WONDERBOOM is a household name in South Africa and have maintained their po… Read Full Bio ↴WONDERBOOM is a household name in South Africa and have maintained their popularity by non-stop touring – releasing six albums along the way.

Tracks like the #1 smash "Charlie", along with top ten hits "Something Wrong", "Africa", "Never Ever", "Green Fever" etc made sure that all five (SAMA nominated) WONDERBOOM albums were represented on the "All The Hits" CD/DVD compilation, released at the end of 2005, bringing
' WONDERBOOM PHASE ONE' to a close.

National tourswith Simple Minds and Live and headling every South African festival (sharing the stage with the likes of The Mission and Feeder) led to WONDERBOOM being constantly touted as S.A.’s hottest live act. CITO, MARTIN, DANNY AND WADE lived up to this claim in December 2004 when WONDERBOOM represented South Africa at the Global Battle of the Bands in London and finished second in a field of 16 bands from all over the world.

Other accolades include added the prestigious “Kanna” award won at the 2005 Klein Karoo Kunstefees and People magazine’s “Best S.A. Band” Crystal Award in 2003.

Early in 2006 vocalist Cito landed the lead role in the Pieter Torien production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. The five month break from live shows, along with the phenomenal success of the theatre production and the impact Cito has made in the role, has resulted in an unprecendented demand for WONDERBOOM.

'WONDERBOOM PHASE TWO’ begins with “City of Gold” an album released on the Sheer Sound indi label, is full of radio friendly singles sure to take the band’s already large following to massive proportions!

Africa
Wonderboom Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He was born in an African dawn
An orphan to the land
So gentle to the eye he was
As any woman's man

Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele

Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Ah la la

As he grew people told him, son
Don't you trust anyone
You learn how to trust a stone
Learn how to be alone

Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Ah la la

And, so he walked
Through the passion of his land
Until at last he cried out
Can anybody hear me?
Can anybody hear me?
Can anybody hear me?

Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Ah la la

Let us sing
As we walked through the dark
Hand in hand
Hand in hand

Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah
Ah la la

Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele (Ah la la)
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah (Ah la la)

Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele
Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele wemah

Overall Meaning

The song Africa by Wonderboom is a reflective piece that tells the story of a man born in the African continent as an orphan. The character is depicted as gentle and attractive to women, but he grows up learning not to trust anyone. Instead, he learns to rely on himself and be alone as he walks through the passion of his land.

As the character cries out, asking if anyone can hear him, the song builds up to a chorus that celebrates Africa. The phrase "Afrika ko-ka-la ba-ngwele" is repeated multiple times, which means "Africa, let's sing together" in Sesotho, a South African language. The lyrics represent the unity and power in the voice of the African people, regardless of their struggles and experiences.

The song is a tribute to the beauty and strength of Africa as a continent and its people. It portrays Africa as a land of endurance, of passion, and of resilience. Through the orphan's story, the lyrics convey the sense of struggle that exists in Africa but also the powerful spirit that endures through hardship.

Line by Line Meaning

He was born in an African dawn
He came into existence during an early morning in Africa

An orphan to the land
He was without any familial relations to the land

So gentle to the eye he was
He had an attractive physical appearance

As any woman's man
He was charming and had qualities that made him attractive to women

Don't you trust anyone
He was advised not to trust anyone

You learn how to trust a stone
You can only rely on inanimate objects and nature

Learn how to be alone
Being independent is necessary

Until at last he cried out
After struggling for some time, he finally expressed his emotions

Can anybody hear me?
Is anyone listening to me?

Let us sing
We should express our joy through music

As we walked through the dark
During difficult times, we should walk together