Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases two videos of and lyrics for "Wipolo Bot Lubanga"("Wii Polo"), a Christian song from Uganda, East Africa.*
The English words for one repeated line of that song "Did you find them dancing in the house of the Lord" is given as that may be how some English speakers recognize this song.
The content of this post is presented for religious, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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*Thanks to Joshua Kembero for his comment on August 18, 2018 which corrected my statement that the language for this song was KiSwahili. Instead, Joshua Kembero wrote that the language may be Acoli.
Here's information about Acoli [language] from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoli_dialect:
"Acoli ... is a Southern Luo dialect spoken by the Acoli people in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader (a region known as Acoliland) in northern Uganda. It is also spoken in southern Sudan in Magwi County Eastern Equatoria states."...
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Thanks for your correction, Joshua!
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FEATURED VIDEOS & LYRICS
Example #1: Wipolo
Lomonye, Uploaded on Mar 10, 2007
Pastor George Okudi..great vid
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Here's my transcription of the English language words that are sung from 4:23-6:02 of this video:
WIPOLO (Partial transcription)
Soloist- Oh Did you find them dancing in the house of the Lord
Group- Yes I found them dancing in the house of the Lord
Soloist- Did you found them praising in the house of the Lord
Group- Yes I found them praising in the house of the Lord
Soloist- Did you found them shouting in the house of the Lord
Group- Yes I found them shouting in the house of the Lord
Soloist- Oh, Did you found them dancing in the house of the Lord
Group - Yes I found them dancing in the house of the Lord
Soloist - Now did you find them jumping in the house of the Lord
Group - Yes I found them jumping in the house of the Lord.
Soloist - Did you find some power in the house of the Lord.
Group- Yes I found some power in the house of the Lord.
Soloist- Did you find some anointing in the house of the Lord.
Group- Yes I found some anointing in the house of the Lord.
Soloist- There is anointing
Group- anointing
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king.
Soloist- There is power
Group- power
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king.
Soloist- There is dancing
Group- dancing
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king.
Soloist– (Come on), there is dancing
Group- dancing
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king.
Soloist- Oh, we are jumping
Group- jumping
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king
Soloist- Oh, we are jumping
Group- jumping
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king
Soloist- Oh, we are shouting
Group- shouting
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king.
Soloist- Oh, we are praising
Group- praising
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king
Soloist- Oh, there is power
Group- power
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king
Soloist- Oh, there’s anointing
Group- anointing
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king
Soloist- And, there’s anointing
Group- anointing
Soloist– in the house
Group- of the great king
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This song has a call & response (soloist/group) pattern with "zipper" words (dancing, jumping, praising, power, annoiting etc) that can be substituted for other words. Also, when this song is performed, the order of those "zipper" words are probably not fixed, and the song probably has no fixed length.
I don't know if Pastor George Okudi composed this song and its tune or not.
Also, "Wipolo" is a location in Northern Uganda. I don't know if this song has anything to do with that location.
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Watoto Children's Choir | Wii Polo
WatotoUS, Uploaded on Jan 4, 2010
Watoto Children's Choir gives an energetic performance of "Wii Polo" -- Recorded Live at Springs Church in Canada
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The Watoto Children's Choir is an African Children's Choir that is based in Kampala, Uganda. "Watoto" is KiSwahili for "children".
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watoto_Children's_Choir for information about this choir.
One website about this choir indicated that the group sang a rendition of Pastor George Okudi's song "Wipolo" so this group got the song from Pastor Okudi.
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Lyrics: Wii Polo - Watoto Children's Choir
Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye
(Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye)
Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye
(Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye)
So did you find them dancing in the house of the Lord?
(Yes I found them dancing in the house of the Lord.)
Say did you find them dancing in the house of the Lord?
(Yes I found them dancing in the house of the Lord.)
Tye iye Lega (Lega)
Eh Wii polo (bot lubanga)
Tye iye Mara (mara)
Juo mu iye (bed iye)
Oh We are dancing (dancing)
In the house (of the Lord)
Watoto is dancing (dancing)
In the house (of the Lord)
Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye
(Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye)
So did you find them singing in the house of the Lord?
(Yes I found them singing in the house of the Lord.)
Tye iye pako Rwot (pako rwot)
Oh mulokole (bot lubanga)
Tye iye yom cwiny (yom cwiny)
Juo mu iye (bed iye)
Oh We are singing (singing)
In the house (of the Lord)
Come on now we're singing (singing)
In the house (of the Lord)
"Come on ladies and gentlemen put your hands together for Watoto."
Sing Hallelujah (Amen)
In the house (of the Lord)
Sing Hallelujah (Amen)
In the house (of the Lord)
Sing Hallelujah (Amen)
Yes In the house (of the Lord)
Sing Hallelujah (Amen)
In the house (of the great King)
Eh Ruka! Eh, eh Ruka!
