Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian musician
Adam Salim
Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian musician Adam Salim in 1945. This song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili ...
in 1945. This song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili
love song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. ...
s in
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
,
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
and the entire
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili songs in the world. ''Malaika'' in this context means "angel" in
Swahili, and this word has always been used by the Swahili speakers to refer to a beautiful girl.
The lyrics of the song differ slightly from version to version; the title itself is subject to variation, such as "Ewe Malaika" (Oh, Angel) or "My Angel".
Authorship and covers
Authorship of this popular song is still very controversial. However, most people accredit its authorship to
Adam Salim
Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian musician Adam Salim in 1945. This song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili ...
, a not-well-published Tanzanian songwriter. Salim (born in 1916) composed this song while he was living in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
between 1945 and 1946.
According to this story, Adam Salim composed "Malaika" song in 1945 for his very beautiful girlfriend Halima Ramadhani Maruwa. Their parents disapproved of their relationship, and Halima was forced by her parents to marry an Asian tajir (wealthy man).
Fadhili William
Fadhili William Mdawida (November 11, 1938 – February 11, 2001), often referred to simply as Fadhili William, was a Kenyan recording artist and composer who is most famous as the first person to record Adam Salim's song "Malaika" which he recor ...
, a Kenyan singer, is also associated with the song because he is the first person to record it.
Producer
Charles Worrod
Charles Worrod (Coventry, England, 1912 – South Africa, 6 June 2008) was the proprietor of the Equator Sound Studios record label (see Equator Records) in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 1950s and 1960s, having left post-war England to relocate to ...
provides yet another version, crediting the song to
Grant Charo, William's brother-in-law (see Ondevo 2006), a claim which is also associated with the fact that
Fadhili William
Fadhili William Mdawida (November 11, 1938 – February 11, 2001), often referred to simply as Fadhili William, was a Kenyan recording artist and composer who is most famous as the first person to record Adam Salim's song "Malaika" which he recor ...
was the first person to record the song. Charo is not known to have confirmed this claim.
Another East African claiming to have written the song is Lucas Tututu from Mombasa.
Although
Fadhili William
Fadhili William Mdawida (November 11, 1938 – February 11, 2001), often referred to simply as Fadhili William, was a Kenyan recording artist and composer who is most famous as the first person to record Adam Salim's song "Malaika" which he recor ...
has always insisted on his authorship of "Malaika", even providing a detailed description of the circumstances in which he wrote it, he is only recognized as the composer for royalty purposes. In any case, William was the first to record the song, together with his band The Jambo Boys, in 1960.
It was later re-recorded at
Equator Sound Studios by the British-born Kenyan music promoter
Charles Worrod
Charles Worrod (Coventry, England, 1912 – South Africa, 6 June 2008) was the proprietor of the Equator Sound Studios record label (see Equator Records) in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 1950s and 1960s, having left post-war England to relocate to ...
, who marketed the ballad to eventually becoming an internationally acclaimed song.
Miriam Makeba
Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, jazz, a ...
's early recording helped make it famous throughout the continent and eventually the world. Her performances of the song brought it to the attention of such famous names as
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...
,
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
,
Boney M
Boney M. was a German- Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group' ...
,
Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup Iyer (born 7 November 1947) is an Indian pop, filmi, jazz, and playback singer who sang songs in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. "Darling", which she recorded with Rekha Bhardwaj for the film ''7 Khoon Maaf'', won the Filmfare Award ...
and
Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (; born July 14, 1960), known as Angélique Kidjo, is a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. ...
.
The song has been covered by many other international artists such as
The Hep Stars
The Hep Stars are a Swedish rock band formed in Stockholm in 1963. During 1965–1966 the band was the most successful of contemporary 1960s Swedish pop groups performing in the English language. Outside the Nordic countries the band is best k ...
,
Boney M
Boney M. was a German- Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group' ...
, The
Brothers Four
The Brothers Four is an American folk singing group, founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington, and known for their 1960 hit song "Greenfields."
History
Bob Flick, John Paine, Mike Kirkland, and Dick Foley met at the University of Washington, where ...
,
Helmut Lotti
Helmut Lotti (born Helmut Barthold Johannes Alma Lotigiers; 22 October 1969), is a Belgian tenorGoldsmith B (2009)Belgian tenor Helmut Lotti wants to find his own style ''WDEZ''. Retrieved 23 April 2010. and singer-songwriter. Lotti performs in ...
