Malaika
Encyclopedia
Malaika, which means "angel" in Swahili
(from the Arabic), is the most famous love song
in Kenya
n pop music
, as well as one of the most widely known Swahili songs. Authorship of the song is usually credited to Kenyan musician Fadhili William
, but this is disputed; in any case, William was the first to record the song, together with his band the Jambo Boys, in 1960.
It was later re-recorded at Equator Sound Studios
by the British-born Kenyan music promoter Charles Worrod
, who marketed the ballad to eventually becoming an internationally acclaimed song. The song went on to be popularised by international artists such as The Brothers Four, Helmut Lotti
, Hep Stars
, Rocco Granata
, Miriam Makeba
, Harry Belafonte
, Pete Seeger
, Boney M
, Usha Uthup
and Angélique Kidjo
. The lyrics to the song differ slightly from version to version; the title itself is subject to variation, e.g. to Ewe Malaika or My Angel.
(1981). It peaked at #13 in the German charts, their lowest placing so far after their commercial breakthrough. Boney M. would use the double A-side format in this period, typically with the A1 being the song intended for radio and A2 being more squarely aimed at discos. "Consuela Biaz" was first promoted as the A-side in Germany where the group performed it in pop show Musikladen
. After a promotional visit to Spain where the group found "Malaika" had become a Top 10 hit, the title was remixed and then promoted as the A-side. It was the second consecutive Boney M. single not to be released in the UK and Japan.
The original German and Spanish 4:30 single mix featured no percussion ad-libs and most notably, after the second verse it has a key-change to a drum, handclaps and a cappella chant before the song quickly fades. When producer Frank Farian remixed the song for the 12" single and a new 7" edit, he added more percussion and synth and deleted this key-change part and replaced with an outro with himself singing "Wimoweh, wimoweh" (deliberately borrowed from another African tune The Lion Sleeps Tonight
).
Personnel
12" Single
album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II
. Although sampling bits of the original 1981 recording, it was more a re-recording than a remix since lead singer Liz Mitchell
recorded new vocals for it, being the only member present on this recording since the other three original members Marcia Barrett
, Bobby Farrell
, Maizie Williams
who had teamed up with singer Madeleine Davis had been fired by Farian.
Germany
7"
12"
CD
originally into German is:
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
Angel, I love you angel
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
Angel, I love you angel
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
and I, what should I do, your young friend
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Kidege, hukuwaza kidege
Little bird, I think of you little bird
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
and I, what should I do, your young friend
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa, Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
The money (which I do not have) depresses my soul
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
the money (which I do not have) depresses my soul
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
and I, what should I do, your young friend
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Nashndwa na mali sina, we
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
(from the Arabic), is the most famous love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, as well as one of the most widely known Swahili songs. Authorship of the song is usually credited to Kenyan musician Fadhili William
Fadhili William
Fadhili William Mdawida , was a Kenyan musician/composer who is most famous for his song "Malaika" which he recorded with his band 'The Jambo Boys' around 1963 ....
, but this is disputed; in any case, William was the first to record the song, together with his band the Jambo Boys, in 1960.
It was later re-recorded at Equator Sound Studios
Equator Records
Equator Records or Equator Sound Studios was originally known as East African Records, owned by Afcot Ltd, situated in Nairobi, Kenya. In 1960, Charles Worrod launched Equator Sound Studios Ltd. along with the Equator Sound Band...
by the British-born Kenyan music promoter Charles Worrod
Charles Worrod
Charles Worrod was the proprietor of the Equator Sound Studios record label in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 1950s and 1960s, having left post-war England to relocate to South Africa, and later, Nairobi with his wife Wynne.Worrod keenly provided a fruitful atmosphere where his salaried staff could...
, who marketed the ballad to eventually becoming an internationally acclaimed song. The song went on to be popularised by international artists such as The Brothers Four, Helmut Lotti
Helmut Lotti
Helmut Lotti , is a Flemish Belgian tenor and singer-songwriter. Lotti performs in several styles and languages: Once an Elvis impersonator, he has sung African and Latino hit records, and he crossed over into classical music in the 1990s.-Life and music:The son of Luc Lotigiers and Rita Lagrou,...
, Hep Stars
Hep Stars
The Hep Stars was a Swedish rock group, formed in 1963. During 1965-1966 the band was the most successful of contemporary 1960s Swedish pop groups performing in English language...
, Rocco Granata
Rocco Granata
Rocco Granata is a Belgian singer, songwriter, and accordionist.Granata was born in Figline Vegliaturo, Calabria, southern Italy; but his parents immigrated to Belgium when he was aged ten. Rocco's father was a coal miner, but after briefly working in the coal mines, Granata pursued music instead...
, Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba , nicknamed Mama Africa, was a Grammy Award winning South African singer and civil rights activist....
, Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
, Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, Boney M
Boney M
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
, Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup is a popular Indian pop, jazz and playback singer. She is well known for popular hits in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.She started her Bollywood playback career, when she sang an English verse in hit song, "Dum maro dum"" in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, and went on work with music...
and Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, commonly known as Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy Award–winning Beninoise singer-songwriter and activist, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Time Magazine has called her "Africa's premier diva". The BBC has...