Well Simba, Simba, Simba!
(Simba! Ruka!)
Simba, Simba, Simba!
(Simba! Ruka!)
Simba, Simba, Ya!
(Jouda! Ruka!)
Simba, Simba, Simba!
(Ehhhhhhhh!)
Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye
(Wii polo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye)
So did you find them praising in the house of the Lord?
(Yes I found them praising in the house of the Lord.)
Tye iye Lega (Lega)
Eh Wii polo (bot lubanga)
Tye iye Mara (mara)
Juo mu iye (bed iye)
Tye iye pako Rwot (pako rwot)
Oh mulokole (bot lubanga)
Tye iye yom cwiny (yom cwiny)
Juo mu iye (bed iye)
Oh we are dancing (dancing)
In the house (of the Lord)
Oh we are singing (singing)
In the house (of the Lord)
Come on now, we're praising (praising)
In the house (of the Lord)
Last time, we are dancing (dancing)
In the house (of the Lord)
From http://www.wowlyrics.com/w/watoto-children-s-choir_songs/29610_lyrics_1800998.php
[Thanks to Aimee]
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ANOTHER VERSION OF THE WIPOLO LYRICS
From http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_show_lyrics/8999407
WIPOLO MEDLEY by Imani Milele Children's Choir/ Sam Straxy.
Wipolo bot lubanga mulokole bed iye
We are dancing, dancing in the house of the Lord
We are boogying, boogying as a family
We are shouting, shouting yea yea oh weh woh
We are boogying boogying as a family
Tompitangako Mulokozi
Nga okyalira
Nga bwo kyalira balara
Nange onkyalire
Yesu Yesu
Nga nkukabira
Nga bwo kyalira balara
Nange onkyalire
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Editor's note:
"Boogying" is probably based on the African American English word for "boogie" for dancing (as in "Come on, let's boogie").* But "boogying" as a form of the word "boogie" was rarely if ever used. Also, the word "boogie" is no longer used by African Americans and I don't know of any contemporary general term in African American English for "dancing". Read my comment below about Americans attitudes about dancing in the church.
*Another informal meaning for "boogie" is "to leave hurriedly", as in "I've got to boogie". But that use is also rare.
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Additional Editorial comment:
"Wipolo Bot Lubanga" and the featured videos, but particularly Pastor George Okudi's video of this song, demonstrate some cultural differences between the way that Africans and African Americans (and other Americans) worship in church.
As an African American, Wipolo's uptempo tune doesn't conform to my experiences of what religous songs are supposed to sound like. Also, I've noticed that Africans across the continent perform dance movements to religious songs that Americans only do for non-religious music. Americans who danced like this to Christian music inside or outside the church would be viewed very negatively.
These cultural differences take a while for me to get used to, but this is not to say that the way Africans or Americans worship is right or wrong. I'm just commenting on the cultural differences.
RELATED LINK
Christ the King Choir, Kampala, Uganda; Wipolo bot Lubanga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg1xwID_KAk&playnext=1&list=PL11ED96527F57142F&feature=results_video
[embedding disabled]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composer/s of this song. Thanks also to the performers, transcribers of the song's lyrics, and uploaders of these featured videos.
Also, thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Interesting observation about the differences in dancing. Must confess that as a Ugandan I've never really thought about it.
ReplyDeletePossibly in America there is more distinct line between religious and non-religious. What Pastor George Okudi has put religious words to music that is commonly played in dance halls, discos and other non-religious social events across Uganda. As a result this song went to the top of Uganda secular chart in 2008 and is sung and played everywhere - religious and non religious - up to today (I am writing this in 2014). He has also incorporated traditional music style - the soloist and then chorus - which is usual as it encourages audience participation - music in Uganda is a communal and not passive audience experience.
I would say this is not dissimilar to early hymns in England in the 18th century that were religious words put to popular music - commonly sang in the drinking halls and to folk music.
Greetings, Kim.
DeleteThank you for your comment. I love learning about African culture from people who are from Africa.
I want to reiterate that I noted the differences between the African cultural practice of dancing in church and the American (including African American) attitude about dancing in church (except for doing what is called the Holy dance)*. I certainly don't think that the African cultural practice of dancing in church is wrong-it's just different from what I am used to.
* Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/cut-step-and-other-black-pentecostal.html for a post about doing the Holy Dance in Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) churches and other Pentecostal churches.
Thanks again for your interesting comment about this song and about music in Uganda.
Unfortunately, that's not Swahili. I think the song is in Acoli.
ReplyDeleteJoshua Kembero, thanks for your correction.
DeleteI added it to this post along with brief information about the Acoli language.
One love!