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Sunday, October 27, 2019

South African Students From Queens College Sing A Gwijo (With A Video Of South African Soldiers Singing The Same Song)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Update: September 4, 2020

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on South Africans singing during rugby games. These songs are called "gwijo" ("igwijo” or “amagwijo”).

Part II showcases a video of students from Queens college singing a gwijo during a rugby game. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

The Addendum to this post showcases a YouTube video of South African soldiers singing the same song as well as a few comments from that video's discussion thread. The Xhosa lyrics for this song (with English translations) are among those comments.

UPDATE: October 30, 2019: Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-south-african-song-mtaka-mama-thina.html The South African Song "Mtaka Mama" ("Thina Siyazalana") With Lyrics & English Translations for four examples of this song, including the two examples that are showcased in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/information-about-videos-about-south.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about South Africans singing during those games. Information about rugby is also included in this post as that sport is unfamiliar to me and to many other people in the United States.

Three videos of the Gwijo Squad are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to South Africa's Queens college students, and thanks to all those who sing gwijo and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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DEFINITION OF THE ISIXHOSA WORD "GWIJO (IGWIJO OR AMAGWIJO)":
From https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/ten-words-from-mzansi-s-football-dictionary/304884#targetText=%E2%80%9DIgwijo%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9CAmagwijo%E2%80%9D,dressing%20rooms%20just%20before%20games. Ten Words From Mzansi’s Football Dictionary, By Captain Alzheimers June 2, 2015
..."”Igwijo” or “Amagwijo”

The words simply means ‘song.’ Those are the songs sung in stadiums by fans and by players in dressing rooms just before games."...
-snip-
South African public school students also sing gwijos.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I don't know when the South African custom started to sing gwijo songs at rugby games (and cricket games and other sports games in South Africa. The 2018 and 2019 dates for the articles and videos that are featured in Part I of this pancocojams post suggests that this is a relatively new tradition. However, read this comment from the discussion thread of this YouTube discussion thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItNp_wtbfXg&t=4sTHE BEST GWIJO SONGS IN 2019....||AMAGWIJO||(jumayima, Maka nontsikelela, utata ka boy,hosana) AMAGWIJO OF SA, Jul 4, 2019

Chwayitile kiva, 2019,
"During after 1994 amagwijo were banned in Private school, the said its savage. today black white purple yellow joining together to sing amagwijo.
-snip-
I think the word "after" here might be a typo for the English words "around" or "about".

My guess is that "black white purple yellow" is a facetious way of referring to "people of all races"/"people of any skin color".

Is it accurate to say that the Gwijo squad lifted this custom from high school* students and that custom began in the early 1990s?
-snip-
*I'm assuming the referent "college" in the Queens college videos and other South African college videos means the same age students as "high school" in the United States (around 13 years old to around 18 years old.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Queens college



Khanyisa Joni, Feb 3, 2019
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread. All of these comments are from 2019. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.

1. adam wang
"which queens college is this"

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REPLY
2. Bonke Makhanda
"Eastern Cape Queenstown"

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REPLY
3. Meki M
"South Africa"

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4. Khulekile Zungu
"Why they named it Queens mara why not Kings"

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REPLY
5. Ntobeko Thiba
"the name of the school is queens college"

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REPLY
6. Tk Botes
"The school is in Queenstown, that's why."

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REPLY
7. Pumeza
"Queenstown College for Boys.
Hence Queen's College."

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8. Matimba Innocent Chauke
"Hey guys can anyone help me understand this song....much love all the way from Zimbabwe"

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REPLY
9. Roland Wright
"We are related as brother, mothers dont worry"

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10. Lawrence Khanyiso
"Big Up✌πŸ€˜πŸ‘Œ Boys πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ’―"

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11. siphe bixa
"Reminds me of my days in high school"

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12. Zaporah Snow
"What language is this and what country? Please and thank you ✊πŸΎπŸ’–"

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REPLY
13. Bongani Ngxovu
"IsiXhosa❤️πŸ”₯.. In South Africa"

