The Kalimba Music of Washeni Zulu

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