. The lyrics to the song differ slightly from version to version; the title itself is subject to variation, e.g. to Ewe Malaika or My Angel.
Boney M. version
The version by German band Boney M. is the first single taken from their fifth album BoonoonoonoosBoonoonoonoos
Boonoonoonoos is the fifth studio album by Boney M. It was released on November 1, 1981.Despite producer Frank Farian having announced that Boney M...
(1981). It peaked at #13 in the German charts, their lowest placing so far after their commercial breakthrough. Boney M. would use the double A-side format in this period, typically with the A1 being the song intended for radio and A2 being more squarely aimed at discos. "Consuela Biaz" was first promoted as the A-side in Germany where the group performed it in pop show Musikladen
Musikladen
Der Musikladen was a West German music television programme that ran from December 13, 1972 to November 29, 1984. The show continued the 1960s Beat-Club under a new name, and in turn was replaced by Extratour.-History:...
. After a promotional visit to Spain where the group found "Malaika" had become a Top 10 hit, the title was remixed and then promoted as the A-side. It was the second consecutive Boney M. single not to be released in the UK and Japan.
The original German and Spanish 4:30 single mix featured no percussion ad-libs and most notably, after the second verse it has a key-change to a drum, handclaps and a cappella chant before the song quickly fades. When producer Frank Farian remixed the song for the 12" single and a new 7" edit, he added more percussion and synth and deleted this key-change part and replaced with an outro with himself singing "Wimoweh, wimoweh" (deliberately borrowed from another African tune The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight", also known as "Wimoweh" and originally as "Mbube", is a song recorded by Solomon Linda and his group The Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. It was covered internationally by many 1950s pop and folk revival artists, including The Weavers,...
).
Personnel
- Lead Vocal: Liz MitchellLiz MitchellLiz Mitchell is a singer, best known as the former lead singer of the 1970s disco/pop band, Boney M.-Early life:...
- Backing Vocals: Liz Mitchell, Marcia BarrettMarcia BarrettMarcia Barrett , is one of the original singers with the vocal group, Boney M.-The early years:...
, Frank Farian, La MamaLa Mama (band)La Mama is a German pop and disco trio who worked in Frank Farian's studios in the first half of the 1980s. Adapting their name from New York theatre La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, they released three singles and two albums and worked as backing singers on a number of recordings for other...
(Cathy Bartney, Patricia Shockley, Madeleine Davis).
Releases
7" Single- "Malaika" (Original single mix) - 4:30 / "Consuela Biaz" (Early version) - 5:05 (Hansa 103 350-100, Germany)
- "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 103 350-100, Germany)
- "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Unedited single remix) - 5:20 (Pepita SPSK 70518, Hungary)
12" Single
- "Malaika" (Long Version) - 5:42 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 600 400-213, Germany)
1989 Remix
"Malaika (Lambada Remix)" is a 1989 single by German band Boney M., the only single taken from their remixRemix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II
Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II
Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix '89 – Volume II is a remix album by Boney M. released in November 1989. The follow-up to 1988's Greatest Hits Of All Times - Remix '88 includes remixes by both PWL's Pete Hammond and original producer Frank Farian and yielded two single releases, "The Summer Mega...
. Although sampling bits of the original 1981 recording, it was more a re-recording than a remix since lead singer Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell is a singer, best known as the former lead singer of the 1970s disco/pop band, Boney M.-Early life:...
recorded new vocals for it, being the only member present on this recording since the other three original members Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett , is one of the original singers with the vocal group, Boney M.-The early years:...
, Bobby Farrell
Bobby Farrell
Roberto "Bobby" Alfonso Farrell was an Aruban dancer and performer, best known as the male member of the successful 1970s pop and disco group Boney M.-Early years:...
, Maizie Williams
Maizie Williams
Maizie Ursula Williams is one of the original members of successful 70s disco music group, Boney M.-Early years:...
who had teamed up with singer Madeleine Davis had been fired by Farian.
Germany
7"
- "Malaika" (Lambada Remix) - 2:59 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:35 (Hansa 112 809-100, 1989)
12"
- "Malaika (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809-213, 1989)
CD
- "Malaika (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809-213, 1989)
Vocals
The original text and the translation by Rupert MoserRupert Moser
Rupert Moser is professor emeritus for social anthropology and African studies at the University of Bern. He conducted research on the paternal Ngoni and the matrilineal Mwera in southern Tanzania. He did further work on the genesis of Swahili, migration and religious movements.- Links :* *...
originally into German is:
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
Angel, I love you angel
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
Angel, I love you angel
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
and I, what should I do, your young friend
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Kidege, hukuwaza kidege
Little bird, I think of you little bird
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
and I, what should I do, your young friend
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa, Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
The money (which I do not have) depresses my soul
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
the money (which I do not have) depresses my soul
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
and I, what should I do, your young friend
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Nashndwa na mali sina, we
I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have
Ningekuoa Malaika
I would marry you, angel
Sources
- Boney M
- Musiclange
- Ogova Ondevo (2006), How Political Interference and corruption stifles music production in Kenya (http://www.artmatters.info/indexprint.php?printid=32)
External links
- The Kamusi Project: Swahili Songs - Malaika
- Malaika - A translation with the same rhythm as the original lyrics; the English words fit to the tune.