Children's Choir Examples Of The South African Song "Siyahamba" ("We Are Marching In The Light Of God")

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the South African song "Siyahamba" ("We Are Marching"). The words "In the light of God" are usually added to the religious translations of this song.

These featured choirs are from Uganda, Tanzania, and United States.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of this song and thanks to all those children and adults who are members of or otherwise involved with these choirs. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: Bethany Choir ' We are Marching in the Light of God' in HD 0309 [Tanzanian childrens choir]



unapendo, Published on Mar 29, 2009

The Bethany Family choir practicing another favourite song now with a Swahili translation added. Notice Lake Victoria in the background and the villagers collecting water…. Bethany cares for orphaned, abandoned and abused children in Tanzania, East Africa.

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Example #2: Siyahamba - Mwamba Children's Choir [Ugandan children's choir]



newhopec, Published on Feb 23, 2010

Mwamba has released a new Music Video for the song "Siyahamba" recorded live at Life Point Church in
westminister Marryland
-snip-
"Mwamba is a Swahili word that means "rock". Click https://www.musicinafrica.net/directory/mwamba-childrens-choir for information about this choir.

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Example #3: Siyahamba - Henderson Middle School Chorus [children's choir from the United States]



mria11, Published on Oct 6, 2011

The Henderson Middle School Chorus performs the South African hymn, "Siyahamba."

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Example #4: We are Marching in the Light of God-----Chicago Children's Choir and Children of Uganda [children from Uganda and the United States]



Laurel Holden, Published on Feb 1, 2014

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Example #5: Palatine Children's Chorus- Siyahamba [Ugandan children's choir]



yt12121000, Published on Feb 6, 2014

Children of Uganda perform
Tour of Light with PCC
and St. Peter Lutheran School
February 4, 2014

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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG & SONG LYRICS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siyahamba
Siyahamba (Written by Andries Van Tonder) is a South African hymn that became popular in North American churches in the 1990s. The title means "We Are Marching" or "We are Walking" in the Zulu language.

[...]

History
"Siyahamba" originated in South Africa, probably as a Zulu folk song. It was rewritten as a Christian hymn by Andries Van Tonder, an elder of the Judith Church, and was passed on to his great grandsons, Andrew and Zachariah O' Tonder, from Ireland. It was written in 1952, 3 years before Andries Van Tonder died.

[...]

Today, "Siyahamba" is often performed by children's groups in both sacred and secular environments. Occasionally, the translated lyrics are modified for a secular performance: for example, the English translation "We are marching in the light of God" becomes "We are standing in the light of peace."…

Zulu (original)
Siyahamb' ekukhanyeni kwenkos,
Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

Siyahamb' ekukhanyeni kwenkos',
Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

[ekukhanyeni kwenkos']

Siyahamba... ooh

[Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba]

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

[ekukhanyeni kwenkos']

Siyahamba... ooh

[Siyahamba, hamba, Siyahamba, hamba]

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.


[...]

English Version
We are marching in the light of God

We are marching in the light of God.

We are marching in the light of God,

We are marching in the light of God.
[in the light of God]

We are marching... ooh
[We are marching, marching, we are marching, marching,]

We are marching in the light of God.
[the light of God]

We are marching... ooh
[We are marching, marching, we are marching, marching,]

We are marching in the light of God.

(Alternative versions of the lyrics may alternate marching with different verbs such as walking, dancing, singing, living, or praying, holding up, or the word "God" for love in a less religious gathering.)
-snip-
This Wikipedia page also includes the song lyrics in various other languages.

-snip-
Note this statement from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3ASiyahamba
"Composed vs Traditional
Could anyone please confirm whether this music was in fact composed by Andries van Tonder, or did he just write an arrangement for a preexisting (traditional) South African melody? --capmo 22:10, 26 February 2012 (UTC) [2012]

..."Sources differ as to whether Andries van Tonder wrote the words or composed the music or both. If he wrote the words, he probably wrote them in Afrikaans, as the sources that credit him with the authorship list one Thabo Mkize as the Zulu translator. As for the arrangement that has become the basis for most internationally known versions of this song, it is the work of the Swede Anders Nyberg. It looks to me like there is no verifiable source for solid information on the origins of this song prior to Nyberg's "discovery" of it as performed by a school choir during his group's visit to South Africa in 1978 as recounted in the article. --Haruo (talk) 20:43, 7 March 2014 (UTC)"

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