Some of my most favorite traditional music is that accompanied with the traditional kalimba in Eastern Province of Zambia. Westerners call the instrument “finger piano”. It has such a special soulful and spiritual resonance. Some of my early favorites were by Msamalia Mwanza who I use to listen to on Nyanja or Home Srvice of radio Zambia from the 1960s.
When I was working at the Institute of African Studies in Lusaka in 1989, I heard the beautiful kalimba sound as I came out of my car to walk to my office. I followed the sound to one of the modest residences at the institute. It was the great Washeni Zulu. I had heard his music on radio Zambia. I could not believe my eyes and my ears. Here was great treasure.
YouTube has a clip, linked here.
He was a blind but short perhaps middle aged man. He was singing with a woman who gave him the lovely backing vocals.
After I introduced myself I asked him if he had thought of going to recording studio in Lusaka to record and sell his music. He replied that he had no way financially of doing it. I told him I was not a professional recorder. Could I come later to record his music on my audio tape recording boom box. He agreed.
So it was that later that day I went to his house with fresh batteries and one audio tape recorder. More than twenty years later I was to record his music into a studio version of a CD that I could sell. Each time I returned to Lusaka, I tried to find out where Mr. Washeni Zulu was. He lived in the area of Luangwa district on the border with Mozambique on the banks of the Luangwa River before it pours into the Zambezi.
This is one of my most favorite of his songs. I recorded it in April 1989 and transcribed and translated it into English on June 29, 1992 in the United States.
Washeni Zulu’s songs are very powerful as they reflect and are a commentary on life’s problems and troubles. This song addresses the change from a traditional to the modern urban life style. This change has introduced tremendous conflict and stresses in the Zambian society. The lyrics of this song by Washeni Zulu are a commentary on the life and conduct of some Zambian young women in the city and how they relate to their mothers. The song is called in Nyanja or Nsenga as “Lifiti Yinkhale Ng’anda” meaning making the car rides your home. Young women in the city like to hitch rides from men with cars and money. This is the song is partilularly rich because it has everything in it: poetry, humor, and criticism.
CAR RIDES ARE YOUR HOME
by Washeni Zulu
Every other line in the refrain: (Your daughter is a chungwa; meaning irresponsible, misfit or scandalous)
Washeni: Car rides are your home
Refrain Response: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Car rides are your home
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Let it be your home, your daughter has run away from her husband
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She wants to wander around
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She wants to wander around, when she hears the sound of a car her ears peck up
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Her mother asked her where she was going
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Chickens cry kokoko
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Water splashes, splash splash
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: The cat cries, meow meow
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She walks about with red eyes
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Children these days have no respect
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Slapped her own mother, slapped her
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Insulted her own mother saying she is a square
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Too many cars that drive by on the road
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: How do you know it belongs to Mr. Banda?
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: You have to know the sound of the car
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: My daughter you seem sheepish
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Are you ill? Mother, I have a headache
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Your daughter is lying, She has a disease
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: My daughter brings the beef, where did you get it from?
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: I will hide it behind the door mother, because I am afraid you will beat me
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: I cannot beat you
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: I can’t beat you, only your father can beat you
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Bring the beef here so I can taste it
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: After tasting it her mother found it was delicious
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Her mother danced around
Washeni: Her mother danced around
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Her mother even tripped on the ground
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Her mother sustained cuts on her forehead
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She had cuts on her knees
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: When her daughter returned from the city, returned from the city
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She had all these expensive knick knacks
Washeni: She had all these goodies
Washeni: She had all these goodies
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She had tons of sugar
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: When mother run to meet her daughter, she tripped and fell on a stone
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: My daughter, what do you have in your hands?
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: What I have, mother, in my hands is a piece of cake
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Let’s taste the cake, her mother tasted it
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: The mother was so ecstatic
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She had to be cautioned
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Her mother was told to dress decently, to wear better clothes
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Lady, there are people outside
Washeni: Lady, there are people outside
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Some things in life need quick action
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Lady, some things are in the bush
Washeni: Some things come late my daughter
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Things are mgaligeti my child
Washeni: Things are mgaligeti my child
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Car rides are your home
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Car rides are your home
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Let it be your home, your daughter has run away from her husband
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She wants to wander around
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: She wants to wander around, when she hears the sound of a car her ears peck up
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Her mother asked her where she was going
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: I am going to your son-in-law
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Who is my son-law?
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Who do you ask, mother, remember he brought meat?
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: He brought meat on Sunday and brought corn meal
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Chickens are giggling and cry kokoko
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Water splashes, – splash – splash
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: The cat cries meow meow
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Look here she comes with red eyes
Refrain: Your child is a misfit
Washeni: Children these days have no respect
Refrain: Your child is a misfit