Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases a video of the Zimbabwean Gospel song "Tambira Jehovah" as sung by Mkhululi featuring Joyous Celebration Choir. Also included in this post are general information about the Mkhululi, lyrics for "Tambira Jehovah", and selected comments from that featured video.
The content of this post is presented for religious, informational, and aesthetic purposes.
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MKHULULI & JOYOUS CELEBRATION
Mkhululi Bhebhe is a Gospel singer from Zimbabwe, South Africa who was recruited in 2011 as a member of the award winning South African choir "Joyous Celebration". Mkhululi has also released his own Gospel album.
From http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8082:zimbabwes-mkhululi-bhebhe-rises-to-joyous-celebration-expectation&Itemid=297
"WHEN Mkhululi Bhebhe was born 27 years ago in Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, little did the world of gospel music know that a superstar has emerged/
Born and bred in Bulawayo’s black exclusive township of Emakhandeni, Mkhululi is one of the few Zimbabweans who have successful cracked into South Africa’s glamorous musical industry."
-snip-
From http://www.bulawayo24.com/index-id-entertainment-sc-shows-byo-3527-article-Zimbabwe+Joyous+Celebration+recruit+Mkhululi+Bhebhe+thrills+fans.html
"African Idol and CBZ A Academy contender Mkhululi Bhebhe put on a splendid performance at the Harare International Conference Centre when he featured in one of Joyous Celebration’s songs last Saturday.
He delighted Zimbabwean fans when he performed alongside this fashionable gospel outfit.
The crowd went into ecstasy when they unexpectedly saw Bhebhe feature a new version of Tambira Jehova, one of their most popular songs.
Mkhululi introduced Zimbabwean dances to his fellow Joyous members when he imitated Hosiah Chipanga and Simon Chimbetu dances in what was an outstanding performance by the 27-year-old singer who was clad in a silver suit.
"It was a magical experience performing with Joyous, I’m overwhelmed by the response Zimbabweans showed me and it was an exciting moment performing in my country."
"Singing with Joyous Celebration since I joined them in April last year has been a nice experience and I have learnt a lot in terms of spiritual and music growth," said Mkhululi...
Mkhululi, as he is now part and parcel of the group, will feature on the next Joyous Celebration album - their 15th - with his song Tambira Jehova."
FEATURED VIDEO
Tambira Jehovah Joyous Celebration 15
Gideon Mavedzenge, Uploaded on Nov 23, 2011
Mkhululi ft Joyous Celebration choir
-anip-
This song is included in Part I of Joyous Celebration choir's 15th album. That album was recorded at a concert in Durban, South Africa in April 2011. http://www.exclus1ves.co.za/music/Joyous-Celebration-Vol-15-Live-at-the-ICC--ArtistJoyous-Celebration/000000000300000000001000000000000000000000000006007124638434/.
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Here are some comments from this video's viewer comment thread
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgHK-WryPRc
Gospicnic, 2012
"I like the Chopper dance at the end. Simon Chimbetu must be smiling in his grave; who would have imagined that the dance that originated in beerhalls would some day influence worshippers."
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maigwata1. 2012
"way to represent Zim Mkhululi...love the song"
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Nabo Madzingo 11 months ago
"it's amazing that SA gospel Music is now incorporating Zim music, Glory be to God. a great performance by SA people and a zim brother."
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shami88, 2012
"Tambira Jehova - Dance for the Lord (even though they are saying come and dance to the Lord Dance for the Lord is a more accurate translation) Uko Uko over there (that's where the blessings are Rikita Madinonhi- cast out demons
some version include Sing for the Lord, ( Imbira Jehovah) and Clap for the Lord, (Wombera Jehovah (looses something in translation though))
Bata musoro- touch your head
Bata musana touch your back
Tenderera spin around (thats just the choreography that goes with the song)"
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Shonkat, 2012
"need a translation for the part yelele Iyelele
Iyelele yelele, Iyelele yelele
Tambira Jehovah (repeat)
Please help!!"
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Buyi Mjengu, 2012
"yelele is just like ohh yeah,ohh yeah come n dance for the Lord"
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damizztee,2012
"this is a shona song from zimbabwe, the guy leading is also zimbabwean but he sings with a south african band/choir
[Editor-meaning the "Joyous Celebration" choir from the nation of South Africa]
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101katsi, 2012
"some of the words are similar to chichewa...thumbs up malawians...."
