Florocka (Nathan Akiremi) - "Twale" (Nigerian Gospel)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a sound file of the Nigerian Gospel song "Twale" by Florocka (Nathan Akiremi). Also included in this post are the song's complete lyrics, the words to Twale's chorus with an analysis of its Yoruba language meaning, and two bonus videos of "Twale".

The content of this post is presented for cultural, religious, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Kabiyesi Olu Olorun! Thanks to Nathan Akiremi and his singers & musicians. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: FLO - TWALE



Charles Anjorin, Published on Jun 12, 2013

This is a beautiful and powerful song by Flo and I hope you enjoy it. (I been looking forever for this and couldn't find it, so I uploaded it myself)

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LYRICS: TWALE
(Nathan Akiremi)

VERSE 1
If I was an eagle, I would lift myself Spread my wings and fly
If I was a lion, I would run into the jungle And give the loudest growl
And if I was the sun, yes I would rise early in the morning And shine my light so bright
If I was an angel, I would sound the alarm For the whole of creation to bow at your feet..

CHORUS
Kabiyesi Olu orun, I have come to give you twale
To give you worship
Kabiyesi Olu orun, I have come to give you twale
To give you worship

VERSE 2
If I was a little child, I would sing and shout for joy
If I was a stallion o, I would use my four horse power
If I was a shining star, I would illuminate everywhere
And if I was the son of a governor
I would make everybody troway salute o
And if I could control the times, I would go back to the garden of eden
I will give you the worship that only you deserve, YES!
I will look for beautiful names like Alade wura o
Yes I will go on soun and patewo iye Gbe oruko re ga o

CHORUS

BRIDGE
Only a fool will look into the heavens and say there is no God
Only a mad man will look into the sea And claim that the fishes are a mistake
Even the babalowos can testify that there is only one Jehovah
So who are you to tell me that my Yahweh, my Tsidkenu doesn’t exist
He is a consuming fire o,
Yes He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah
He alone shall I serve For the rest of my days

CHORUS to FADE

Source: http://gmusicplus.com/flo-twale-dowload-song-lyrics-remix/

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AN ANALYSIS OF TWALE'S TITLE AND CHORUS
[Please add to and correct any information and please correct any pronunciation errors that I've made in this post. Thank you.]

The song "Twale" is sung in the Yoruba language of Nigeria, West Africa.

Here are two quotes about the word "twale" (pronounced TWAH-lay):
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=409644762443875&story_fbid=462060100535674

"a Nigerian word, meaning to salute, or give due respect,......Dear God we give you Twale!!"

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http://www.nairaland.com/104810/teach-me-naija-slang-please/2

Twale= "I salute"

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Here are three quotes about the word "Kabiyesi" (pronounced kah-be-YEH-see)

From: Yoruba Creativity: Fiction, Language, Life and Songs
books.google.com/books?isbn=1592213367
Toyin Falola, ‎Ann Genova - 2005 - ‎Yoruba (African people)
"Irrespective of dialect divide, Yoruba salute their oba "kabiyesi" meaning that his authority is not subject to question from anyone as all powers belong to him."

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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highness
"For example, the Yoruba people of West Africa usually make use of the word Kabiyesi when speaking either to or about their sovereigns and other royals. As such, it is variously translated as Majesty, Royal Highness or Highness depending on the actual rank of the person in question, though a literal translation of the word would read more like this: He (or She) whose words are beyond questioning, Great Lawgiver of the Nation."

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From http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/why-i-dont-want-to-be-addressed-as-kabiyesi-oba-akiolu/ Why I don’t want to be addressed as ‘Kabiyesi’ –Oba Akiolu
by MURITALA AYINLA on Jan 17, 2013
...."His words: “Let’s look at the meaning of the word ‘kabiyesi’ which means unquestionable King. Those calling themselves ‘kabiyesi’ are deceiving themselves. Either rightly or wrongly, the kings are sometimes taken to court and removed.

“So, only Almighty God deserves the accolade ‘kabiyesi.’ He is the King of all kings.
I would rather like to be addressed as ‘Alayeluwa, Olowo Eko,’ Oba Akiolu, not ‘kabi o osi’,” he added."

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Here is information about the Yoruba words "Olu Orun":
Olu Orun (oh-loo) orun (oh-roon) are Yoruba words which mean "God in heaven"
Source: http://www.nigerianchurchonline.com/blog/names-god-yoruba-language-oruko-ati-oriki-olorun "The Names of God in Yoruba Language"
-snip-
As such "Olu Orun" refers to the Yoruba's traditional Supreme God and also refers to the Christian God "Jehovah".
-snip-
"Olu" is a clip of the word "Oluwa". Here's a quote about the word "Oluwa"
http://findaname.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/a-to-z-of-yoruba-names/
"Olu/oluwa; means God. They are used interchangeably."
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/various-interpretations-of-ise-oluwa.html "Various Interpretations Of The Song "Ise Oluwa".

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Here's a quote about Olorun:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olorunhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olorun
"Olòrún is the Yorùbá name given to one of the three manifestations of the Supreme God in the Yoruba pantheon. Olorun is the owner of the heavens and is commonly associated with the Sun. The vital energy of Olorun manifests in humans as Ashé, which is the life force that runs through all living things.[1] The Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare, the Creator; Olorun, ruler of the heavens; and Olofi, who is the conduit between Orun (heaven) and Ayé (earth).

No gender is typically assigned to Olorun because Olorun transcends human limitations. Olorun rules Orun (the heavens), whereas humans live in Ayé (the earth). Typically, humans do not interact directly with Olorun but they receive the life-giving energy from the sun and recognize the power of Olorun over their lives."

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OTHER EXPLANATIONS:
Explanation of the line "Even the babalawos can testify that there is only one Jehovah"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babalawo
"Babalawo (Babaaláwo in full and pronounced Baba-a-láwo, literally meaning 'father or master of the mysticism' in the Yoruba language) is a Yorùbá chieftaincy title that denotes a Priest of Ifá. Ifa is a divination system that represents the teachings of the Orisha Orunmila, the Spirit of Wisdom, who in turn serves as the oracular representative of God. The Babalawo claim to ascertain the future through communication with Orunmila. This is done through the interpretation of either the patterns of the divining chain known as Opele, or the palm nuts called Ikin, on the traditionally wooden divination tray."

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Partial Explanation of the line "I will look for beautiful names like Alade wura o"
The name "Alade" means "the crowned one" http://findaname.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/a-to-z-of-yoruba-names/

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BONUS VIDEOS
Example #1: Flo (The African Praise Experience 26-Jul-13)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsZZHETM6rk

[This is a live performance of Flo singing "Twale". Embedding disabled by request

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Video #2: Twale



emmanuel john, Published on Sep 25, 2013
-snip-
This is a dance interpretation of the song "Twale".

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