Salif Keïta’s melancholy song of praise for the first president of Guinea, Sékou Touré, was composed at a time when both the artist and the president felt under siege.
Mandjou, don’t cry
Son of Alpha Touré, don’t cry…
Oral Poetry from Africa
Filed Under: Praise-Poems
Salif Keïta’s melancholy song of praise for the first president of Guinea, Sékou Touré, was composed at a time when both the artist and the president felt under siege.
Mandjou, don’t cry
Son of Alpha Touré, don’t cry…
Filed Under: Relationship Poems
Jarabi (also spelled Diarabi) is a love song that first became popular with many kora players and guitarists in Mali, Gambia and Guinea in the early 1960’s.
Forgive me, mothers, but money cannot buy love
It’s true, forgive me, fathers, no riches can buy love…
Filed Under: Modern Poetry in Oral Manner
Axmed Shiikh Jaamac (1942–2014) was a Somali academician, writer, poet and politician. He taught at the Ministry of Education of the former Republic of Somalia, before moving to Yemen to publish a weekly column for the journal Al-Miithaaq. Axmed eventually returned to Somalia to work as director of the Puntland Ministry of Information, Telecommunications, Culture and Heritage in Garowe.
The following poem was translated from Somali into English by Maxamed Xasan ‘Alto’ and Sarah Maguire.
You belong in the grave like all your kin from the Djinn
False hope, you’re used by the Devil to hide all his schemes…
Filed Under: Blog
As South Africa’s Heritage Day is on upon us, I thought it would be topical to take a glimpse at a small fraction of the poetry that has arisen from South Africa’s vast oral poetry traditions.
With 24th September having been previously celebrated in SA to mark the death of Shaka, the Zulu King, it seems appropriate to begin with one of the poems praising his military genius and catalogue of victories. Shaka is a martial poem of amazing force and energy, full of imagery of lions, leopards, fires, furnaces, axes, spears, hawks and vipers. The Zulu Warrior virtues of bravery, ferocity, agility and strength are praised and the tone is confident and aggressive, Shaka setting his own stamp on the nation.
This can be balanced by a short poem that presents the aftermath of Shaka’s conquests from the perspective of those who suffered from them. The Dirge of the Warriors Widows is a lament by Sotho women that is said to date from the time of Shaka’s wars.
Filed Under: Relationship Poems
Diommaya is a song by two of West Africa’s most celebrated griots, warning the ruling elites of Guinea and Mali about the dangers of exaggerating their own self-importance. Wealth and power are blessings, but will often bring forth arrogance and a lack of consideration for others.
Oh! Refuse, refuse, refuse and say no
Don’t accept to be disrespected, refuse it…
Filed Under: Relationship Poems
Sory Kandia Kouyaté (1933–1977) was born into the Kouyaté line of griots who have served as poets, oral historians, advisors and counselors to the Keita dynasty since the 13th century, when Sundiata Keita founded the Mali Empire.
Oh Sadio, the hippopotamus from Bafoulabe
Oh Sadio, the hippopotamus from Bafoulabe …
This site opens a window on something that will be new to most people, namely, the vast amount of superb poetry hidden away in the 3000 different languages spoken in Africa … More