With 1976's "Help," Ozziddi scored their first major African hit, and a year later reggae giant Eddy Grant mixed their LP Papa's Land. The follow-up Fire in Soweto, recorded in London, scored via the title track, which protest apartheid abuses in South Africa--Okosun nevertheless sidestepped the militant politics of contemporaries like Afro-funk icon Fela Kuti, promoting African unity and black pride over radical broadsides. After completing work on 1978's Holy Wars, Okosun toured Nigeria with reggae greats Jimmy Cliff and Toots & the Maytals. With 1981's Third World Okosun inked a licensing deal with London indie Oti, with the U.S. imprint Celluloid agreeing to reissue Togetherness two years later--in 1985, he reached the apex of his international fame as the lone African artist to contribute to the all-star anti-apartheid album Sun City, and a year later, his "Highlife" featured in the Jonathan Demme-directed feature film Something Wild. By the late 1980s Okosun's popularity was waning, but in 1994 he resurfaced with the comeback vehicle Songs of Praise. In all he recorded more than three dozen LPs over the course of his career, with sessions cut in locales ranging from the U.S. to France, and maintained a high profile at world music festivals across the globe. After battling colon cancer, Okosun died in Washington, D.C. on May 24, 2008.
Culled from; www.windowsmedia.com
Now or Never
Sonny Okosun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Africa it's now or never
You either win it or lose it
Forever
Africa it's now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Nigeria it's now or never
You either love it or lose it
Forever
Nigeria it's now or never
We rather love it and keep it
For good
Freedom is now or never
We either win it or lose it
Forever
Freedom is now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Let me hear you
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi (ka'm je gwa ha na)
Chi anyi ka mma
(A ga'm e je zi'e ha), ziga ha'ozi
(A ga'm a gwa ha na), Chi anyi ka mma
(Ka'm je) ziga ha'ozi
(Ga'm a gwa ha na), Chi anyi ka mma
(Ka'm je), ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
(Ka'm je ziga ha), ziga ha'ozi
(Ga'm a gwa ha na), Chi anyi ka mma
Africa it's now or never
You either win it or lose it
Forever
Africa it's now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Nigeria it's now or never
You either love it or leave it
Forever
Nigeria it's now or never
We rather love it and keep it
For good
Freedom is now or never
We either win it or lose it
Forever
Freedom is now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Ka'm je ziga ha'ozi
A ga'm a gwa ha na Chi anyi ka mma
Ka'm je ziga ha'ozi
Ka'm je gwa ha na Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'o...
The lyrics of Sonny Okosun's song "Now or Never" highlight the importance of taking action and making a change for the betterment of Africa, Nigeria and freedom. The repeated phrase "Ziga ha'ozi, Chi anyi ka mma" means "let's move forward, we can do it well" in Igbo language. The chorus emphasizes that the time for change is now and that the outcome of the actions taken will determine the future of the country and its people. The song inspires people to take responsibility, to love their country or continent, to fight for their freedom and rights, and to work together towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Africa it's now or never
This is Africa's moment, and if we don't act now, we may never have the opportunity again.
You either win it or lose it
It's either we come out on top or we lose out completely.
Forever
The consequences of our actions today will impact us for years to come.
We rather win it and keep it for good
We should strive to emerge victorious and hold onto our success for a long time.
Nigeria it's now or never
This is Nigeria's moment, and we must seize it with both hands.
You either love it or lose it
We must either love our country or face the risk of losing it altogether.
We rather love it and keep it for good
We should strive to love our country and maintain that love forever.
Freedom is now or never
This is our shot at achieving freedom, and we must take it seriously.
Let me hear you
Call to action for others to join the cause and work towards a better future.
Contributed by Jackson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adeyemi Adebisi
In the chorus, what is Sunny saying? "zindaozzi maitaman"? I don't get it pls
@justiceibezim4590
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Africa, it's now or never
You either win it or lose it
Forever
Africa, it's now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Nigeria it's now or never
You either love it or lose it
Forever
Nigeria it's now or never
We rather love it and keep it
For good
Freedom is now or never
We either win it or lose it
Forever
Freedom is now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Let me hear you
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi (ka'm je gwa ha na)
Chi anyi ka mma
(A ga'm e je zi'e ha), ziga ha'ozi
(A ga'm a gwa ha na), Chi anyi ka mma
(Ka'm je) ziga ha'ozi
(Ga'm a gwa ha na), Chi anyi ka mma
(Ka'm je), ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
(Ka'm je ziga ha), ziga ha'ozi
(Ga'm a gwa ha na), Chi anyi ka mma
Africa, it's now or never
You either win it or lose it
Forever
Africa, it's now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Nigeria it's now or never
You either love it or leave it
Forever
Nigeria it's now or never
We rather love it and keep it
For good
Freedom is now or never
We either win it or lose it
Forever
Freedom is now or never
We rather win it and keep it
For good
Ka'm je ziga ha'ozi
A ga'm a gwa ha na Chi anyi ka mma
Ka'm je ziga ha'ozi
Ka'm je gwa ha na Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'ozi
Chi anyi ka mma
Ziga ha'o......
@festusokosun1122
Great hero sunny Okosun...He bought me my Christmas and new year clothes in the year 1994...RIP....
@giftpure6762
wow that's nice..it seems you are related.. from your surname Okosun
@trentson6965
The Children Ebony, Michael and Adesuwa will schooled together that is very long time this social platforms we have today Sir Sony Okoson is an iconic symbol in music industry in Nigeria
Infact Nigeria has lost great people music and Non of his Children could take over from were he stopped. Blessed Memory Sir Sony Okoson.
@destinyehiagwina7828
I was there... brother
@azihcchidi001
The chorus been in Igbo language showed how inclusive your messages were. RIP Sir ❤
@brownze1
Music that lives for ever. Heard this a child in the 80s fast forward 2023 I’m still wondering why has African got it so wrong
@omotoyeolajide7185
Brave and fearless Okosun! Prophetic message...was young boy when he dropped this evergreen song. Still relevant to our reality today. Rest on great man
@inyeneobongtom2770
Quite inspiring and ... Oh my goodness ! Actually we've lost Nigeria 😢
@ifeyinwaokafor6329
This song brings back alot of memories in my life as a little girl back then in jos plateau state Nigeria