“What’s Your Name?”
Rhymes and Rhythms from Pennsylvania’s
Neighborhoods
A Study Guide
Compiled by Amy Davis and Jill Rossiter
Edited by Kate Modic and Amy Skillman
LESSON
1 - Student Page
Background
“Ayi
Mwnwana” is
a very old song from the Mbala people who live in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, an African country formerly known as Zaire. It is used as a greeting to welcome people into villages.
This song has continued to be sung in the Zairean community
in Pennsylvania.
It
is a song sung by young and old people in order to test their
memory. The song
shows the importance of long extensive greetings in a culture
where it is polite to ask about a person’s spouse, children,
father, mother, health, and many other things.
“Ayi Mwnwana”
has no specific story but features a wonderfully playful dialogue
between the two singers.
The
performers, brothers Gaby Muzela and Anicet Mundundu, learned
drumming and singing in Zaire before they moved to Pittsburgh
in the 1980s to teach at the University of Pittsburgh.
Gaby Muzela died in 1994.
The CD What’s
Your Name? is dedicated to him.
Terms
Used:
Democratic
Republic of Congo (Zaire) -
Mbala
-
Kimbala
-
Ngoma -
Sangu
-
Song
Lyrics: (Note: the
song is a dialogue between two people, marked “A” and “B”)
|
Kimbala language |
English
language |
|
A:
Ayi Mwnwana,
ayi mwnwana:
Zina dieyi nah? |
A:
You child, you child: What is your name? |
|
B:
Zina
diami bugi. |
B:
My name is "Package." |
|
A:
Ah bugi?
|
A:
What package? |
|
B:
Bugi
di bamba.
|
B:
A package of bamba (herbs) |
|
A:
Ah bamba?
|
A:
And bamba? |
|
B:
Bamba
di ndengidile mesu yafwa, Ya Mbuesu. |
B:
Bamba that can catch the attention and make
you blind, Brother Mbuesu. |
|
A:
Ah Mbuesu?
|
A:
And Mbuesu? |
|
B:
Mbuesu
mayuyu eh kend' eh ndedi yaya
|
B:
Mbuesu is gone like bees.
It's sad, I am going. |
|
A:
Ay yaya?
|
A:
And going (where)?
|
|
B:
Yaya
baguga ga longi gabala gudi nionga. |
B:
Going the way of teachers (or masters) which
is full of curves. |
|
A:
Ah nionga?
|
A:
And curves? |
|
B:
Fwila
sanga. |
B:
Dying in tears. |
|
A:
Ah sanga?
|
A:
And tears? |
|
B:
Sanga
migembu. |
B:
Tears and pleasure. |
|
A:
Ah migembu?
|
A:
And pleasure? |
|
B:
Migembu
mu mbuga yafua ayaya, Aya Mbuesu. |
B:
Pleasure (often) leads to death, Brother Mbuesu. |
Notes:
|
