mama
Wakati wangu umefika, mimi napona
My time has come, I am healed
I'm free, kama hewa
I am free, like the air
Ina ingiya mpaka fasi inapenda
It enters wherever it wants
Ina ota kama maua
It blossoms like a flower
Ina pita kama nyota
It passes like a star
Ina waka kama jua
It burns like the sun
Ina lia kama ngoma
It cries like a drum
Kama hewa, kama macho kama nyota, kama maji
Like the air, like the eyes, like the stars, like water
Kama mimi leo, mimi napona
Like me today, I am healed
I'm free, I'm free
I am free, I am free
sina mali, Mungu, sina deni
I have no wealth, God, I have no debts
Writer(s): Nicolas Fiszman, Nin Khadja, Stevie Wonder Copyright: Khadja Nin, Nicolas Fiszman, Jobete Music Co. Inc.
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thierryiradukunda4693
Are u here 2024??????
@levinaassey305
It’s July 2023 and it still moves me.A soulful music.❤❤❤❤from 🇹🇿
@skyfalldeadpool1633
Khadja nin music speak to the soul to every human. This is the type of music that is timeless. I listened to her as young as 3 years old and I am in my early 30s and this music still speak to me. I learned swahili as a kid and my joy was able to listen to her
@mundomagico84
Desde Colombia, conocí esta canción y "Sambolera Mayi Son" en el año 1996. Es bellísima, su voz es única y los sonidos celestiales.
@mattdathew2794
where are you from?
@goodyalphonse268
GOD WHERE IS THIS WOMAN ..IS THERE NO OTHER SINGER LIKE HER TODAYYY??????
THIS WOMAN WAS HEAVEN SENT WITH A TALENT STRAIGHT FROM HEAVEN.!!!!!!
@mebinamimbang9867
Tell me about it... Oh God...
@williamsville3493
Congratulatins to Burundi people
@ekemsjohn
I first heard heard this track one hot afternoon in 2001 while i slept. It was so nice that it took three years to know the artist. Since then i haven't stopped listening to it. It's a perfect piece.
@NPKreo
Like me! First time I found and heard it in a Guesthouse in Windhoek 2002 at time of rest our small flying group. Since this time always I hear and feel it so deeply. And dream to the beautyful Namibia.