Qkumba Zoo is a dance music trio from Johannesbu… Read Full Bio ↴www.qkumbazoo.co.za
Qkumba Zoo is a dance music trio from Johannesburg, South Africa, consisting of vocalist Levannah, dancer/sculptor Tziki and producer Owl.
Their first album, Wake Up & Dream, was a unique break into the music scene in 1996, featuring 11 tracks of feel-good dance music. The songs provided an enjoyable listening experience, with Owl's mix of sounds and beats backing up Levannah's incredible voice. Their song "The Child (Inside)" hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1996 and #69 on the Hot 100. Recently the track has been used in several US television commercials, the most popular being from Seaworld amusement parks. Wake Up & Dream also reflected the band's strong feelings in supporting anti-apartheid, shown in the song Weeping. The trio, like many others in South Africa, struggled with being white in a nation torn apart by racism.
Several years after the album's release, band member Tziki committed suicide. This was one of the catalysts that changed Owl and Levannah over the next several years, which can be heard in the music of their second album, Butterfly Peepl, released in 2000. In addition to the album's release, the band's name was officially shortened from Qkumba Zoo to QZoo. The group also left Arista in favor of their own independent label, Zoocumba Music.
While Wake Up & Dream did not have as big an impact on the music scene as was hoped, Butterfly Peepl was barely noticed at all. Even most fans weren't lucky enough to grab a copy when QZoo's official site still existed. However, the second album musically surpassed the first one, showing the true potential of Owl's songwriting. The music seemed to mature beyond Wake Up & Dream, and in QZoo terms, one could say that they had finally hatched from the coccoon.
In 2001, long after their domain had disappeared, QZoo popped up on a new website under the name Innaskinz. The band still consisted of Owl and Levannah, who were now paired with a woman named Cajun. The site promoted the band and its history, as well as Owl personally running a mailing list. Lyrics for a new song, Rise Up Against the Tide, appeared on the main page for a brief while.
Innaskinz seems to be the last sighting of the band, for not long after, the new site disappeared as well, and the band cut off email communication with its fans, vanishing back into the darkness of Africa. There is no doubt that such magical musicians are still creating music in some way, shape, or form, but outside of South Africa, they now remain a mystery.
Flesh and Blood
Qkumba Zoo Lyrics
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Cold without you by my side
Are you just a taunting dream
Torturing my lonely nights?
My heart could break like falling ice
How can I make this place a home
Without the touch that I desire
Come back to me
Cling close to me
Let me feel your sheer solidity
Hold on to me
Breathe in through me
Let me touch you in the mystery
Memory burns ghostly cold
Haunting me with melodies
How can I hold you without touch
I'm clutching mist and fantasy
Lost inside this body
Your breath is in my blood
Locked inside this body
Your flesh is in my blood
The lyrics in Qkumba Zoo's song Flesh and Blood speak to the deep desire for physical connection and touch that is often felt when one is far from home and loved ones. The singer of the song is lying in a cold and lonely place, lamenting the absence of the person they long for. They wonder if the person is just a memory or a taunting dream, torturing them with their absence.
The lyrics paint a picture of intense loneliness and longing, as the singer's heart could break like falling ice without the touch they desire. They plead for the person to come back to them and hold on tightly, to breathe them in and make them feel solid and real. The memory of the person burns ghostly cold, haunting the singer with melodies and reminders of what they are missing.
The final lines of the song speak to the idea that the person they long for is not just a memory, but a part of them that is locked inside their body. Their flesh and blood are intertwined, and the singer feels lost without them. This song is a poignant reminder of the power of physical connection and the longing we all feel for the people we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I'm lying far from home
I am in a distant place from my home.
Cold without you by my side
I am feeling cold and lonely because you are not by my side.
Are you just a taunting dream
I am questioning if you are just a dream that taunts me.
Torturing my lonely nights?
I am wondering if you are the cause of my lonely nights and heartache.
Lonely till my blood runs cold
My loneliness is making me feel so cold until it runs through my veins.
My heart could break like falling ice
My heart is fragile like a piece of falling ice.
How can I make this place a home
I am struggling to feel at home in this place without you.
Without the touch that I desire
I am missing the touch that I desperately need from you.
Come back to me
I am pleading for you to come back to me.
Cling close to me
I am asking you to hold me close.
Let me feel your sheer solidity
I want to feel your physical presence because it brings me comfort and stability.
Hold on to me
I am asking you to cling onto me.
Breathe in through me
I want to feel our breathing synced together as we embrace.
Let me touch you in the mystery
I want to explore the mysterious and intimate parts of our relationship through touch.
Memory burns ghostly cold
My memories of you are haunting me like a cold ghost.
Haunting me with melodies
My memories of you bring back melodies and feelings that haunt me.
How can I hold you without touch
I am struggling to feel the intimacy and connection with you without physical touch.
I'm clutching mist and fantasy
I am holding onto something intangible like mist and fantasy because I am missing you.
Lost inside this body
I am feeling lost and disconnected from myself.
Your breath is in my blood
I feel so connected and intertwined with you that your breath is in my blood.
Locked inside this body
I feel trapped inside my own body without you by my side.
Your flesh is in my blood
You are a part of me so much that your physical and emotional presence runs through my veins.
Contributed by Evelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.