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.
Into the Night
Qkumba Zoo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into the night I fly with you
Into the night I will fly
Va-deham-bedeve-nehiyo
This is just a simple song
It's really quite personal
But I pour it in anyway
Into the night
Into the night I fly with you
Into the night I will fly
Out from the light
In shadows, I will follow you
Into the night I will fly
I want you in my tears
Ocean full
Hollow, hollow like this room
Filled with strange faces
I want you and all the while
I know you are free, free
To go alone
The song "Into the Night" by Qkumba Zoo is about the desire to be with someone who is free to go alone. The song starts with the chorus, "Into the night I fly with you, into the night I will fly." The lyrics "Va-deham-bedeve-nehiyo, Veneha-bedena-hahuheya-ni" are Sanskrit and loosely translate to "I fly with you, I will go with you, I will follow you." The song expresses a desire for connection, but also acknowledges that the subject of the song is free to leave and the longing will remain unfulfilled.
The middle section of the song contains the lines "I want you in my tears, ocean full, hollow, hollow like this room, filled with strange faces." These lines express a deep yearning for the person to be present on an emotional level, filling the emptiness in the singer's life. The song recognizes the emotional challenges of longing for someone who may not return the feeling: "I want you and all the while, I know you are free, free to go alone."
Overall, the song expresses a longing for connection with someone, even though the singer recognizes that the person may not be able to fully reciprocate. The song is melancholic, but also hopeful in its recognition of the freedom that everyone possesses.
Line by Line Meaning
Into the night
We are going out at night
Into the night I fly with you
We are going out at night together
Into the night I will fly
I am going to go out at night
Va-deham-bedeve-nehiyo
Random, gibberish words with no real meaning
Veneha-bedena-hahuheya-ni
More random, gibberish words with no real meaning
This is just a simple song
This is an uncomplicated tune
It's really quite personal
Although it's simple, it's meaning is deeply intimate
But I pour it in anyway
Despite how personal it is, I am still going to share it
Out from the light
We're leaving behind the light
In shadows, I will follow you
I will follow you into the shadows
Into the night I will fly
I am going to go out at night
I want you in my tears
I cry for you
Ocean full
My tears are plentiful
Hollow, hollow like this room
This room is empty and so are my tears
Filled with strange faces
This room is full of unfamiliar people
I want you and all the while
I desire you even though
I know you are free, free
I am aware that you have the freedom to go where you please
To go alone
You can go by yourself
Contributed by Luke W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.