While visiting the UK for the first time in 1987, I bumped into Miriam Makeba at a Nigerian restaurant in Finsbury Park, North London. She was dining with her grandchild. Later, I wrote in the Sunday News that- close range- Makeba was so humble that she gave an impression of those modest, innocent rural African women out collecting firewood and grass for livestock.
The Bible says in Mark 9:35 : “If anyone wants to be first, they must be last and the servant of all.”
This South African singer who died on stage in Italy in 2008 aged 76, was a rare germ, indeed.
Miriam Makeba turned “Malaika” into the most famous African song, world wide. Claiming to have been composed by Tanzanian, Adam Salim, in 1945, then recorded by Kenyan Fadhili William in 1962; royalties were finally, awarded to Fadhili William from 1998…
Malaika is always referenced to “Mama Africa” – herself exiled during the evil apartheid era. In 1984, I met Fadhili William in Nairobi. Equally unassuming – and like Makeba – possessing a memorable friendly vibe.
Malaika has been recorded by several stars e.g. Harry Belafonte (duet with Makeba, 1965), Boney M (one of the biggest bands of the 1970s), and recently, Angelika Kidjo (Benin).
What most listeners across the planet love is the melody as they do not understand the lyrics.
If you check out the various versions available you notice mistakes in pronunciation – which always makes us Swahili speakers flinch.
Harry Belafonte sings “kidege HAKUWAZA” instead of hukuwaza. Bony Em made the ugliest error singing NAKUPENDE Malaika. Angelika Kidjo, messes up the second and third verse. Pesa zasumbua roho yangu (money troubles my soul) she croons : “Pesa ZASANDUA” and on the kidege verse “KUKUWAZA” – which should be “hukuwaza”
Perhaps that is why a viewer- Paul Jones -wrote all the three verses correctly in Kidjo’s You Tube channel clip, from a Live Dakar, Senegal 2005 gig.
There is an interesting rendition by a Latin speaking, Cinco Letras (Five letters) in 2017. Unusual white (singer) interpretation. Ironically, apart from the odd accent, hardly any pronunciation faults.
Personal suggestion?
We Swahili musicians should re-release this tune and keep the record straight. Fadhili William and Adam Salim would dance in their graves.
Malaika nakupenda Malaika, if you love Swahili.
