Of Ibotso Lyrics And Translation

Ibotso is 2023 track by Zimbabwean maestro Winky D featuring Holy Ten. The track is taken from the album Eureka Eureka which was launched at a sold show on New Year’s Eve.

I am still figuring out the meaning of the title, Ibotso although my hunch is that it may have some derived meaning from the Shona phrase kutanda botso which is an appeasement ceremony one does when one has wronged their mother to end the streak of misfortune that comes from a mother’s wrath especially if she passed away without forgiving one’s transgressions. If you have a different interpretation I would love to learn of it.

A master of capturing the view of the down trodden, Winky D in this collaboration created a track with multifacted meaning from looting resources, to snitching, immorality and the cycle of society which begets more strife. He also hints at the violence that’s always beneath the surface while trying to convey that he is simply a musician with a message—don’t shoot the messenger.

Ibotso Lyrics and Translation

Hello
Dementor
Aewa
Hoyoo
Vanotora zvevapfupi nekureba (sekutamba sekuseka)
They take whats for the short by being tall like it’s a joke for laughs
Ibotso
Holy Ten
Vanonyepa vanonyepedzera
They lie they are pretenders
Vanozeza vanozeza kuseva
Fearing to dip in the gravy
Vano spenda vano tenga tenga
They spend they buy buy
Ibotso
Ini ndiri muimbi chete handina pfumo handina bakatwa
I am a musician only I don’t have a spear or sword
Musandikanda pasi kunge hakata
Don’t throw me down like fortune telling bones
Ibotso
Aewa ndiri muimbi chete
No I’m a musician only
No pfumo no bakatwa saka ndati musandikakata
No spear no sword don’t pull me down

Ndoda pekugara ndinoda roof
I want a place to live I want a roof
Ndoda chekudya mumba mune upfu
I want something to eat, a house with mealie meal
Paghetto tiri kuchema kunge rufu
In the ghetto we cry like at a funeral
Vamwe vari kukwata kuchemera muvhu
Some fear and cry in the ground
Vauya netsvimbo hanzi ndiani anditi bufu
They come with canes and ask who said what
Vatengesi votengesa vopihwa mafufu
Sellouts sell and get scraps
Tohwisana tega ma Hutu nema Tutsi
Fighting amongst ourselves like the Hutu and Tutsi
Aewa hauzombozvida futi futi
No its not something you want
Zvimoko zvogaya kuti life iri mu beauty
Ladies think that life is in beauty
Vobhaizwa nemhadhara ane ma cooler box mu boot
They get taken in by old men with cooler boxes in their boots
Yobva yangorohwa raw, sushi
Its then hit raw sushi
Pobarwawo kamwe ka yuti (yuti)
Thus another youth is born
Koshayo kuti life iri kunanaga nekupi
Who doesn’t know the direction of life
Koona magevha kotambidzwa pfuti
Mixes with thugs and gets given a gun
Kopinda mu ghetto koblinger ne gucci
Gets into the ghetto blinging with gucci

Holy vatipire kuti
Holy tell them
Vanotora zvevapfupi nekureba (sekutamba sekuseka)
They take whats for the short by being tall like it’s a joke for laughs
Ibotso
Holy Ten
Vanonyepa vanonyepedzera
They lie they are pretenders
Vanozeza vanozeza kuseva
Fearing to dip in the gravy
Vano spenda vano tenga tenga
They spend they buy buy
Ibotso
Ini ndiri muimbi chete handina pfumo handina bakatwa
I am a only singer I don’t have a spear or sword
Musandikanda pasi kunge hakata
Don’t throw me down like fortune telling bones
Ibotso
Aewa ndiri muimbi chete
No I’m singer only
No pfumo no bakatwa saka ndati musandikakata
No spear no sword don’t drag me

Ghetto yuti zvotimakisa zvekuva chi boss chakadaro
Ghetto youth its an embarrassment to be a boss like that
Cause Porsche yavanayo magetsi
Cause the Porsche they have advanced model
Parikubuda ma zhet nemazihunhu
They doing deals and behaving badly
Mwanasikana buda muma bedroom
Baby girl get out of the bedrooms
Mwanasikana rinotomabika boto iri
Baby girl this happens
Tone down usafirita photo iri
Tone down don’t filter that photo
Unoerekana wazotsvagwa
You’ll find yourself being sought out
nema gheva anotemera musaga
by thugs who will hit you in the sack
Nhema nhema hazvikonzere musikanzwa
Lies lies that’s not what causes misbehaviour
Vamwe vedu takakurira munhamo too
I grew up in poverty too
Asi takazviudza kuti mudhara go prove akuti andinambomuhwa
But we told ourselves old man go prove that…
Even if you show me zvinhu zvacho zvemu movie
Even if you show me stuff from the movies
I will never go groupie never
Pana zvakadhura but hapana aisevenza
There’s expensive things but no one has a job
Pana vakanyura hapana vairedza
Some sank but no one was fishing

Holy tell them
Vanotora zvevapfupi nekureba sekutamba sekuseka
They take whats for the short by being tall like it’s a joke for laughs
Ibotso
Holy Ten
Vanonyepa vanonyepedzera
They lie they are pretenders
Vanozeza vanozeza kuseva
Fearing to dip in the gravy
Vano spenda vano tenga tenga
They spend they buy buy
Ibotso
Ini ndiri muimbi chete handina pfumo handina bakatwa
I am a only singer I don’t have a spear or sword
Musandikanda pasi kunge hakata
Don’t throw me down like fortune telling bones
Ibotso
Aewa ndiri muimbi chete
No I’m singer only
No pfumo no bakatwa saka ndati musandikakata
No spear no sword don’t pull me down