Gidi Gidi Maji Maji - "Unbwogable" (Kenyan Hip Hop In Sheng Language YouTube examples & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the now classic 2002 Kenyan Hip Hop track "Unbwogable" by Gidi Gidi Maji Maji 

Part I presents some information about that song and showcases two YouTube examples of "Unbwogable" by Gidi Gidi Maji  Maji. The lyrics to that song are also included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/07/comments-from-youtube-discussion.html for Part II presents some comments from the discussion threads for three YouTube examples of "Unbwogable" by Gidi Gidi Maji Maji.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Gidi Gidi Maji Maji for their musical, cultural, and political legacies. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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Thanks also to my good friends Lucas & Judith who are Luos from Kenya. From the late 1990s to 2014 Lucas was the  technical mastermind for my cultural website cocojams. Without Lucas, there would not have been a cocojams, pancocojams, or any other internet site that I curate. Thank you so  much!

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES

Example #1: Gidi Gidi Maji Maji - Unbwogable [video]

Stefan Klopp, Jun 23, 2006

Gidi Gidi Maji Maji performing their hit song Unbwogable at the World Urban Forum Global Hip Hop Concert in Vancouver, BC, Canada on June 22nd.

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"Unbwogable" is a Sheng word from Kenya, East Africa. That word combines the Lou (Kenya) word "bwoga" with the English suffix "able".

Here's a definition for the word "bwogable" that was posted in this video's discussion thread by Gloria, May 2020:
"Bwoga is a luo word meaning scare so unbwogable means unscareable"

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Example #2: Gidigidi Majimaji - Unbwogable [sound file]



GrownNSexyMusic, Aug 29, 2012
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EXCERPT ABOUT THIS SONG 
From https://medium.com/@ericgatobu/sheng-how-a-kenyan-urban-vernacular-is-gaining-national-acceptance-39683045ad94 Sheng: How a Kenyan urban vernacular is gaining national acceptance

Eric Gatobu, May 20, 2019 

..."In 2002, when Kenya was gearing up for a momentous regime change, the collective optimistic disposition of Kenyans was encapsulated in one Sheng word — Unbwogable. A witty song by the duo Gidi Gidi and Maji Maji which was co-opted by the then National Rainbow Alliance (Narc) as its campaign anthem embodying its message of an unstoppable march into a new dawn in Kenyan leadership. Unbwogable’s lyrics reflected the true nature of Sheng, an amalgam of English, Swahili and other Kenyan vernacular languages. Narc won in a landslide victory against the independence party, Kanu"....

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LYRICS: UNBWOGABLE
(by Gigi Gigi Maji Maji)

[Intro]

Okok Primary School, ewi got

Mano kumwadakie omera...

Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well hehe!

Okew gi ngato

Gidigidi Majimaji in the house

And Tedd Josiah

I am unbwogable! (Twende Tedd)

[Verse 1: MajiMaji]

What the hell is you looking for?

Can a young Luo make money anymore?

Shake your feet baby girl, en ango?

Majimaji nyakwar Ondijo, I'm a Luo but who are you?

What are you? Who the hell do you think you are?

Do you know me? Do I know you?

Get the hell out of my face because, hey

I am unbwogable

I am unbeatable

I am un-suable

So if you like my song, sing it for me I say

[Chorus]

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

[Verse 2: MajiMaji]

Yawa jodongo nyaka upar

Joma okonyi nyaka ipar

Joma otingi nyaka ipar

Majimaji nyaka ipar Ondijo kwaru yawa

Oginga Odinga dong aparo i

Tom Mboya dong aparo i

Ouko Robert dong aparo i

Raila Amolo dong aparo i

Gor Mahia dong aparo i

Okatch Biggy dong aparo i

Orengo Jimmy dong aparo i

Julie 'Dunia Mbaya', Joluo malo malo ute

[Chorus]

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

[Verse 3: Gidigidi]

Yes Sir, an owad gi ng'a?

Nyakwargi Ajengo Jakobodo ng'a ma tugo koda?

Listen nobody can bwogo me

Neither nobody can bwogo this

Gidigidi big name I'm saleable

Kama pilipili, yes, I'm terrible

Kanyamwa Homabay ng'a ma chalo koda?

Do you know Gidigidi is unbwogable?!

[Chorus]

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

[Verse 4: Gidigidi]

Agwambo gini tek manade ni? Yawa gini pek manade ni?

Jobondo gini tek manade ni? (You are unbwogable!)

Orengo gini tek manade ni? Yawa gini pek manade ni?

Jougenya gini tek manade ni? (You are unbwogable!)

Anyang' Nyong'o gini tek manade ni? Yawa gini pek manade ni?

Joseme gini tek manade ni? (You are unbwogable!)

Joe Donde gini tek manade ni? Yawa gini pek manade ni?

Jogem gini tek manade ni? (You are unbwogable!)

Ochuodho gini tek manade ni? Yawa gini pek manade ni?

Rangwe gini tek manade ni? (You are unbwogable!)

[Chorus]

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

Who can bwogo me?

Who can bwogo me?

I say, who can bwogo me?

I am unbwogable

Brian Adams (2020) added these lyrics to the video discussion thread that is given as Example #2 in this pancocojams post.

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