While in her last year at school, Claire Johnston joined Mango Groove (founded in 1984 by John Leyden, who teamed up with Andy Craggs and ‘Big Voice Jack’ Lerole’). She quickly established herself as the face and voice of Mango Groove.
For the next two decades, they had an enormous impact on the South African music scene. At the time, popular multiracial music groups were not common in South Africa and Mango Groove was seen as a symbol of unity in a country struggling to shake itself free of apartheid.
Their unique blend of marabi, kwela and pop music, together with the voice and presence of Claire Johnston and the penny whistle of Mduduzi Magwaza, made them very popular.
Some of the highlights of Mango Groove’s career include:
* The direct satellite link-up to the The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London in 1992 to an estimated audience of a billion people.
* Their performance in front of 200,000 people at a "Rock Against Racism" concert in Paris
* Their performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival where they received 3 encores.
Bang The Drum
Mango Groove Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stamp your feet
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Feel the beat
When you touch me
It's like heaven
Something special
To believe in
And I know that you can feel it too
You can dream it
You can be it
Just believe it
You can dream it
You can feel it
Just believe it
Oh, let's go
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Tell the world
Tell the people
That it's all about this little thing called love
Coast to coast
Can you feel it
Tell the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky above
It's a moment
It's a madness
It's a heartbreak
It's a gladness
You can dream it
You can be it
Just believe it
So let's go
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Sisonke, ndawonye
Sishaya izighubhu
Bayajabula bonke
Sisonke, bang the drum
Sisonke, ndawonye
Sishaya izighubhu
Bayajabula bonke
Sisonke, bang the drum
Clap your hands
Stamp your feet
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Feel the beat
Clap your hands
Stamp your feet
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Feel the beat
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Sisonke, ndawonye
Sishaya izighubhu
Bayajabula bonke
Sisonke, bang the drum
Sisonke, ndawonye
Sishaya izighubhu
Bayajabula bonke
Sisonke, bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Bang the drum
Sisonke, ndawonye
Sishaya izighubhu
Bayajabula bonke
Sisonke, bang the drum
The song 'Bang the drum' by Mango Groove is an upbeat and energetic track that urges people to celebrate the power of love and unity through music. The chorus 'clap your hands, stamp your feet, bang the drum, bang the drum, feel the beat' encourages the audience to join in the celebration and embrace the joy of music. The song talks about a special connection between two people, which is likened to heaven, and motivates them to dream big, believe in themselves and their love for each other. This connection is shown to spread far and wide, with the singer inviting everyone from 'coast to coast' to feel the power of love.
The song 'Bang the drum' also highlights the beauty and universality of music as a unifying force. The lyrics 'tell the world, tell the people, that it's all about this little thing called love' acknowledges the power of music in bringing people together, transcending boundaries and barriers. The song encourages people to celebrate their differences and come together to create something beautiful with their music. The repetition of 'Sisonke, ndawonye/Sishaya izighubhu/Bayajabula bonke' at the end of the song, which means 'We are together, dancing to the beat, everyone is happy' in Zulu, reinforces this message of unity and joy.
Overall, 'Bang the drum' is an uplifting and inspirational song that celebrates the power of love and music to bring people together, inspire them to believe in themselves and make the world a happier place.
Line by Line Meaning
Clap your hands
Celebrate and show your joy
Stamp your feet
Let your energy be known and felt
Bang the drum
Make some noise and keep the rhythm going
Bang the drum
Emphasize the importance of music and its power to unite
Feel the beat
Get in tune with the music and let it guide you
When you touch me
The feeling of love that is overwhelming and heavenly
It's like heaven
The connection with the other person is pure and divine
And I just want to be with you
The feeling of wanting to be close to the other person all the time
Something special
The love shared between the two people is unique and extraordinary
To believe in
Love is something to hold on to and trust in
And I know that you can feel it too
The love shared is mutual and can be felt by both parties
You can dream it
Love can bring endless possibilities and dreams to the relationship
You can be it
Love can be an attainable goal and can be experienced by anyone
Just believe it
Just have faith and trust in the power of love
Tell the world
Spread the message of love and its importance to the world
Tell the people
Remind everyone of the beauty and magic of love
That it's all about this little thing called love
The focus and center of everything is the love shared between people
Coast to coast
Love can spread far and wide, uniting people from different places and backgrounds
Can you feel it
Can you sense the love and its presence in your life?
Tell the sun, the moon, the stars, the sky above
Make sure even the universe above is aware of the love shared
It's a moment
Love can be an experience that is fleeting but memorable
It's a madness
Love can make people do crazy things, but in a good way
It's a heartbreak
Love is not always easy and can sometimes lead to pain and heartbreak
It's a gladness
Love can bring happiness and joy to people's lives
Sisonke, ndawonye
Together, as one
Sishaya izighubhu
We play the drums
Bayajabula bonke
Everyone is happy and joyful
Bang the drum
Emphasizing the importance of music and its ability to unite people
Bang the drum
Keep the rhythm going and continue to celebrate love and life
Bang the drum
Make some noise and let the music be heard
Clap your hands
Continue to celebrate and show joy
Stamp your feet
Let your energy be felt and spread further
Feel the beat
Let the music guide you and ignite your spirit
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John W.H. Leyden, Claire M. Johnston, Magwaza Mduduzi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind