JOHN LOW: COVER OF MASANGA BY JEAN-BOSCO MWENDA

Masanga is an iconic Swahili song by Jean-Bosco Mwenda (aka Bosco). It was famous all over East Africa in the 1950s and 60s, and is still remembered today.
The song celebrated the raunchy bars of Jadotville (a copper-mining town in Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo: today, the town is called Likasi). The young Bosco cut his teeth busking for the men who frequented these nightspots, drinking, dancing and mingling with prostitutes. Masanga means beer in the Lingala language. The song satirises men who spent too much time (and money) hanging out in these places - hence all the suggestions in the song that Bosco himself should go home and get a proper night’s sleep.
Words in Kiswahili:
1. Nani naenda njia yetu Jadotville?
Endea pitie njia yetu ya Buluo,
Uende mwambie Baba Bosco anakwenda,
Uende mwambie aende akalale kwabo.
2. Ilunya we, Kasongo wetu, Ilunya we, Bosco wa Bayeke.
3. End’ mwambie yule mtoto wa Bayeke,
Uende mwambie yule singo ya upanga,
Uende mwambie aende akalale kwabo.
4. Kanamuke kasipo na bwana ndumba
Ni kama ukinga yasipo na lapeo.
Mama nakwenda naye ndumba
Mama nakwenda naye oh.
Si uende mwambie Baba Bosco wa Bayeke,
Mwambie aende akalale kwabo
5. Na ninyi mvwala mavaya, na ninyi mvwala jibula
Na ninyi mvwala mavaya, na ninyi mvwala jikita
6. End’ mwambie yule mtoto wa Bayeke
Uende mwambie yule mupiga wa zenze
Uende mwambie aende akalale kwabo
Loose translation:
1. Whoever takes the road to Jadotville, find your way to Buluo (Bosco’s neighbourhood), then tell Baba Bosco to go and sleep at home.
2. Oh Ilunya, our Kasongo, oh Bosco of the Bayeke! (words in praise of three famous Congolese musicians. Bosco belonged to the Bayeke people and was very proud of his heritage).
3. Go tell that child of the Bayeke, tell that chap with a beautiful neck, that he needs to go and sleep at home.
4. A woman without a man, ndumba, (a word for a prostitute) is like a bicycle without a light. Mama, I’m going with this ndumba, I’m going with her. You should tell Bosco wa Bayeke to go and sleep in his own bed.
5. And you women are all wearing mavaya, jibula and jikita (these were all items of clothing worn by women in the bars).
6. Go tell that child of the Bayeke, go tell that guitar player he should go and sleep in his own home.

[@emwandosya]

Incredible, so many things going on and singing on que.. Mwenda was something else

[@johnlow2903]

Glad you enjoyed Emmax! Yes, a remarkable piece which luckily spread all round the world

[@gombakhillbillies]

Fantastic performance. So many things going on with the guitar, it's amazing, and you are singing over all that. This is not easy to learn.

[@johnlow2903]

Sorry for my late reply (2 years late!!). For sure, an interesting piece to learn. I'm in the process of putting up some more Bosco numbers. 'Susanna' is already up, and 'Tukisungumuza Wawili' will follow soon.

[@DasaLetsPlay]

Beautiful, John. I really enjoyed your guitar lessons you did back in the day. Best wishes from Austria :)

[@johnlow2903]

Grüss Gott! So glad you enjoyed this, and the lessons

[@josephketer7785]

Thanks so much. Beautiful singing. Be blessed.

[@johnlow2903]

@@josephketer7785 So glad you enjoyed Joseph. And thanks for your blessings!

[@fanniterrette]

Nice work, as always, John. I believe this Bosco's most celebrated piece. The classical guitarist John Williams did an instrumental cover, and RUclips features a slate of recent cover versions. I also found a transcription written out by a German musicologist. The piece holds up as an instrumental, but your grasp of the lyrics gives it its full resonance. Much appreciated!

[@johnlow2903]

Thanks Fanniterrette! Yes, a great piece of music. It was also fully transcribed (both song and instrumental version) by David Rycroft in African Music, Volume 2, Number 1 (1961). Bosco also produced two versions of the song - a 'high' version and a 'low' version - and here I've cobbled together a mix of the two versions.

[@fanniterrette]

@@johnlow2903 On second thought, it was precisely the David Rycroft piece I was thinking of. The "German musicologist" I had in mind is Gerhard Kubik, an Austrian, author of Theory of African Music. BTW how does one acquire your book? And do you feel that it tells the essential of your experience with Mwenda, or is there more you'd like to share about it?

[@johnlow2903]

@@fanniterrette If you mean 'Shaba Diary,' I can send you a pdf if you'd let me have your email. That book said a lot about Mwenda but I wrote it in 1982 so there's probably more I could say now...Yes, Gerhard was also a big fan of Bosco's and even invited him to Vienna. The video he made of Bosco and other guitarists can be purchased from Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop www.guitarvideos.com/#!/African-Guitar/p/131764483

[@fanniterrette]

​@@johnlow2903 That would be very kind of you. I look forward to reading it!

[@karenbruin2002]

Good to tell you are a researcher at heart, John. I loved reading the translation. It's not a song I have heard before but you played it exquisitely.

[@johnlow2903]

Thanks for your kind words Karen! Glad you enjoyed it

[@ahlanmeride]

good job, the vibe comes across beautifully

[@johnlow2903]

Thanks Alex, glad you enjoyed