Saturday, July 25, 2020

Comments From Nigerians And Other Africans In The Discussion Thread For Jidenna's Video "Sufi Woman"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest update: August 1, 2020 

This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series on the 2019 song "Sufi Woman" by Nigerian-American rapper/singer Jidenna.

Part III presents selected comments from Nigerians and other Africans from the discussion thread of Jidenna's official YouTube video of "Sufi Woman".

I've added some explanations from online sources 
for many of these terms.


Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/07/nigerian-american-rappersinger-jidenna.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I presents partial lyrics for Jidenna's song "Sufi Woman: and showcases the official YouTube video of that song. Part I also presents selected general comments about that singer/rapper and that song/video from the discussion thread of that video's official YouTube video.


Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/07/comments-about-sufism-brujas-mysticism.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II presents selected comments about Sufism, and other mystical religious beliefs and practices from the discussion thread of Jidenna's official YouTube video "Sufi Woman". That post also includes examples of comments about the referent "Gypsy". 


The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to Jidenna for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who were associated with this music and this video. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. **** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM NIGERIANS AND OTHER AFRICANS IN THE DISCUSSION THREAD OF JIDENNA'S SONG "SUFI WOMAN" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_Yg2BHVpU (I categorized these examples by the content of the comment.) Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. Additions and corrections to these explanations are very welcome. 2019


1. King Ino
"Amazing track another big one from Nigerian Americana πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬πŸ‡±πŸ‡·πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬πŸ™πŸΎπŸ˜"
-snip-
The nation abbreviations "NG" = Nigeria; "LR" = Liberia
**
2. Queen Queen
"I lek am oooo!!!!"
-snip-
"O" is added to the end of Nigerian (and also Ghanaian, if not other West African) sentences to add emphasis, almost like the word "really". Here's an excerpt from https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/15-nigerian-pidgin-english-phrases-you-need-to-know/  "21 Essential Pidgin Phrases You’ll Need in Nigeria22 October 2018
[the entry for "nawa o")
"
Nawa oh! (“Wow!”)
This is an expression of surpriseThe ‘oh’ at the end is usually added to a lot of words and phrases, a kind of conversational tick to add emphasis."
-snip-
Also, read "Why Nigerians Overuse 'O'" https://www.legit.ng/534689-why-nigerians-say-o-in-every-conversation.html by Onyinye Muomah, 2016 

**
3. 
lolly Parkside
"issa man..chai"
-snip- "Issa" -"it is a" I wonder if this sentence means is the same as or similar to the colloquial English translation = "What a man!" -snip-
Here's a quote from http://naijalingo.com/words/chai
"Chai!"

Definition
"Usually exclamation, used to express grief, surprise, disappointment and anger, e.t.c see also choi.

Example:
"
Chai! Dem don chop our money oooo."

**

4. Chef Strikker
"
This guy sabi sing oh πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯"
-snip-
"Sabi" = Nigerian Pidgin English for "knows [how to]

**
5. Kazo Alhaji"Jiden don turn to Afrobeat singer las las...Big up!!"
-snip-
I think "las las" means something like "at last" in Nigerian Pidgin English.

**
6. Elykia
"I still don't understand why we ain't having 1M views here ! What are people listening to these days msheww"
-snip-
I've seen "msheww" included in some Nigerian comments on YouTube and elsewhere, but I don't know it's exact meaning, but I think it's the sound that is actually made or which represents "suck teeth" meaning that you are showing your distaste for something or someone.

**
7. DUNCAN KOMEN
"
πŸ’œ  from 254 we stay loyal"
-snip-
"254" is the country international telephone code for Kenya.

**
8. Edozie Jada"Gbedu wey dey burst brain 🧠 πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯"
-snip-
According to 
http://naijalingo.com/words/gbedu, "gbedu" means "party".

"wey dey" means "why they". I think this comment means something like "Party! Don't spend time intellectualizing about things."

