Hello everybody on HIVE, and especially the AFRITUNES Community. My name is Jasper, and I'm writing (and singing) to you from Cape Town, South Africa! Welcome to Week 114 of AFRITUNES.
I love South Africa and some of the special flavours of music we get here, and I look forward to doing a few posts on AFRITUNES to bring you music from South Africa, or to show you my original songs that have South African inspiration…
After 7 weeks of playing some of my favourite South African songs (there will be more), I thought it might be nice to throw in the odd original song I’ve written myself, but where I know that I’ve been influenced by a traditional South African musical style, or where I use some words from another local South African language.
I’d like to start with a short, simple original song where I do both. The song is called “Ngiya EKhaya” which means “I’m coming home” in isiZulu. A lot of my friends have left South Africa to live in places like Canada, Australia or the UK. All of them miss South Africa a lot, and some have even missed it so much that they have returned, despite the issues that this country faces. This song is for them!
Musically, I am inspired by the rapid-fire thumb-and-first finger guitar playing style that features in a traditional Zulu street guitar music called “Maskandi”. I explain more in the video, but here is a video of the “Honourary White Zulu” Johnny Clegg (that I often mention) playing a traditional Zulu Street Guitar song, with the sort of vibe I am trying to borrow from. Please wait for his friends to join in the singing, it is magic!
Oh well, I hope you enjoy my version of being inspired by Maskandi/Zulu Street Guitar. Here are the lyrics to my song “Ngiya Ekhaya”:
Lyrics for “Ngiya Ekhaya” by @jasperdick (original)
I’m so tired of this London Town
The frigid frowning people drag me down
A longing for my homeland starts to burn
I’m counting down the days ‘til my return…
Ngiya ekhaya! (I’m going home)
Ngiya hamba, ngiya ekhaya (I’m going, I’m going home)
I’m going, I’m going home…
I’m going, I am going home…
I close my eyes and I see the blazing sun
The smiles that seem to shine from everyone
It feels like my homeland is trying to call
It sounds like thunder as raindrops start to fall (the entire Eastern side of South Africa has impressive thunderstorms on Summer afternoons, where big drops fall and kick up the dust, and you are still warm as it happens, so you tend to enjoy it and the smells it releases from the ground and plants!)
Ngiya ekhaya! (I’m going home)
Ngiya hamba, ngiya ekhaya (I’m going, I’m going home)
I’m going, I’m going home…
I’m going, I am going home…
▶️ 3Speak