Miram Makeba and the Skylarks were, between 1956 and 1959, one of the most … Read Full Bio ↴Miram Makeba and the Skylarks were, between 1956 and 1959, one of the most successful South African vocal groups to blend American influences (Mills Brothers-style pop, gospel, and jazz) with South African tribal rhythms and vocal styles (primarily mbube, a four-part harmony approach originated by Zulu miners).
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.

Phansi Kwalomhlaba
Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Phansi kwalomhlaba zants'emgodini
Kufel'amawakawaka abantu
Oh zaphalala iinyembezi
Balila abantwana ekhaya (Khaya)

Basuk'emakhaya bezosebenza
Bashiya oomame nengane zabo
Hayi usizi emakhaya

Phesheya emakhaya

Oh Bawo phendula
Imithandazo yethu
Senzeni na?
Sone ni?
Thina bantu abantsundu hmm

Du du du du du du
Du du du du
Du du du du du du
Du du du du
Hayi usizi emakhaya
Balila abantwana ekhaya (Khaya)

Du du du du du du
Du du du du
Du du du du du du
Du du du du

Hayi usizi emakhaya
Phesheya emakhaya

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song, Phansi Kwalomhlaba by Miriam Makeba, speak of the pain and struggles of black people in South Africa. The opening line “Phansi kwalomhlaba zants'emgodini” translates to “Under this earth in the mines”. This line shows the harsh realities of the manual labor that black people were subjected to during the apartheid era. The following line “Kufel'amawakawaka abantu” translates to “People die like flies”, which is a reference to the dangerous working conditions and the high death toll in the mines.

The next few lines “Oh zaphalala iinyembezi, Balila abantwana ekhaya” translate to “Oh, it sheds tears, the children cry at home”. This depicts the emotional pain and suffering that the miners and their families had to endure. The song also talks about the struggle of black women who were left to care for their children alone while their men went to work in the mines. The line “Basuk'emakhaya bezosebenza, Bashiya oomame nengane zabo” translates to “They leave their homes to work, leaving behind their wives and children”.

The chorus “Oh Bawo phendula, Imithandazo yethu, Senzeni na? Sone ni? Thina bantu abantsundu” is a plea to God to answer their prayers and to ask what they have done wrong to deserve such hardship. The phrase “Abantsundu” means black people, and the song is an anthem for the struggles of the black people in South Africa.

Phansi KwalomhlabaMiriam Makeba & The Skylarks Lyrics

Phansi Kwalomhlaba
Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks Lyrics