Kuimba: Music

• MP3 play whole song, hi-fi (broadband)

Mawingu means “clouds” in Swahili.

I once lived in the hilly grasslands of northeastern Zaïre not far from the Ugandan border. Here the mist rising from Lake Mobutu (moh boo´ too) creates some of the most spectacular cloud formations I have ever seen; but after living in southern Oregon during a drought, clouds began to take on a new meaning for me and one day, when looking out toward the Siskiyou Mountains, I saw a bank of cumulous clouds that reminded me of Zaïre and inspired this song.

SEE THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW.

Personnel- Lark Bowerman, lead vocal, guitar, kayamba; Kris Bowerman, vocal, drums (Ugandan, dumbek, Native American-Lummi Tribe), trombone, percussion; Tom Freeman, conga solo, cowbell

Kwaheri, Mama! Kwaheri, Baba!
Nina tembela mbali.
Kwaheri, ndugu! Kawheri, watu!
Nina enda safari.

Chorus:
Africa, nina kumbuka Africa—
Mawingu meupe kabambi
Ku ruka ndani mbinguni.

Si wezi rudi ku fika pale
Hata na saa ngine.
Nina tembela America,
Fasi namuna ngine.

(chorus)

Lakini sasa, mawingu hapa
’Na ruka vile mbingu.
Lakini sasa, mawingu hapa
’Na ruka vile mbingu.

(chorus)

English Translation:

Good bye, Mother! good bye, Father!
I’m traveling afar.
Good bye sisters and brothers! Goodbye, people!
I’m going on a journey.

Chorus:
Africa, I remember Africa—
Enormous white clouds
Flying in the heavens.

I can’t go back there
Until another time.
I’m traveling in America,
A different kind of place.

(chorus)

But still, clouds here
Are also flying in the heavens.
But still, clouds here
Are also flying in the heavens.

(chorus)