African Poems

Oral Poetry from Africa

Women’s Songs

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: 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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Filed Under: Protest & Satirical Poems

Kijiti

Siti binti Saad was the first female singer of taarab and the performer who brought the music out of the Sultan’s court and to a mass audience by singing in Swahili and becoming the first musician from Zanzibar to make commercial recordings in 1929. 

One of Siti binti Saad’s songs that is most treasured by taarab enthusiasts is Kijiti, a song composed to protest the injustices encountered by women. Kijiti was never recorded by Siti for commercial release, but was learned by other female taarab singers from Siti’s live performances and sustained by the oral tradition through women’s taarab groups. 

Look you all, look at what Kijiti has done,
To take a guest and force her to run from his chase.
He went with her to the bush and brought her back as a corpse…

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Filed Under: Epic Poems

The Book of Mwana Kupona

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…

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