African Poems

Oral Poetry from Africa

Oral Poetry from Africa

Filed Under: Relationship Poems

Chief Njombwa, Spread Out The Mat

The Chinamwali ceremonies, deeply rooted in Cheŵa-speaking communities across Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, represent initiation rituals exclusive to Cheŵa women.

In this recording, we hear the women leading the ceremony calling upon the Chief of the Kasungu district to grant his authority for the traditional rituals to begin. Reed mats are laid out for the initiates to sit upon in the homestead where the ceremony will commence.

Chief Njombwa, Spread Out The Mat
Chief Njombwa, spread out the mat
The initiation ceremony is set, it is coming…

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Filed Under: Poems of Gods & Ancestors

Eni Orí Shà: One Selected By Destiny

The following verses from the Odù Ifá were rendered by Chief Priest Ifáyẹmi Ọ̀ṣúndàgbonù Elebuibon as part of an interview conducted for Tani Olohun’s YouTube channel.

The Yorùbá sage Òrúnmìlà proposed that the Òrìṣà (deities) worshiped as gods and goddesses, were once men and women of exceptional talent who became venerated as heroic ancestors after their deaths. Gradually, the veneration of the virtous qualities of these ancestors evolved and expanded until their human origins became mostly overlooked.

Òrúnmìlà says, it is humans who live and ascend to become deities
I say, it is the humans who live and ascend to become deities
The Father of Words garnished with unqualifiable wisdom…

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Filed Under: Modern Poetry in Oral Manner

I Dreamt of Riches

The Yorùbá poet Lanrewaju Adepọju passed away on the 10th December 2023 from age-related illness. We are grateful to his son, Olayiwola Adepọju, for this transcription and translation into English of a recording from Chief Adepọju’s repertoire.

A self-taught polymath residing in Ibadan, Lanrewaju Adepọju seamlessly embodied the roles of poet, playwright, author, and social crusader. Local politicians and noteworthy figures actively sought his collaboration, aspiring to leverage his influential standing for the promotion of their policies and accomplishments. Yet, it was Adepọju’s indelible mark on the socio-political landscape that remains his most renowned contribution. His incisive scrutiny of successive administrations in Nigeria, directed at policies he deemed inequitable, stands out prominently. Employing the poetic genre of ewì, Adepọju delivered these often blistering critiques with a modern and resonant flair.

I dreamt of riches, wealth you’d hold,
I dreamt of you living, a vision of longevity,
Dreams of grand houses, skyscrapers you built,
Cloaked as a man of honor, with social grace…

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Filed Under: Modern Poetry in Oral Manner

Ìgbá, Igbá, Igba ati Ìgbà

The Yorùbá language consists of three major tones: high tone, mid-tone, and low tone. For reading these are illustrated in the letters of the Yorùbá alphabet with accent marks. Dò (low-tone, depicted by a grave accent), Re (mid-tone, depicted by the absence of any accent), Mí (high-tone, depicted by an acute accent).

A dynamic aspect of the Yorùbá language and worldview is the ability to pun with words in poetry form by mischievously exploiting the different possible meanings of a words by identifying one meaning from the other through the accent mark or pitch variations in pronunciations.

Here, the poet Baba Akile illustrates this beautifully by playing with the four meanings of the word Igba.

The different variations of the word Igba;
Igbá, Ìgbà, Ìgbá and Igba are each distinct from one another.
They each struggle in the context of being the most relevant and the most significant…

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Filed Under: Modern Poetry in Oral Manner

To Bangui

A new poem by Adjei Agyei-Baah concerning Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic. The city derives it’s name from the Ubangi River, Ubangi being the Bobangi word for the “rapids”, which mark the end of waters north of Brazzaville that are deep, wide and calm enough for boats to pass safely.

Since gaining independence in 1960, the country has seen a succession of rulers who have declared themselves President for life only to be overthrown in coup d’état’s (six in total so far) staged by leaders of the Central African Republic army.

The current President, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, was elected in March 2016 and re-elected for a second term on 27 December 2020. However, the central government lacks control of much of the country. The past decade has seen alliances of rebel militia groups form, take over many towns and then splinter, often to reform in fresh alliances with rival militias that they were fighting against in the previous years.

You the navel of Africa 
What stirs up your grove this time around 
that guns roar to put your people on tour…

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Filed Under: Relationship Poems

Your Friend’s Child

The house band of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation was established on 26 March 1968. In their early years the MBC Band composed arrangements inspired by local folk lyrics and rhythms from traditional dances, later incorporating contemporary music from South Africa and other influences.

The MBC Band frequently played with a group of female singers, The Chichiri Queens, playing local music from all over the country with the following track, “Mwana wa Mzako”, originating from a traditional Mganda song sung by women that was adapted by the band.

This sad song tackles the theme of loving and caring for each others children and concerns the evil shown by one woman who cruelly punished another child’s misbehaviour.

Your friend’s child
When your friend’s child has wronged you
Do not poison him!..

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