Zabalaza is the first solo release from the South African kwaito performer,… Read Full Bio ↴Zabalaza is the first solo release from the South African kwaito performer, Thandiswa Mazwai. Before this album, Thandiswa was most famously known as the lead singer for the kwaito group Bongo Maffin. Zabalaza, Xhosa for Rebellion, is a shining example of the integrative style of kwaito, and Thandiswa has infused this album with the sounds of her roots: kwaito, traditional Xhosa music, mbaqanga, reggae, and even gospel music.

Nizalwa Ngobani?
Thandiswa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The world changes, revolutionaries die
And the children forget.
The ghetto is our first love
And our dreams are drenched in gold.

We don't even cry,
We don't even cry
About it no more.

Are the beautiful ones really dead?

Nizilibel'uba nizalwa ngobani (Oh nizalwa ngobani)
Nizilibel'uba nizalwa ngobani na
(Oh nizalwa ngobani)
Nizilibel'uba nizalwa ngobani (Oh nizalwa ngobani)
Nizilibel'uba nizalwa ngobani na
(Oh nizalwa ngobani)

Intlungu zoonina belilel'intsuku zobomi babo
Intlungu zobawo, zobawo, zobawo
Befel'ilizwe lakho.

Hey uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Hey uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungutata
Uzigqibil'izindaba.

Ntlungu zonina
Ntlungu zobawo
Belilel'iintsuku zobomi benu
Ntlungu zonina
Ntlungu zobawo
Belilel'iintsuku zobomi benu

The world changes, revolutionaries die
And the children forget.(children forget)
The ghetto is our first love
And our dreams are drenched in gold.

We don't even cry,
We don't even cry
About it no more.
Are the beautiful ones really dead?

Ntlungu zobawo belwel'inguquko
Ntlungu zonina belilela wena
Int'oyaziyo kuzigqib'iindab'eGoli.
Ntlungu zobawo befel'inguquko
Ntlungu zonina belilela wena
Int'oyaziyo kuzigqib'iindab'eGoli.

Hey uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Hey uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungutata
Uzigqibil'izindaba.

Madikizela, Qhawe
Nawe Sobukwe, Qhawe
Nawe Mandela
Qhawe lamaQhawe
Madikizela, Qhawe
Nawe Biko, Qhawe
Nawe Sisulu
Qhawe lamaQhawe
Madikizela, Qhawe
Belete, Qhawe
Kwame Nkrumah
Qhawe lamaQhawe
Madikizela (madikizela) Qhawe

Madikizela, Qhawe
Madikizela
Qhawe lama (madikizela, madikizela)
Madikizela, Qhawe
Madikizela, Qhawe

Madikizela
Qhawe lamaQhawe

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Thandiswa's song Nizalwa Ngobani touches on the passage of time, the legacy of revolution, and the connection that the oppressed have to their homelands. In the first verse, Thandiswa muses on how the world around us changes and with it, the people who fight for a better world often die or fade into obscurity, leaving the children after them to take up the mantle. However, the children of the next generation may forget the sacrifices that were made before them. This is particularly poignant when is considered in the context of South Africa, which had suffered through apartheid and the anti-apartheid struggle. Thandiswa then continues to say that the ghetto (or the township) is home to many who had nothing else, and these same people have dreams that glimmer with hope, even if it’s drenched in gold. The repeated refrain, "Are the beautiful ones really dead?" is a tribute to the writer Frantz Fanon, who used the phrase to represent the loss of revolutionary leaders in Africa.

The second verse starts with Thandiswa setting the scene by detailing how life of the people in the townships is coloured by pain and struggle. The cries of mothers who had lost their children or the silence from fathers who disappeared all seem to add to a feeling of the day-to-day being supported by the thought of an eventual goal. Thandiswa then names some of the leaders of the anti-apartheid struggle, women such as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Albertina Sisulu, and men such as Steve Biko and Robert Sobukwe. These are people who became iconic and beloved within South African townships and knew the strife that the people were enduring. The chorus then chimes in again, urging people, whether they are survivors or leaders, to stand up and be bold. The final, gritty guitar solo suggests that although the song is ultimately about hope, any ambition worth pursuing is hard-won and built on the memories of those that came before.

Line by Line Meaning

The world changes, revolutionaries die
The world is constantly changing, but those who fight for change often do not live to see it.

And the children forget.
The youth often do not learn about the struggles and sacrifices of those who came before them.

The ghetto is our first love
Growing up in marginalized communities shapes who we are and influences our values and beliefs.

And our dreams are drenched in gold.
Despite the challenges we face, we still hold onto hope and believe in our own potential for success.

We don't even cry,
We have become numb to the pain and suffering around us.

We don't even cry
We have accepted that suffering is a part of life and have stopped reacting to it emotionally.

About it no more.
We have given up on trying to change our circumstances.

Are the beautiful ones really dead?
Have all the people who fought for justice and equality passed away?

Nizilibel'uba nizalwa ngobani (Oh nizalwa ngobani)
Who do we belong to and who will remember us after we are gone?

Nizilibel'uba nizalwa ngobani na
Who are we to the world and what impact will we leave behind?

Intlungu zoonina belilel'intsuku zobomi babo
The pain of those who came before us is linked to the legacy they left for us to carry.

Intlungu zobawo, zobawo, zobawo
The pain of the community is tied to the oppression of those in power.

Befel'ilizwe lakho.
The land you come from is where your identity and heritage reside.

Hey uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Hey, you who tell the stories of Rhawutini, the motherland.

Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Tell the stories of our ancestors and remind us of our roots.

Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungutata
Tell the stories of our ancestors and remind us of our roots.

Uzigqibil'izindaba.
Tell their stories.

Ntlungu zonina
The pain of our mothers.

Ntlungu zobawo
The pain of our people.

Belilel'iintsuku zobomi benu
They carried the pain throughout their lives.

Ntlungu zonina
The pain of our mothers.

Ntlungu zobawo
The pain of our people.

Belilel'iintsuku zobomi benu
They carried the pain throughout their lives.

The world changes, revolutionaries die
The world is constantly changing, but those who fight for change often do not live to see it.

And the children forget.(children forget)
The youth often do not learn about the struggles and sacrifices of those who came before them.

The ghetto is our first love
Growing up in marginalized communities shapes who we are and influences our values and beliefs.

And our dreams are drenched in gold.
Despite the challenges we face, we still hold onto hope and believe in our own potential for success.

We don't even cry,
We have become numb to the pain and suffering around us.

We don't even cry
We have accepted that suffering is a part of life and have stopped reacting to it emotionally.

About it no more.
We have given up on trying to change our circumstances.

Are the beautiful ones really dead?
Have all the people who fought for justice and equality passed away?

Ntlungu zobawo belwel'inguquko
The pain of the people stays with us and fuels our desire for change.

Ntlungu zonina belilela wena
The pain of our mothers stays with us and moves us to action.

Int'oyaziyo kuzigqib'iindab'eGoli.
The truth is buried under the stories told in the streets of Johannesburg.

Ntlungu zobawo befel'inguquko
The pain of the people remains even after they have passed away.

Ntlungu zonina belilela wena
The pain of our mothers stays with us and moves us to action.

Int'oyaziyo kuzigqib'iindab'eGoli.
The truth is buried under the stories told in the streets of Johannesburg.

Hey uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Hey, you who tell the stories of Rhawutini, the motherland.

Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungumama
Tell the stories of our ancestors and remind us of our roots.

Uzigqibil'izindaba eRhawutini'ungutata
Tell the stories of our ancestors and remind us of our roots.

Uzigqibil'izindaba.
Tell their stories.