While growing up in a tough Johannesburg township, Miriam Makeba first sang in Protestant school choirs. After achieving initial fame with the Manhattan Brothers, Makeba recorded a few singles under her own name before Gallo Records asked her to front a South African girl group loosely patterned after the Andrews Sisters and the McGuire Sisters.
Makeba’s lead vocals have a pure and innocent quality that belies her savvy as a bandleader.
Enhancing the gorgeous vocal harmonies wer some excellent South African jazzmen, most notably the band’s white musical director and talented clarinetist-saxman-pianist Dan Hill, as well as the great South African pennywhistler Spokes Mashiyane, who coaxed as much soul out of his simple instrument as any human could. Like the finest mainstream jazz, this music has a relaxed, spontaneous feel that is a complete joy to hear. It’s easy to understand why these lilting melodies gave hope to blacks living the nightmare of apartheid.
After Makeba left South African in 1959 to attend the Venice film festival, the South African authorities would not allow her to return. Her records were banned from South African radio, and the Skylarks broke up a short while later.
Miriam & Spokes Phata Phata
Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ngaliwe yintombi yami
Sondela sithandane
Ngaliwe nguBongiwe
Khawungiqome ngimhlabekise ngawe
Uyohlabeka ngoba wen'uyisidudla
Ngaliwe yintombi yami
Sondela sithandane
Sondela Thandekile
Uyojabul'umam'uma ngifika nawe
Uyojabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
Sondela sithandane
Ngaliwe yintombi yami
Sondela sithandane
Ngaliwe nguBongiwe
Khawungiqome ngimhlabekise ngawe
Uyohlabeka ngoba wen'uyisidudla
The lyrics of "Miriam & Spokes Phata Phata" by Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks evoke the joy of love and the happiness it brings. "Sondela sithandane" means "come closer, my love" in Zulu, and the song urges a lover to draw nearer to the singer. The lyrics also express the desire of the singer to be with her lover, Bongiwe, and rejoice in their connection.
The song's verse describes the singer's love for her partner, and how they delight in each other's company. The chorus repeats the same phrase over and over, and the meaning behind it becomes clearer through repetition. The singer is elated to be with her lover, and she wants the world to know about it through the repeated phrase "Sondela ngikuphathaphathe," which means "I'm so happy because of you."
Overall, the lyrics of "Miriam & Spokes Phata Phata" express pure love and an undeniable sense of happiness that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Sondela sithandane
Come closer my love
Ngaliwe yintombi yami
You are my girl
Sondela sithandane
Come closer my love
Ngaliwe nguBongiwe
Yes, you are Bongiwe
Khawungiqome ngimhlabekise ngawe
Let me dance facing you
Uyohlabeka ngoba wen'uyisidudla
You will gaze at me because I am a good dancer
Sondela Thandekile
Come closer, beloved
Uyojabul'umam'uma ngifika nawe
Your mother will be happy when I arrive with you
Uyojabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
She will be happy because I am a good dancer
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Come closer, let me hold you tight
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
I am happy because I am a good dancer
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Come closer, let me hold you tight
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
I am happy because I am a good dancer
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Come closer, let me hold you tight
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Come closer, let me hold you tight
Sondela ngikuphathaphathe
Come closer, let me hold you tight
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
I am happy because I am a good dancer
Ngiyajabula ngoba wen'uyisidudla
I am happy because I am a good dancer
Sondela sithandane
Come closer my love
Ngaliwe yintombi yami
You are my girl
Sondela sithandane
Come closer my love
Ngaliwe nguBongiwe
Yes, you are Bongiwe
Khawungiqome ngimhlabekise ngawe
Let me dance facing you
Uyohlabeka ngoba wen'uyisidudla
You will gaze at me because I am a good dancer
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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