Joyous Celebration 17 - "Namata" (Zimbabwean Gospel Song)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video of and lyrics for the Zimbabwean Gospel song "Namata" by Joyous Celebration 17 with lead singer Mkhululi Bhebhe.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Mkhululi Bhebhe & other members of Joyous Celebration 17 for their rendition of this song. Thanks also to this video's publisher and thanks to the commenters who are quoted in this post.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: joyous celebration 17 na ma ta



DaRealmawande, blished on Jun 3, 2013

i do not own this video,therefor i acknowledge the rightful owners.

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LYRICS: NAMATA
(As sung by Joyous Celebration 17, lead singer Mkhululi).

Click http://africangospellyrics.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/namata-pray-lyrics-by-mkhululi-bhebhe-joyous-celebration-17/ for lyrics for this song.

Shona and English lyrics for "Namata" are also included in a number of comments on this video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YInlLbRTuRI. Here are two of those translations with the oldest comment posted first:

MrEdizah, 2013 *[two comments reformatted for this post]
(Sung in Shona) Iwe satani (Hey you Satan!)
Hayi! Tinouya (We’re coming)
Hayi! Kwauri (For you) Hayi!
Nomunondo (With the sword)
Hayi! Weshoko (Of the gospel)
Hayi! Tichiti (Shouting) Hayi!
Hauna simba (You have no power)
Hayi! Kuvakomana (On the boys)
Hayi! Nevasikana (And the girls)
Hayi! Vakatengwa (For the’ve been bought)
Hayi! Neropa (By the blood)
Hayi! RaJesu (Of Jesus)
Hayi! Viva Jesu (Long live Jesus)
Viva! x4 Naye Jesu (Yes Jesus) Naye! x4

Tose Dzvamu Nevhangeri (We all stand with the gospel)
Haiwaiwa tose dzvamu (Yes, we stand with the gospel) x8
(Chant) Iyo nguva (Nguva yatoperawo) The time is running out
Namata (Namata Mwari wako iwe) Pray to your God (Repeat)
Namata (Namata) Pray (x2) N
amata (Namata Mwari wako iwe) Pray to your God (Repeat) (This is) This is your time (To praise) To praise the Lord (
Namata) Namata Mwari wako iwe Pray to your God
Namata (Namata) Pray Namata (Namata Mwari wako iwe) Pray to your God

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iluvdng07, 2014
"This song is in Shona - a Zimbabwean language Here's the chant:

Iwe Satani, - Hey Satan
Tinouya, kwauri, - We come against you
Nemunondo, weShoko, - With the sword of the Word
Tichiti, - Saying
Hauna simba, kuvakomana, nevasikana - You have no power against the boys and girls
Takatengwa, neropa, raJesu - We were bought by the blood of Jesus
Viva Jesu - Viva Jesus
Naye Jesu - Viva Jesus ( lol. I guess the English for Viva would be Long Live)

The commas depict the choir's response (Hayi) I can't think of an English translation for that, but it doesn't really mean anything specific. Think of people in a riot chanting nonsense words in between what they wish to express.

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S VIEWER COMMENT THREAD
Tariro Makina, 2013
"Namata means Pray. It is Shona (Zimbabwe)"

Mduduzi Mjweni, 2013
"Am south african I I lov d song even thou I also dnt understand the language coz its Zimbabwean. Even most of people dancing in that hall I doubt that they understood the words sang dt day"

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Dee wacho, 2013
"Totally zimbabwean including the dances lol!!!!"

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Editor: This comment provides information about the dance movements performed for this rendition of "Namata":
fidifid, 2013
"Farira Jesu-love Jesus #tambira Jesu-dance for jesus# makomborero-blessings#,change gear(classic Zimbabwean dance#second dance-bicycle (classic zim dance), love this song:)"

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Nobuhle Nkomo, 2013
"Typical Zimbabwean even the sound..love it..proudly Zimbabwean"

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Kudakwashe Chayambuka, 2014
Its a Chimurenga (zimbabwe liberation war) song that was turned to gospel in an artistic way. What a blessing"
-snip-
Note: A commenter to this YouTube comment thread mentioned that while the lead singer is from Zimbabwe, he is Ndebele and not Shona and therefore some of the words are misspelled and pronounced incorrectly.
-snip-
Unfortunately, neither that commenter nor any other commenter to date shared which Chimurenga song was the bases for the Gospel song "Namata".

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RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/five-chimurenga-songs-mbare-chimurenga.html

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