Oral Poetry from Africa
The following poem was originally recited by Ibo warriors as their leader Ojea lay dying on a battlefield in sight of victory. It has since gone onto become a song performed at funerals.
Ojea, noble Ojea, look round before you depart,
Ojea, see, the fight is over…
This abridged rendition of the story of Sunjata Keita, founder of the Mali empire, is valuable for several reasons. Firstly, it is an opportunity for listeners to appreciate the soaring vibrato voice of Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, a true master of the art of the griot.
Evans Okoyo is a Kenyan poet who has been building a following on his Youtube channel. One powerul poem, Amuna Wachne Rach (“Amuna, You are Bad News”) addresses alcoholism. Evans says that he was motivated to write this composition following the untimely deaths of some of his good friends.
The first few of minutes of the video introduce us to the central figure of the poem, a drunkard who begins conversing with “Amuna”, his bottle of liquor.
The Swahili poetess Mwana Kupona binti Mshamu composed Utendi wa Mwanakupona (“The Book of Mwana Kupona”) for her teenage daughter, Mwana Hashima binti Sheikh, around 1858. It’s apparent from the lyrics that Mwana Kupona was very ill at the time of writing these verses and the composition reads an ailing mother’s affectionate advice to her young daughter on how she should conduct herself during her own life.
Come close to me my daughter,
and listen to my advice…
The following Oríkì praising the Orisha Èṣù Ẹlégbára, is from Ayọdele Ogundipẹ’s comprehensive academic study, Èṣù Ẹlégbára: Chance, Uncertainty in Yorùbá Mythology. The poet is Mùtíù Adélékè, described as a forty-ish trader from Ile-Olunlọyọ in Ibadan state, Nigeria.
Leisurely, I will trail after you with music,
He who creates man and never forgets him.
I will follow you leisurely with music…
Kambili is the name of the hero of an epic Mandinka poem of the Wasulu hunters of Mali (see Kambili the Hunter for an earlier segment of the poem and further background).
Ah! Namu-sayers!
At this time, kolas had been sent out for a wife for Kambili.
And what was Kambili’s first wife’s name?
Her name was said, Kumba…