**
9. ZTP ZTP
"
MashAllah ❤️πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡΄"
-snip-
"Mashallah (ArabicΩ…َΨ§ Ψ΄َΨ§Ψ‘َ Ω±Ω„Ω„َّٰΩ‡ُ‎, mā shāʾ -llāhu), also spelled mashaAllah or ma sha Allah, is an Arabic phrase that means "what God has willed" and is used to express appreciation, joy, praise, or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. It is also a common expression used in the Muslim world to wish for God's protection of something or someone from the evil eye."

**
10. Chukwunonso Udeh
"This is a very good Afro beat song."
-snip-
"Afrobeats" is contemporary Nigerian "pop" music and is different than Fela's Afrobeat music. 

**
11. Prof Erastosthene
"
This dude madly talented, Africa is proud u , Nigeria is proud of u blooda , well done sirπŸ™‹"

**
12. 
Mayembar Brian Andonios
"Lemme first comment before watching.

"This is also gonna be a hit in my hometown, Kamuli, Uganda."

**
13. john magachi
"
Love jiddenna coz he never abandones his culture😎😎😎😎

     #African boy promoting his culture"

**
14. Osiah Stimah
"
Sufiwoman from #255 we light up"
-snip-
"#255 is the country international code for Tanzania.

**
15. Yade N Adamma
"
Rwanda beauty  1:27 πŸ™ŒπŸΎπŸ‡·πŸ‡Ό"

**
16. Ogas on top
"
Igbo Kwenu, all my igbos rep"
-snip-
From http://www.bookdrum.com/books/things-fall-apart/1657/bookmark/184718.html by brpsaplit "Their phrase “Igbo kwenu” most literally means, “We the Igbo people stand together in agreement and collective will."
-snip-
That author used the outdated referent "Ibo" in this essay.
Click for the 2015 pancocojams post entitled "What "Igbo Kwenu!" Means"
-snip-
"Igbos stand up!" is often found in YouTube discussion threads of contemporary Igbo music. That statement means basically the same thing as "Igbo Kwenu".
-snip-
"rep" is the African American originated shortened form of the word "represent".

**
17. B - Barnation
"This is a flipping banger ..
he must have been wating jeloff rice before making this song"
-snip-
Wating= eating?
-snip-
Here's information about jellof rice from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jollof_rice
"Jollof rice, or jollof (/ˈdΚ’Ι’lΙ™f/), also known as benachin[3] in Wolof ('one pot'), is a one-pot rice dish popular in many West African countries such as NigeriaGhanaThe GambiaSenegalCameroonSierra LeoneCΓ΄te d'IvoireLiberiaTogo and Mali.[4][5][6][7] It is also called 'reddish one-pot dish' and varies in these countries.[8]"

**
18. Emma Agbo
"
You are too much jidenna"
-snip-
Saying that someone or something is "too much" is a criticism in American English, but it appears to be a compliment in some African nations. For instance, South African rapper Sho Madjozi says "It's too much" in her hit track "John Cena".

**
19. Million Million
"
Dedicated all my habesha girls  that go by the name Sofanit!!!  πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡· πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ή  πŸ’‰"
-snip-
"ET" = Ethiopia; "ER" = Eritrea
-snip-
There's a lot of controversy and political debate about the term "Habesha". Dependent on what you read or who you talk to 
"Habesha" is a referent for all [-or for some- ethnic groups people living in the horn of Africa and the diaspora from those nations who are living outside of the Horn of Africa.