,
Rocco Granata
Rocco Granata (born 16 August 1938) is an Italian-Belgian singer, songwriter, and accordionist.
Granata was born in Figline Vegliaturo, Calabria, southern Italy; but his parents immigrated to Belgium when he was aged ten. Rocco's father was a ...
,
Saragossa Band
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributar ...
and is a staple for many African musicians.
Lyrics and meaning
The lyrics of the song differ slightly from version to version, with verses commonly rearranged, omitted, or combined. The Swahili dialect is likely Tanzanian, possibly Kenyan. Kidjo's and Makeba's versions change the song considerably.
The early Fadhili William recording (1959) has only two verses. However, Miriam Makeba's recording has a third verse (the Pesa... verse) and a later record by Fadhili also has the Pesa verse.
The song is sung by a poor young man who wishes to marry his beloved "Angel" or "Little bird" but is defeated by the bride price.
The original text and the translation by
Rupert Moser
Rupert Moser (born 2 June 1944 in Horn, Thurgau canton, Switzerland) is professor emeritus for social anthropology and African studies at the University of Bern. He conducted research on the paternal Ngoni (WaNgnoni) and the matrilineal Mwera ...
originally into German is:
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
''Angel, I love you angel''
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika
''Angel, I love you angel''
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
''and I, what should I do, your young friend''
Nashindwa na sina, we,
''I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have''
Ningekuoa Malaika
''I would marry you, angel''
Nashindwa na sina, we,
''I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have''
Ningekuoa Malaika
''I would marry you, angel''
Kidege, hukuwaza kidege
''Little bird, I think of you little bird''
Kidege, hukuwaza kidege
''Little bird, I think of you little bird''
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
''and I, what should I do, your young friend''
Nashindwa na sina, we,
''I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have''
Ningekuoa Malaika
''I would marry you, angel''
Nashindwa na sina, we,
''I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have''
Ningekuoa, Malaika
''I would marry you, angel''
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
''The money (which I do not have) depresses my soul''
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
''the money (which I do not have) depresses my soul''
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio
''and I, what should I do, your young friend''
Nashindwa na sina, we
''I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have''
Ningekuoa Malaika
''I would marry you, angel''
Nashindwa na sina, we
''I am defeated by the bride price that I don't have''
Ningekuoa Malaika
''I would marry you, angel''
Hep Stars version
Background
By the end of 1966,
the Hep Stars
The Hep Stars are a Swedish rock band formed in Stockholm in 1963. During 1965–1966 the band was the most successful of contemporary 1960s Swedish pop groups performing in the English language. Outside the Nordic countries the band is best k ...
had achieved ten top-10 hits in Sweden, while simultaneously enjoying their fifth number-1 single "
Consolation
Consolation, consolement, and solace are terms referring to psychological comfort given to someone who has suffered severe, upsetting loss, such as the death of a loved one. It is typically provided by expressing shared regret for that loss and ...
", which was the fourth composition written by a member of the group. They had by now accounted to 10% of all record sales in the country, with specifically
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, singer, composer and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and '' Mamma M ...
, who composed most of their singles, enjoying the royalties. It was also around this time that the Hep Stars had decided that they wanted to star in a movie, in similar fashion to
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
''A Hard Days Night'' and
''Help!''. A person outside of the group decided that the majority of the film were to be shot in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, the capital city of
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
.
The group started traveling to Kenya without a
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...
, with drummer Christer Petterson admitting that a coherent screenplay first was attempted aboard the airplane.
After arriving at
Embakasi Airport (later renamed to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport), the group continued to film their projected movie during the morning hours. Their knowledge of "Malaika" was entirely coincidental, as during their stay at a hotel in the capital, the Hep Stars were eating dinner and were suddenly approached by a
chef
A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...
, who worked in the hotel restaurant.
Having heard the statement that the Hep Stars were "the Swedish Beatles", he brought a guitar and started playing the song for them, much to their liking.
After finishing shooting the Kenyan parts of their movie, the group traveled back to Sweden, and entered
Europafilm Studios in April to record "Malaika" with
Gert Palmcrantz
Gert Palmcrantz (born 1 February 1938) is one of the most distinguished sound engineers in Sweden. He commenced his career in the late 1950s, at the gramophone studios of Europa Film. In 1976 Palmcrantz recorded Sweden's best-selling jazz record ...
producing.
