Bwana Asifiwe!

I just spent the morning sitting down with Mama Agnes, Mama Cecilia, and Mama Sarah who are Burundian singers. They wanted to share a song with our church so I was meeting with them to learn the song and to have a plan for how we’ll do it on Sunday (how very American of me!). As usual, I used our Microtrack to get a recording of the song so I could learn it and make a chart for myself. Leon Mukendi was there to translate for me for most of the meeting. He told me that this song is about how we all go through struggles, but we must look to the Lord for help. I need to get a translation for this weekend…maybe my sister-in-law can help me translate the Tanzanian Swahili. These women had been in a refugee camp in western Tanzania since 1972 before coming to the states last year.
You might have to crank your speakers to hear this. The banging in the background is provided by Nuru and Edward who I believe are Mama Sarah’s children.
Shida Zawanadamu.mp3
Shida zawanadamu
zakira siku zimesababisha
wamusahau Mungu wao
Shuguri zawanadamu
zakira siku zimesababisha
wamusahau Mungu wao
2x
Wengi wameacha kaziza Mungu
Kwaa jiri yatamaa zamwiri
Wengi wameacha kaziza Mungu
Kwaa jiri ya shida mbari mbari
2x
Utasema nini mbere za Mungu
Utajibu nini ukiuri zwa
Utasema nini mbere za Mungu
Utajibu nini ukiuri zwa
Uripo batizwa uriahi di
utamutumikia mpaka kufa
Uripo batizwa uriahi di
utamutumikia mpaka kufa
I must say that I was completely lost as to where the beat was. I had to concentrate on Mama Agnes tapping her hand on the table to keep track of where “1” was. Every time I tried to listen to the song to find it, I lost it. They were gracious about my guitar playing, but I could tell that I wasn’t getting it. Also, Meg and whomever reads this who can translate, please let me know if I got these words wrong. It was hard to pick out the words from the hand written lyrics written in all caps and