**
20. Olusoji Omosehin
"You woke the gods with your music they are dancing and rejoicing welcome back home all diaspora over the continent... let me see you rep your flag!!!! πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬"
-snip-
This comment is a call to "sign the register" [add a nation signing in comment.] As of the time I retrieved this comment, there were 210 likes with 18 comments replies. Some of the comments weren't from Africa. For instance, one commenter "Burnetta Hood
"USA by way of πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬" and commenter Sasheta Mannings wrote that she was from Jamaica. I signed in to this sub-thread in part to ask Sasheta about her last name since my maiden name is "Manning". I asked her if "Manning" was a common Jamaican surname (and I also gave a shout out to Jidenna's song.  Btw, Sasheta responded that "Manning" wasn't a common Jamaica surname". There were at least two other Caribbean commenters who signed in. One signed in from Trinidad and Tobago,  and Jamaica like this:
Asha Bailey Couture
"πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡ΉπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡―πŸ‡²"**
21. Lucille Sambo
"
I love the naija vines there...cool trackπŸŒΌπŸ’•πŸ’•πŸ’•"
-snip-
"Naija" is a contemporary colloquial referent for "Nigeria".
The words "vines" (meaning "clothing") and "cool" meaning "fresh, hip, etc are words from African American culture."

**
22. Kareem Mobarek
"Coming from the north of africa with love πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡¬πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡¬"
-snip-
"EG"= abbreviation for "Egypt

**
23. Bukunmi A
"
Came here from kiitana’s video on Instagram!
Nigerians where y’all at?!"Nice songπŸ’•πŸ’•

**
24. Cmajor Lembede
"Where my SA people at?πŸš€πŸš€"
-snip-
"SA"= the nation of South Africa
-snip-
Where my people at?" and [insert nationality or ethnic group] where y'all at? are from African Vernacular English. These questions are written to prompt other commenters to "sign the register" , i.e. add their own "nation signing in" responses.

**
25. Venice ._.
"
I love you jidenna abeg!!!!"
-snip-
"Abeg" is Nigerian Pidgin English for "please". I'm not sure why it is used in this sentence unless the writer just wanted to be polite, or maybe she wanted to say more like "Please love me too", but she was too shy to do so.
**
26. Ygor Benjamim
"Fire after fire! This album is a big step forward in his career. Greetings from ANGOLA!"

**
27 Tiffany E
"
ayyy Eke gang"

**
REPLY
28. 
joseph eke
"πŸ˜ŽπŸ‘"
-snip-
Here's some information about "Eke" from http://icannigeria.net/index.php/27-eke-market-day-and-its-significance-in-igbo-land
In Igbo culture, there are four days in a week; namely, Nkwo, Eke, Afro, and Orie...
 "
The most sagacious of all these market days is the Eke market day. It is considered significant because it signifies a lot of meaning, of which bad omen, is the most pronounced. It is regarded as the least favoured day in most Igbo communities.  Activities are also constricted outside this day as a severance day. For example, it is not wise to organize a marriage proposal on this day. It is also not approving to bury one on Eke market day or attend any festive ceremony for that matter. "
-snip-
People who are born on a particular day are said to have different personalities, like the sun sign astrology profiles in the United States.


Eke market day is regarded as dangerous, as such everyone is expected to be careful on this day. The Eke market day is associated with Eke, the python. Hence, it is called, Eke, pronounced Eke-e.  Ibos also refer to the creator as, Eke. The creator. What this means, is that in Igbo land. A word can have different meaning depending on the context of discussion."...

**
29. Naira Ori
"
Yoruba woman here I practice Yoruba and it’s unapologetically! Shout out to all my Africans, gypsys, brujas"

**
REPLY
30. ShaiDaArtist

"Ase. So it be."

**
REPLY

31. tpbrowneyes
"
Yebo, Zulu..."
-snip-
The English translation of the Zulu word "Yebo" is "yes".

**
REPLY

32. Marieth Kiiza
"
AshΓ© O"

**

33. hantay w.
"asΓ©!πŸ’«"
**

34. Uchenna Fred
"
Your Igbo Bro in Germany dey hail.
So Gi Nwe Aka πŸ‘"
-snip-
I don't know what this means in English.

**
35. Jesubiyi Ajisefinni
"
Omo this one bad gan. Twuale for u brother from another mother. Hit like if you feel it. Sufi mama!!"