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14. maikaelelo ubane
"la bafana ba na masimba straight"
-snip-
Google translate from Xhosa [and Zulu] to English
these boys are powerful
[also]
These guys are powerful
-snip-
I believe that the English word "straight" acts as a way of indicating that you really mean what was just written. Also, note the use of the word "straight" in comment #15 immediately ,

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15. Amanda Bentsile
"kwaXhosa igwijo liyekhiwa straight niyaqhaphela ne struggle songs ziphethwe sithi"
-snip-
Google translate from Xhosa [and Zulu] to English:
"In Xhosa the desert is left straight and you notice the struggle songs are managed by us."
-snip-
Update: September 2, 2020
My guess is that this comment means "In Xhosa (land), we have left the dry times ("hard times", i.e. "the desert") straight [meaning something like "I really mean this"] and you notice that we have taken charge of these struggle songs (that we use as gwijos).

Here's one of multiple traditional and vernacular definitions for "straight" in the United States that was submitted by The Real Julia December 26, 2006 from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Straight
"[one of several vernacular meanings] "Slang: term used to determine level of understanding, agreement, or otherwise mutual understanding and agreement".


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16. hippiestoage wolf
"Xhosa ❤️❤️❤️boys"

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17. Samuel Nobhula
"Gqabhuuuukkaaaaaa!!!....Ndiyaphila Ligwijo Ntozoobawo........ Big Up Queen's Boys."
snip-
Google translate from Xhosa [and Zulu] to English
"Gqabhuuuukkaaaaaa !!! .... I'm Alive To The Poor .."
-snip-
My guess is that that translation is incorrect.

Here's some information about rugby player Lizo Gqoboka:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizo_Gqoboka
"Lizo Pumzile Gqoboka (born 24 March 1990) is a South African rugby union player for the South Africa national team, the Bulls in Super Rugby and the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup.[1] His regular position is prop.”...

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18. Nkateko Merlyne
"πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚queens college !!!!!but I see boys onlyπŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚"

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REPLY
19. Avukile Gxalo
"Akere it's a Boy's school"

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20. Vicky Kgoete
"Nice remix...I like the soldier one better though it has more soul"

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REPLY
21. Rutendo Msika
"Vicky Kgoete where can I find that one"

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REPLY
22. Swiss !!!
"@Rutendo Msika just type in SA soldiers singing
-snip-
I've embedded that video in the Addendum to this post along with a few comments from that video's discussion thread.

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23. Tshego Chifokoyo
"Beautiful. Awesome spirit. This is what schools should be about πŸ‘πŸ‘❤️"

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24. Mongezi Mdunyelwa
"The boy who stands first❤πŸ‘Œ"

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REPLY
25. Viollar Mkhetho
"Yhooo he feels this uBoy"

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REPLY
26. Nondumiso Williams
"He feels the song"

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27. Noluthando Sizwile Dlamini
"This makes me miss high school 😣😣😣😭"

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REPLY
28. Thina Melane
"me too😒😒😒😒😒😒"

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28. jabber java
"I like the positive change in boys school. Just like English before them they sing militant Xhosa songs.

Our country will be defended by this unity...."

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29. Moyahabo Lebea
"I just love how the white kids are pretending tp understand and feel what the others are feelingπŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚"

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REPLY
30. Crystal Kid
"It doesn't matter of the colour of your skin it's the power that the song brings to us see I play for the u15 rugby and everytime we sing this national first team anthem we sing it with pride and joy see every game we sing that song we get power once we play we play like legends."

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REPLY
31. Chad Roberts
"They will never understand, but do not laugh at them for accepting. The only way we will progress is to try."

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REPLY
32. Johanne Immis
"Everyone becomes 1 through the music....1 heartbeat....Move as 1 United never divided"

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33. Thandiwe Thandiwe
"When the leader stands up yah nehhπŸ™ŒπŸ™Œ"

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REPLY
34. Babazi
"1:10 Gqhaaabhuuukaaa!"