Release
Liking the song, the single was released the same month, becoming their first single released in 1967. It was issued by their record label
Olga Records
Olga may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha
* Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga"
Places
Russia
* Olga, Russia ...
with the catalogue number SO 38. The B-side was the Andersson composition "It's Nice to Be Back", which was intended as the closing song for the Hep Stars movie, upon their return to
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
.
"It's Nice to Be Back" would later receive a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
translation titled "Min Egen Stad" ("My Own Town") recorded by
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen (born Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad on 15 November 1945), also known by her nickname "Frida", is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer, songwriter and environmentalist, who is best known as one of the foun ...
, who alongside Andersson was a member of
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...
. The original pressing, which was made in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
intended for Swedish import credits
Fadhili William
Fadhili William Mdawida (November 11, 1938 – February 11, 2001), often referred to simply as Fadhili William, was a Kenyan recording artist and composer who is most famous as the first person to record Adam Salim's song "Malaika" which he recor ...
as the writer of it, making it one of the earliest recordings of the song to do so.
The single first entered
Kvällstoppen on 9 May 1967 at a position of number 4.
The following week it had climbed all the way to number 1, a position it would prove to hold for five consecutive week.
On 20 June it had descended to number 2, staying there for three weeks.
On 11 July, it hit number 5 for one week, before descending to number 7, where it would stay for three weeks.
On 8 August, it was at number 8 before traveling to number 9 the following week, a position it hold for one week.
On 22 August, it descended to number 10, before exiting the top-10 for the first time on 29 August, where it was noted at number 15.
"Malaika" was last seen on the chart on 5 September at a position of number 16.
In total, "Malaika" spent 18 weeks on the chart, of which sixteen were in the top-10, ten were in the top-5 and five were at number 1.
The single was also successful on ''
Tio i Topp
''Tio i Topp'' (English: ''Ten At The Top'') was a Swedish record chart and radio program broadcast by Sveriges Radio P3 between the years of 1961 and 1974. It was launched to combat pirate radio charts and was the first official Swedish record cha ...
'', where it reached number 6, spending two weeks on the chart.
It was the only fully
African language
The languages of Africa are divided into several major language families:
* Niger–Congo or perhaps Atlantic–Congo languages (includes Bantu and non-Bantu, and possibly Mande and others) are spoken in West, Central, Southeast and Southern A ...
-song to reach number one on a Swedish chart.
Personnel
*
Svenne Hedlund
Sven Ove Hedlund (1 March 1945 – 3 December 2022) was a Swedish pop singer who was a member of the music group Idolerna.
Hedlund sang in the Swedish bands Clifftones and Hep Stars in the 1960s. In 1968, the singer Charlotte Walker (born 1944 ...
– lead vocals
* Janne Frisk – guitar, harmony vocals
* Lennart Hegland – bass guitar, harmony vocals
*
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, singer, composer and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and '' Mamma M ...
– piano, harmony vocals
* Christer Petterson – drums, harmony vocals
It is unclear who plays the flute solo on the recording.
Charts
Boney M. version
The version by German band
Boney M.
Boney M. was a German-Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group's o ...
is the first single taken from their fifth album ''
Boonoonoonoos
''Boonoonoonoos'' is the fifth studio album by Boney M., released in September 1981.
Background
Despite producer Frank Farian having announced by the end of 1979 that Boney M. were to take a break, recording sessions for a new album began in the ...
'' (1981). It peaked at #13 in the German charts, their lowest placing so far after their commercial breakthrough. Boney M. would use the double A-side format in this period, typically with the A1 being the song intended for radio and A2 being more squarely aimed at discos. "Consuela Biaz" was first promoted as the A-side in Germany where the group performed it in pop show
Musikladen
''Der Musikladen'' (german: The Music Shop) was a West German music television programme that ran from 13 December 1972 to 29 November 1984. The show continued the 1960s ''Beat-Club'' under a new name, and in turn was replaced by ''Extratour''. ...
. After a promotional visit to Spain where the group found "Malaika" had become a Top 10 hit, the title was remixed and then promoted as the A-side. It was the second consecutive Boney M. single not to be released in the UK, and their first not to be released in Japan.