-snip-
"Omo" means child in Yoruba and Edo.
Here's a quote about the meaning of "twale" from naijalingo.com/words/twale#:~:text=Naijalingo%3A%20twale,good%20that%20someone%20has%20done.
Twale
Definition
I salute or hail you or well done.
It is used as an expression to cheer someone on or as a form of praise oftentimes regarding something good that someone has done.
Example:
Boy 1: I don hammer o! I got the contract!!!
Boy 2: Twale! Twale! O boy congrats o

TRANSLATION
Boy 1: I'm rich! I got the contract!!!
Boy 2: Well done!!! Salute! Congratulations friend"

**
36. Promise Nwankwo
"
That shaku shaku move by Jidenna at 2:08So cool"
-snip-
"Shaku Shaku" is a contemporary Nigerian dance.

**
REPLY
 
37. Saviour Adugba
"I didn't catch it the first time 🀣🀣"

**
REPLY
38. Tommeh Tochukwu
"2:07"

**
39. FELIX SOMADINA
"
Jidenna, I'm so happy knowing that you are proud of your tribe πŸ’ͺ🏿"
 -snip-
This comment had 
838 likes with 33 comments at the time this comment was retrieved.

**
REPLY
[to a commenter who wrote that he wanted to rep his White tribe or would that be considered racism.]
40. MultiDiceman
@Vedish ThoratThe reason Black people are trying to uplift each other is because we are normally looked down upon due to white skin colonialism.  You may be unformalized with it but everywhere in the world there are places where dark skin toned are associated with less favorable features, activity, culture, beauty, intelligence than their lighter skin counterparts.It isn't a way to look down upon anyone else. So by all means rep your tribe, which isn't necessarily your race, it would be more so your ethnicity"

**
REPLY
41. Elvis Morris
"He's Igbo from Port Harcourt born to an Igbo father and an European mother"
-snip-
"He" refers to Jidenna.

**
42. BeHappy
"
Nigerians where are you at πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬"
-snip-
At the time I retrieved these comments, this had 
490 likes and 32 comment replies. Here are some of those comments.  Note the different ways some of these comments express "We're here" in Nigerian Pidgin English.

**
REPLY
43. Chibuzo Loud introvert
"
Me that is from his home townπŸ˜ƒπŸ˜‰"

**
REPLY
44. J Romeo
"Here in Sicily."

**
REPLY
45. Emmanuel Asuquo
"Na we dey here"

**
REPLY
46. Alex Aguebor
"BeHappy Naija no dey carry last πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬"
-snip-
Here's an explanation of the saying "Naija no dey carry last" from a 2009 forum thread  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=812892

o boy, Naija no dey carry last

I'm going to go with "We Nigerians are certain of the fact that we will excel in all circumstances."


This is correct. Literally, it is "Oh boy, Nigerians never come in last place."


**
REPLY 
47. BeHappy
"@Alex Aguebor true πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬"

**
REPLY
 
48. Augustine O
"Enugu boy πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬"

**
REPLY 49. Buff Bear
"We dey hereπŸ’―πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬

**
REPLY 
50. Miss Way
"We full ground!! πŸ˜…πŸ˜…"
-snip-
According to 
http://naijalingo.com/words/full-ground, in Nigerian Pidgin English"full ground" means "plenty". 

So "we're full ground" means something like "There's a lot of us here".
**
REPLY
51. Adejoke Bakare
"We dey oooπŸ˜„"

**REPLY
52. Shy-Nay S.
"Naijas we out hereπŸ€™πŸΎ"

**
53. Ose Emma
"Right here"

****
2020
54. 
Buggi Vibes
"And Who Noticed the sprinkling of 9ja pigeon English?... Awesome  ...  

e no go work on me ...
watin u do to me ..

Excellent work ... Jide..nna"
-snip-
"9ja pigeon English" = "Naija [Nigeria] Pidgin English 

****
This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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