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REPLY
35. Nonkululeko Cherle
"The guy who says Gqhabukaaa has me feeling something every time he says thatπŸ‘ I love this video"

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36. Chuma-Nande Memani
"My day is not complete if i don't watch this Art. 🎨 I caaaannnnnn't😫πŸ”₯πŸ”₯ 😍❤️πŸ‘‘"

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37. Yandiswa Nongwe
"Amaxhosa at their bestπŸ”₯πŸ”₯. I love this. Unity ❤"
-snip-
Here are a few additional comments from another video of Queens college students singing this same song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFMvX-SqxJw
Queens College GwijoπŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯
Usiphile Madlokazi, Feb 5, 2019


1. Sakhikhaya Mkhabela
"This gwijo is life bruh"

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2. Yamkela Gola
"Nothing makes a Xhosa person emotional like that humming part when singing amagwijo 😭❤️ "

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3. Adrie J
"❤️ what is the English translation"

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REPLY
4. Usiphile Madlokazi
"Khumbula abazali- i miss my parents
Thina siya zalana mama - we are family
Mntaka Mama -My Mothers Child.......πŸ™πŸ”₯"

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ADDENDUM - South African Soldiers Singing in Camp



laughter.mr, Jun 1, 2018

South African Soldiers Singing in Camp
-snip-
Here's a few comments from this video's discussion thread:
1. DECEMBER IV, 2018
"Ndikhumbula abazali,ndikhumbula abazali bam
Umama ulele
Khanibize noba ngu mama
Thina siyazalana nobu ngandzonda nzok niku thando
Ngiba ngak cabanga
-snip-
Here's the Google translate translation from Xhosa to English: (additions and corrections are very welcome)
"I miss parents, I miss my parents
The mother is asleep
Call her mom
We are related to this and hate to love
I think"

**
2. lindiwe Tom mthethwa, 2019
"What's the name of this song?"

**
REPLY
3. Nondumiso Mhlongo, 2019
"I think its 'bambulele' and not 'Umama ulele' . Thanks for the lyrics"
-snip-
#5 below has different lyrics for this song.

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4. Bevan Nel, 2019
"What are the words to this chant? Absolutely brilliant!"

**
REPLY
5. Mivuyo Marawuu, 2019
"(Loose Translation)
Guy Leading The Song:
Ndikhumbula Abazali
'I Miss My Parents'
Hayi Bambulele
'They Killed Him.'
Kanibize Noba Ngumama
'Please Atleast Call My Mother.'
Ndisemzini weGxagxa
' I'm In Prison'

Siyazalana
'We Are Related.'
Noba ungandizonda Ndizokunika uThando
' Even If You Hate Me ,I Will Show/Give You Love.'

Mama Kanomzizi
'Nomzizi's Mother.'πŸ˜…
NdingenaMama NdingenaTata
'I Didn't Have A Mother Nor A Father.'
Siyazalana Mama
' We Are Related.'
Mntakamama
'My Sibling.'

The Guys Following:
Zumpee, Mntakamama , Zumpee Hay, Zumpe Hayi, Mntakamama.

Doesn't Make Fluid Sense Without Understand The Background Of The Story."

**
6. Ons Huis, 2019
"Well as a mlungu in the sandf i can say i really mis these songs during my training days.
I could not pronounce the words but muffled and hymn'd as best as i could , the songs were a very good "pick up" and motivator during the "op fok" sessions and "vasbyt" times .
Must say that my military training brought me much closer to my fellow south africans and gave me a much better understanding of my fellow man , from the african cultures right through to the muslim cld guys and the atheist whities, i got a greater understanding of who they were (human just like me) and their ways and views of life. There were many clashes, and many fights and that is what gave us a better understanding of one another. I pitty all south africans who have not done military training for it is through the hardships and suffering that we truly discover who we are and get to know and understand our fellow man.
-snip-
"Mlungu" means a White person. 

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7. Zulukazi Hendricks
"Just love and respect you guys and can't get enough of this video. May God protect all of you. Missing home? It shows. πŸ’•

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8. Vicky Kgoete
"There is something about black African men when they sing...those deep voices with so much soul and feel in it. I've seen High school boys sing this song but nothing compares to this version. The emotion Wow hits me right in the feels"

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.


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