"Gwabi Gwabi" I think I may have been the only FM radio DJ to ever play the studio version of this song on Los Angeles radio when I was at KWST-FM, long since defunct, but also played it at KROQ-FM in 1980. I actually met Arlo backstage at the Hollywood Bowl 1977 after his set when he opened for the Grateful Dead and asked him what the lyrics meant. He said it had to do with a young boy teasing a young girl with a gift, sung in Swahili, actually southern Swahili dialect I found out later. Magic times.
Azizi, i know this is 2 years after your post, but if the intro in this one was not the one that offended, then you shouldn't mention it. If you are going to mention it, you should tell us why here, not on another site.
Thank you for sharing this video. I appreciate the musicality of Guthrie's performances of "Gwabi Gwabi" (which is the actual spelling of this song). But as an African American, I DON'T find Arlo Guthrie's tall tales in the introductions of his early performances of "Guabi Guabi"-not this one- to be amusing. Instead, I consider them to be racist. I explain why I reached that conclusion in my post about this song. Google Pancocojams The REAL Meaning of The Song "Gwabi Gwabi" (Guabi Guabi).
wow...am way impressed sir.....nice rendition of the song....keep on keeping on....
Drums killed it -_-
I had a cat named Gwaby.Passed a few years ago. Seen Arlo many times.
"Gwabi Gwabi" I think I may have been the only FM radio DJ to ever play the studio version of this song on Los Angeles radio when I was at KWST-FM, long since defunct, but also played it at KROQ-FM in 1980. I actually met Arlo backstage at the Hollywood Bowl 1977 after his set when he opened for the Grateful Dead and asked him what the lyrics meant. He said it had to do with a young boy teasing a young girl with a gift, sung in Swahili, actually southern Swahili dialect I found out later. Magic times.
GereDJ2 Ndebele not Southern Swahili
He doesn't know, its my Ndebele from Zimbabwe
Swahili... I am offended... 🙁
Azizi, i know this is 2 years after your post, but if the intro in this one was not the one that offended, then you shouldn't mention it. If you are going to mention it, you should tell us why here, not on another site.
Percussionist just leave it!!!!
Thank you for sharing this video.
I appreciate the musicality of Guthrie's performances of "Gwabi Gwabi" (which is the actual spelling of this song). But as an African American, I DON'T find Arlo Guthrie's tall tales in the introductions of his early performances of "Guabi Guabi"-not this one- to be amusing. Instead, I consider them to be racist.
I explain why I reached that conclusion in my post about this song. Google Pancocojams The REAL Meaning of The Song "Gwabi Gwabi" (Guabi Guabi).
It depends how you think.
Pork Tornado does it better. Arlo sucks in comparison to the Pork Tornado.
when he was younger he played with a band called Shenandoah...and their live version is pretty dope.
love the PT version.