John Low: Covers of Tukisungumuza Wawili and Wageni Wanafika by Jean-Bosco Mwenda

I've run these two Bosco songs together because they share an unusual guitar tuning (FADGCE). There are some interesting ideas here for guitarists, especially in Tukisungumuza: but be warned, with a VERY active thumb part and some quite tricky cross-rhythms, this song is a real challenge to play and sing! I learnt these songs from old scratchy recordings and haven't come across them anywhere else; and, although my fingers are slowing down these days, I feel this music is too good not to share!
As for the lyrics, these are both songs which warn against gossip and idle talk. See the lyrics below, in their Congo Kiswahili versions, and in loose translation.
WAGENI WANAFIKA:
Nillipokelea na wageni siku moja ku nyumba yangu.
Nikawauliza habari gani ya kule kwetu munatoka.
Wakaniambia mpaka mama yako iko malari ku mukini.
Kisha yake mama naye anafika kutoka ku mukini.
Translation:
One day I received some guests in my house.
I asked them for news of our home, where they came from.
They told me 'your mother is very ill with malaria!'
But straight after that, my mother arrived from town (in other words, she was perfectly OK)
TUKISUNGUMUZA WAWILI:
Tukisungumuza wawili, ushielezee na wenzako.
Ukielezea na wenzako, ile mambo itakuwa bure.
Unilia mama, roho ni yako.
Yakusema sema, itafika mbali.
Translation:
If we share something together in private, don't talk about it with your friends.
If you talk about it with your friends, the thing we shared will become worthless.
You're crying now girl, but it's your fault (literally 'it's your own soul').
If you gossip, our private talk will travel far.

[@prestonedwards2000]

An honor to be the first comment here. Your video "African Fingerstyle Guitar" introduced me to this style of guitar playing, and even inspired me to study the Kiswahili language! My son loves it too. Thank you.

[@johnlow2903]

Hello Preston, and my turn to be honoured (and humbled) by your very kind words! Bravo for studying Kiswahili, and so glad that you and your son love this music. The flowering of Swahili acoustic guitar styles, all the way from Katanga to Kenya (peaking between 1940s-1960s), produced a body of beautiful songs, which I believe stand up well in comparison with other genres - for example American country blues and the French chansonniers. They certainly deserve to be remembered, studied and played.

[@jkitime]

Sante John

[@johnlow2903]

Karibu sana John!

[@markswarts9060]

Dear Mr. John
Respect and thanks for sharing..
I believe God will keep your fingers restored with enough speed to meet your need.

[@johnlow2903]

Dear Mark, many thanks for that blessing which should hold good as long as I keep playing!! Actually, the problem isn't just the fingers. The thumb in Tukisungumuza has to leap around a lot (similar to Bosco's Kutembea kwa Wawengi and Mama Kilio-e which I've also put up on RUclips), and the rhythm of the vocal line cuts across that rhythm in a quite tricky way - making this song, for me at any rate, terrfying to perform (this video needed many takes!)

[@cmbambafu7625]

Hello John thanks for playing for us. Your old videos are on another channel. Hope the channel is yours as well.

[@johnlow2903]

Dear cmbambafu, you're very welcome! If the other channel you mean is Gtr Workshop (the old African Fingerstyle Guitar video) then that's OK. It's Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, and they made the video. If it's something else, I'd be grateful if you can put a link on here, and I can follow it up. Many thanks.

[@mrgildons]

Wonderful acoustic music, bravo Mr.Low

[@johnlow2903]

Thanks so much glad you enjoyed it!

[@simenyasikhulu]

Kazi nzuri. Good work.

[@johnlow2903]

Ninakushukuru John Namwamba! Thank you for your kind words. They are among Bosco's best compositions, I would say, especially the lovely guitar parts.