Becoming The Muse

Music like poetry is a mirror that reflects if not the nature of the artist then the world around the art. I have this song on my playlist by an artist making waves on the Zimbabwean Hip Hop scene known as Holy Ten. Holy Ten Aka Mukudzei Chitsama has this to say about why he chose hip hop:

“…because it allows me to bring out my aggression. It is the closest thing in music to poetry… I get to use an rhymes and metaphors to tell my story..”

This track is called Ndaremerwa (which means I am burdened) coming in on the backdrop of the Zimbabwean situation.

Ndaremerwa lyrics and translation

Kutongotaura nyaya semaziviro andinoiita
Telling the story the way I know it

I’m texting Britezha like “wangu madii?”
I’m texting Britezha like “whats up my guy”
He’s texting me back like “what’s happening my G?”
“Seiko madhiri, seiko circle, seiko, sei ngoma dziya?”
“Hows deals, hows the circle, whats been happening?”
“These days ukutambira kupi?”
“These days where you hanging?”
Cash talk mahwambii pa town
Real talk its tough in the town
These days hazvina kumira mushe
These days nothing is stable
Graduate rahwandisa gown
Graduates hidden their gowns
Ndoyacho hazvidi kuti apuse
That’s it one musnt be a fool
(ndoyacho, ndoyacho)
(That’s the way it is)

Pakutoda grind over prezha
This needs grind over pleasure
Pakutoda mind over matter
This needs mind over matter
Pakuda kutomukira town uchifamba
One needs one to walk into town early
Uchiratidzawo kuti wageza
Looking like you bathed

Pakutoda Jesu apa, pakutoda Jesu apa, amen!
This needs Jesus, this needs Jesus Amen!
Amen, pakutoda gemenzi
Amen this requires holy garments
Pakutoda patience, emergency
This needs patience, emergency
Ndaremerwa, aiwa ndaremerwa
I am burdened.

To anybody still in form 2, everything you learn is not true.
If anything you learn has no proof, then everything you learn has no use.

Sha, tese takadzidza ne shasha
We all learnt with experts
Tese tikadzika neshasha
Then we all went down with experts
Sichaz yakatanga kungopisa
The situation is getting hot
Tese tikabvisa mabhachi apa
We’ve all removed our jackets

Rasta, pamba pano shuga yakapera
Rasta, in this house the sugar is finished
Hapana achandibvunza kwandaswera
No-one asks where I spent my day
Ndichangoti ‘wangu pane njuga dzandapeta’
I’ll just say there’s a gamble that paid off
Izvo pana kule vanda searcher
Even though there’s an uncle I pickpocketed

Mangwana ndakamuka ndakaneta
Tomorrow if I wake up tired
Ichamba chandakweva chasangana neguka randasveta
It’s the weed I smoked aggravated by the meth I took
Yatongova gukamakafella
Its all about the crystal meth drug
Dai matogara guva makachera
The grave might as well be dug

Dakuona prophet
I want to see a prophet
Ngavambondinhongera tsono, dakusona pocket
Pick a needle for me I want sew my pocket
Daku choker shortage, dakubvawo pa cottage
I wanna choke the shortage, wanna move out from a cottage
Monaz dakudyawo ma sausage
Mornings I want to eat sausage

(monaz dakudyawo ma sausage)
(Mornings I want to eat sausage)

Yatongova gukamakafella
Its all about the crystal meth druggie
Dai matogara guva makachera
The grave might as well be dug

---