The original German and Spanish 4:30 single mix featured no percussion ad-libs and most notably, after the second verse it has a key-change to a drum, handclaps and a cappella chant before the song quickly fades. When producer Frank Farian remixed the song for the 12" single and a new 7" edit, he added more percussion and synth and deleted this key-change part, replacing it with an outro with himself singing "Wimoweh, wimoweh" (deliberately borrowed from another African tune "
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube" for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. Linda's original was written in isiZulu, while the English version's lyrics were wri ...
").
Personnel
*Lead Vocal:
Liz Mitchell
Liz is a female name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God's Promise". It is also a short form of Elizabeth, Elisabeth, Lisbeth, Lizanne, Liszbeth, Lizbeth, Lizabeth, Lyzbeth, Lisa, Lizette, Alyssa, and Eliza.
People
* Liz Balmaseda (born 1959), Pulit ...
*Backing Vocals: Liz Mitchell,
Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett (born 14 October 1948) is a Jamaican-British singer and one of the original singers with the vocal group Boney M.
Early years
Barrett was born in Saint Catherine Parish, British Jamaica; her parents brought her to Croydon, Eng ...
, Frank Farian,
La Mama
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...
(Cathy Bartney, Patricia Shockley,
Madeleine Davis
Madeleine may refer to:
Common meanings
*Madeleine (name), also Madeline, a feminine given name
* Madeleine (cake), a traditional sweet cake from France
*Mary Magdalene, also called the Madeleine
Arts and entertainment
* ''Madelein'' (1919 f ...
).
Releases
7" Single
* "Malaika" (Original single mix) - 4:30 / "Consuela Biaz" (Early version) - 5:05 (Hansa 103 350–100, Germany)
* "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 103 350–100, Germany)
* "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Unedited single remix) - 5:20 (Pepita SPSK 70518, Hungary)
12" Single
* "Malaika" (Long Version) - 5:42 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 600 400–213, Germany)
Charts
1989 Remix
"Malaika (Lambada Remix)" is a 1989 single by German band
Boney M.
Boney M. was a German-Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group's o ...
, the only single taken from their
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
album ''
Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II''. Although sampling bits of the original 1981 recording, it was more a re-recording than a remix since lead singer
Liz Mitchell
Liz is a female name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God's Promise". It is also a short form of Elizabeth, Elisabeth, Lisbeth, Lizanne, Liszbeth, Lizbeth, Lizabeth, Lyzbeth, Lisa, Lizette, Alyssa, and Eliza.
People
* Liz Balmaseda (born 1959), Pulit ...
recorded new vocals for it, being the only member present on this recording since the other three original members
Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett (born 14 October 1948) is a Jamaican-British singer and one of the original singers with the vocal group Boney M.
Early years
Barrett was born in Saint Catherine Parish, British Jamaica; her parents brought her to Croydon, Eng ...
,
Bobby Farrell
Roberto Alfonso Farrell (6 October 1949 – 30 December 2010) was an Aruban dancer and singer. He was the male member of the 1970s pop and disco group Boney M.
Biography Birth and early life
Farrell was born and raised on the island of Ar ...
,
Maizie Williams
Maizie Ursula Williams (born 25 March 1951) is a British model, dancer and singer who became one of the original members of the successful 1970s disco music group Boney M. Though she did not sing on the studio recordings of their songs, she ...
who had teamed up with singer Madeleine Davis had been fired by their producer Frank Farian.
Germany
7"
* "Malaika" (Lambada Remix) - 2:59 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:35 (Hansa 112 809–100, 1989)
12"
* "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809–213, 1989)
CD
* "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809–213, 1989)
Footnotes
Sources
Boney MFantastic Boney M.*Ogova Ondevo
"How Political Interference and Corruption Stifles Music Production in Kenya" Art Matters, 23 May 2006.
External links
The Kamusi Project: Swahili Songs - Malaika- A translation with the same rhythm as the original lyrics; the English words fit to the tune.
{{Authority control
Swahili-language songs
Kenyan songs
Boney M. songs
1981 singles
Miriam Makeba songs
Hep Stars songs
Harry Belafonte songs
Pete Seeger songs
Song recordings produced by Frank Farian
Hansa Records singles
Year of song unknown
1967 singles
Number-one singles in Sweden