Let me help you discover an Afro-pop classic.
If you live in Southern Africa, you know Mafikizolo’s music. They have been around since 1997, they are winners of many South African Music Awards and even international music awards. Regardless of their global presence, I feel that there are too many people who have not yet enjoyed their vibrant music. Mafikizolo has an abundance of tunes to choose from, but I chose to share my personal favorite from their collection, "Emlanjeni".
Why should I listen to “Emlanjeni”?
“Emlanjeni” will stay in your head! From the sway of the drum intro, this song demonstrates brilliance in simplicity. Even as the full band joins in, the instruments never compete for attention, they leave plenty of open space. That space is filled in nicely by the voice of Nhlanhla Nciza, the female lead. I enjoy this track so much that I can easily overlook the noticeable use of auto-tune on the vocals.
After a few verses we hear Theo Kgosinkwe, the male lead, sings his reply to the woman he loves. They primarily sing in the Zulu language, but they often incorporate phrases from other languages, including English, as you will find on this track.
What is “Emlanjeni” about?
This is a classic love song. The opening phrase “Yandlula iminyaka ngingak'boni” basically translates “I have not seen you in years”. The phrase “soka lam” translates “my boyfriend/love”. She has not seen her love in years and she is letting him know where to find her. The word “emlanjeni” translates “at the river”. He then replies that he now knows where to find her. From this point they switch in and out of English, singing that they will meet together at the river. Again, brilliant simplicity.
From the official video, it appears that he had to leave to find work. She stays behind to care for the home while he is away. This is common in rural Africa where job opportunities are few, the only available jobs are often found hours away from home. This happy couple is finally reunited at the river when he returns.
Why is “the river” culturally significant in Africa?
I asked a local Swazi friend to explain the significance of meeting “at the river” and dating. He explained that culturally, when you are dating you don’t normally visit each other at the family home. Parents are only informed about the relationship when the man is ready to marry their daughter.
Basically, dating couples can’t spend quality time to speak freely together around their family. But they can get to know each other at the river. A social hub of activity, the river is a good place to meet and speak openly with your friends. The women will often go there together to wash clothes and collect water to use at home. The river is an ideal place to get to know the person that you are dating.
He added that, from his perspective, it is better when only a few people know if you’re dating. Why? He says that if the relationship ends before marriage, you feel as though you have failed, and you don’t want people to know about that failure.
In conclusion
“Emlanjeni” is a classic love song, catchy and simple. The song also touches on important social and cultural aspects of traditional life in Southern Africa. While some in the younger generations are moving away from conservative traditions, the river remains an important part of rural life.
Even though it was released in 2003, this song has survived the test of time. “Emlanjeni” is also easy to sing along with, regardless of what language you speak.
Who will you meet you at the river?
Siyabonga Kakhulu (thank you very much),
Scott
Bonus song!
The roots of “Emlanjeni” can actually be traced back to the legend known as Mama Africa, South Africa’s Miriam Makeba. Mafikizolo utilized the rhythm and the main theme of Miriam’s song “Meet Me at the River”, creating their own rendition. Miriam’s beautiful classic is worth listening to:
(pardon the video misspelling her first name)
Comments