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From the featured video, Mkhululi says "In Zimbabwe 'uko uko' means 'over there, over there'. That's where your blessings are, over there".
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LYRICS: TAMBIRA JEHOVAH
(Zimbabwe Gospel song, Language: Shona & English; composer ?)
Tambira Jehovah, Tambira Jehovah
Tambira Jehovah, Tambira Jehovah
Tambira, Tambira Jehovah (repeat)
Iyelele Iyelele
Iyelele yelele, Iyelele yelele
Tambira Jehovah (repeat)
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Give a joyful dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Give a joyful dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
(repeat)
Iyelele Iyelele
Iyelele yelele, Iyelele yelele
Come and dance to the Lord (repeat)
Uko uko uko (uko) (repeat X15)
Rikita mademoni (rikita)
Rikita mademoni (rikita)
Rikita rikita rikita (rikita,rikita,rikita)
Rikita mademoni (rikita)
Rikita mademoni (rikita)
Rikita mademoni (rikita)
Rikita mademoni (rikita)
Rikita rikita rikita (rikita,rikita,rikita) (repeat)
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Give a joyful dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Give a joyful dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Iyelele Iyelele
Iyelele yelele, Iyelele yelele
Come and dance to the Lord (repeat)
Bata msuoro, bata musana, Bata musoro, bata musana
Bata musoro, bata musana, Bata musoro, bata musana
tenderera, tenderera, tenderera, tenderera
tenderera, tenderera, tenderera, tenderera (repeat)
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Give a joyful dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord
Dance to the Lord, Come and dance to the lord (repeat)
Iyelele Iyelele
Iyelele yelele, Iyelele yelele
Come and dance to the Lord (repeat)
From http://africangospellyrics.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/tambira-jehovah-dance-to-the-lord-lyrics-by-mkhululi-and-the-joyous-celebration-choir/
For another version of this song, click http://africangospellyrics.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/tambira-jehovah-lyrics-by-celebration-choir-zimbabwe/
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Mkhululi & other members of the Joyous Celebration Choir for their performance of this Gospel song. Thanks also to the composer of this song & the musicians who performed on this featured video. Thanks also to the authors of the articles and the quoted in this post as well as the commenters who are quoted in this post. My thanks to the transcriber of the song lyrics, and the uploader of this featured video.
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Viewer comments are welcome.
I was raised in the United States to believe that people should do no other type of dancing to religious music but "the holy dance", that is, certain types of movements beyond your control that people do when they feel the Holy Spirit. In most American churches it still would be unthinkable for people to do dance movements that are associated with social dancing. I've therefore had to get use to the concept that it's not only all right to dance to religious music, but also that what people in the USA would categorize as social dance steps are an expected, joyously experienced part of worship.
ReplyDeleteThis Tambira Jehovah video, Solly Mahlangu's 'Wahamba Nathi (Siyabonga Jesus) video, and other African Gospel videos are helping me come to accept the idea of dancing for the Lord.
Thank you.
My comment about Christians in the United States frowning on dancing to religious music specifically refers to Black Christians, although I believe that the same attitudes looking down on dancing to religious music also can be found in non-Black American Christians.
DeleteAnd although dance ministries, and religious mime groups (if mime is considered to be separate from dance ministries) appear to me to be more accepted in African American churches since the late 1990s (I've no direct or indirect information about the level of acceptance of those ministries by non-African American churches), I think that dance & mime ministries still aren't totally accepted in a number of African American churches.
It seems to me that the main difference between the dancing to religious music in African Gospel and in African American dance ministry/mime groups is that the African American dancing is a choreographed performance art for an audience, and the audience isn't supposed to dance along with the performers. Also, the type of dancing that African American dance ministries/mime groups do appears to me to be mostly ballet based modern dancing but with very little R&B/Hip-Hop dance steps. But the African praise dancing appears to be based on their traditional African dance movements, and their social dance movements and it seems like everyone is expected to join in the dancing.
I'm aware that the Tambira Jehovah video & the 'Wahamba Nathi (Siyabonga Jesus) video that I mentioned in my earlier comment are from a concert, but I've also watched videos of Nigerian Gospel music, and Kenyan Gospel music in which the singers did dances that from my American prospective look like social dances. Even in 2013 American Gospel singers would never do such dances to their music.
I'm interested in reading others' opinions about the subject of dancing in American churches.
What do you think about dancing to religious music?