1) Malaika LeR… Read Full Bio ↴There are several musicians and bands called Malaika.
1) Malaika LeRae Sallard, an R&B and house music artist who released the album Sugar Time in 1993. The album produced two hits on the Billboard Dance Charts - "So Much Love" (#5) and "Gotta Know (Your Name)" (#1).
2) A well known group is the South African. Afro-pop trio Malaika consisting of Jabulani Herald Ndaba, Matshediso Florence Mholo and Bongani Kevin Nchang. It was conceived with an inalienable contribution of one of South Africa’s most under-utilised producers of Kwaito Godfrey “Guffy” Pilane.
Malaika testifies to the power of three: the trio, generally possessing peerless elemental power in the history of pop music, consists of Bongani Nchanga, Jabu Ndaba, both battle-weary and hardened former original band members of the Stouters, and Tshedi Mholo, an innocent, church-going, unspoilt debutante former school teacher in the music world. For in the Stouters, with the accent on kwaito, Nchanga and Ndaba were decent boys trying to fit into something they were clearly not. And, accordingly, as fate would have it, they would not succeed. But, in a strange way, the duo was saved by this apparent failure of gold-cast, thunder-and-lightening awe voices of Nchanga and Ndaba. For, doubtlessly licking their pride at seeing lesser talented contemporaries raking the kudos and cash flow, they would go back to their roots to find themselves in the church where singing had always been part of their lives. Here the two discovered the astonishing heavenly voice of Mholo.
Appropriately, because Malaika, an Afro-pop band, that is, a perfect blend of post-kwaito, post-mbaqanga and neo-soul, that is the quintessence of Nu Afro-pop, unashamedly melodic, harmonious, always attempting to be soulful, a good dollop of singing and musicianship, along with one or two of their contemporaries, defines the early sound of 21st century South Africa. It’s a band that has, as Nu Afro-pop took its cue from late 70s to late 80s Afro-pop, moulded English back into the mix of a black pop a la bands of the late 20th century South Africa did.
Unfortunately , Jabu Ndaba has passed away
Melodi
Malaika Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seponono sa ho ratwa ho lejwa
Ka fetoha kaba lerata
Iyo! Thusang hle batswadi
Bona bophelo ba nfetohela
Kabaka laho rara banna
Ka hlanohela le mosebetsi
Iyo! Thusang hle
Le melodi ya dinonyana
Hanse di tsweletsa
Ke lepotlapotla maboneng
Le piki nyana ae sa leyo
Tlala iphile maatla bo
Bohlale bo fedile
Kere ke hopola ke eja dichelete
Ke bokanelwa kedi matsatsa bo
Ke lebetse leba Lesotho
Moo ke hodisitsweng teng ye yee . ...
Ke hopola, hopola hae ditshabeng kwana Lesotho
Le melodi yadi nonyana
Hanse di tsweletsa
Mmmmm kori ya mallang fifing la bosego
Taba tse bohloko hale chaba
Mona mo maboneng ho swa motho
Ke Marumaruma fela
Ke dillo tsa dithunya fela
Letsa banna, le basadi
Bankelwa maphelo a bona
Mona maboneng mo
Ke hopola, hopola hae dichabeng kwana Lesotho
Le melodi yadi nonyana
Hanse di tsweletsa
Ke melodi ...
Melodi yadi nonyana
(ke melodi)
Enkgopotsa hae, hae Lesotho)
(ke melodi)
Helele ke bona dithaba
Helele ke bona dinonyana
(ke melodi)
iyo ke hopola Lesotho
(ke melodi)
ke hopotse hae, ke bona dithaba
Ke bona dinonyana
The lyrics to Malaika's song 'Melodi' showcase a deep appreciation for one's roots and the importance of music and melody in bringing people together. The song lyrically portrays a deep longing to return to one's homeland, and how the melody can connect them back to their roots. The song is sung in the Sotho language, and the lyrics describe the serenity and beauty of Lesotho, which is a landlocked country entirely surrounded by South Africa's territory. The opening line reads "Go fihla haka mona maboneng," meaning "From the beginning at Johannesburg" and talks about the importance of one's heritage and pride in it.
Throughout the song, there is a constant reference to 'hampe' or 'melodi,' which in Sotho means melody. 'Melodi' is a term used to describe the traditional music of Lesotho, and the song pays tribute to the country's rich musical heritage. The chorus, which reads, "Ke hopola, hopola hae dichabeng kwana Lesotho le melodi ya dinonyana," means "I long for the mountains and the melodies of Lesotho," capturing the essence of the song and the singer's emotions.
Overall, the song highlights the pride and respect for one's heritage, the importance of music, and the deep longing to reconnect with roots. Through the beautiful imagery and rhythmic melodies, Malaika's 'Melodi' evokes deep emotions and nostalgia for those who can relate to the singer's story.
Line by Line Meaning
Go fihla haka mona maboneng
From here on out, in this city of Johannesburg
Seponono sa ho ratwa ho lejwa
The pain of being loved and left behind
Ka fetoha kaba lerata
On a night when the stars are shining bright
Iyo! Thusang hle batswadi
Oh! Help me, my people
Bona bophelo ba nfetohela
Life just keeps moving forward
Kabaka laho rara banna
And some people's fate is to suffer
Ka hlanohela le mosebetsi
Being laid off from work
Iyo! Thusang hle
Oh! Help me
Ke hopola, hopola hae ditshabeng kwana Lesotho
I am searching, searching for my love in the villages of Lesotho
Le melodi ya dinonyana
With the melody of the young girls
Hanse di tsweletsa
That does not fade away
Ke lepotlapotla maboneng
I am lost in the city
Le piki nyana ae sa leyo
With just a little bit that I do not have
Tlala iphile maatla bo
Hunger is so strong
Bohlale bo fedile
And my mind is tired
Kere ke hopola ke eja dichelete
I say I will find money and leave
Ke bokanelwa kedi matsatsa bo
I've been working hard for several days now
Ke lebetse leba Lesotho
I dream of going back to Lesotho
Moo ke hodisitsweng teng ye yee . ...
Where I was born and raised, yee yee...
Mmmmm kori ya mallang fifing la bosego
The sound of the windmill in the bushveld
Taba tse bohloko hale chaba
Difficulties do not discriminate
Mona mo maboneng ho swa motho
Here in Johannesburg, people are dying
Ke Marumaruma fela
I am just sick and tired
Ke dillo tsa dithunya fela
I am only a victim of the world's problems
Letsa banna, le basadi
Both men and women cry
Bankelwa maphelo a bona
And are burdened with their own sorrows
Mona maboneng mo
Here in Johannesburg
Ke melodi ...
I am a melody...
Melodi yadi nonyana
The melody of a young girl
(ke melodi)
(I am a melody)
Enkgopotsa hae, hae Lesotho)
I yearn for my love, oh Lesotho
(ke melodi)
(I am a melody)
Helele ke bona dithaba
Oh my, I see mountains
Helele ke bona dinonyana
Oh my, I see young girls
(ke melodi)
(I am a melody)
iyo ke hopola Lesotho
Oh, I am searching for my love in Lesotho
(ke melodi)
(I am a melody)
ke hopotse hae, ke bona dithaba
I have lost my love, I see mountains
Ke bona dinonyana
I see young girls
Writer(s): Jabulani Ndaba, Bongani Nchang, Godfrey Pilane, Matshediso Moholo
Contributed by Bella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Florence
Nice song