(Kenyan music group) Matata - "Ruracio" (video and selected comments about Gengetrap & more )

MATATA- RURACIO (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)  GENGETRAP

MATATA OFFICIAL, June 14, 2020

The name Ruracio means bride wealth or dowry. In many African societies the groom's family presents either money or cows or both to the bride's family as a gesture of his willingness to marry her The payment of the bride price is a sign of the man's commitment to take care of his wife and is seen as a symbolic act and a necessary part of upholding culture, rather than a purchase The song taps from this traditional culture and puts an urban/modern spin to it.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the Norwegian based Kenyan music and dance group Matata.

This post also showcases Matata's June 2020 song/video entitled "Ruracio". Selected comments from this video's discussion thread are also included in this post, with particular attention to comments about how Matata combined Genge (or Gengetone-they're not the same thing) with Trap music beats.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Matata for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are associated with this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

Click the "Ruracio pre-wedding ceremony" tag below for pancocojams posts that provide information and comments about the Rurario pre-wedding ceremony.

I became interested in that subject after happening upon this Matata song/video as a result of receiving a YouTube recommendation for another Matata video, and then binge watching this and three other Matata videos. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/08/two-excerpts-of-online-articles-about.html for a closely related pancocojams post on Gengetrap. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT MATATA
From https://open.spotify.com/artist/7imj8fIllhgGJqvKUVrdgV/about

[retrieved on August 2, 2020 at 10:35 AM EDT]

"MATATA is a Kenyan music and dance artists group that consists of 5 members- Marcus Ojiambo, Ken Kimathi, Richie Mathu, Freddy Milanya, and Festus Mwenda. The group was founded in the year 2016 when the members who coincidentally knew each other from before in Kenya met in the city of Oslo where each of them had gone to pursue further education. The members who had been notable figures in the Kenyan dance industry prior to moving to Norway decided to join forces and together started the MATATA crew in Norway which became a recognized brand in the norwegian dance and urban scene performing on television, Festivals, and Even becoming the 2 time champions of measure your crew dance competition. In the year 2017 the group started pursuing music and slowly combining the art of dance and music together in their performances, but it wasn't until 2018 that the group started recording music and in August 2019 released their first single DENGE, which was accompanied by a dance challenge #dengechallenge which went viral on the social media platforms TIKTOK and WhatsApp."
-snip-
This group shouldn't be confused with the Kenyan funk group Matata (also known as "Matata Air Fiesta) hat was founded in 1968. Click https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/matata for some information about that group. 

For people in the United States and many other nations, the word "matata" calls to mind the Lion King movie song and slogan "hakuna matata" (Swahili: no troubles, but usually converted in English to "no worries". My guess is that that song/saying probably factored into the 2016 group Matata's name choice.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD 
All of these comments were published between June 14, 2020 to August 2, 2020. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.    

1. Kenneth Kiruka
"What a video dark knight meets matata.vidaa about a broke(joker) amekataliwa coz hana doo ya ruracio he has a plan vile ata pata do oh za ruracio=(heist) then kills them after the heist n gets dooh za ruracio .I stan🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌"

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REPLY
2. MATATA OFFICIAL
"🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯"

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3. Klint Eastwood
"MATATA OFFICIAL you guys are just on another level💯💯

Love can make you do crazy stuffs 😂😂

That girl gon get a big ruracio 😂😂"

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4. Kelly Price
"Big ups to the person who shot the video 👏👏"

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5. Patricia Maina
"Here before a billion views....

Ruracio is such a vibe  ...the beats,dances, customs and props 👏 🙌

 ngoma mwoto"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English "ngoma mwoto"=  fire dance [or song]
-snip-
This undoubtedly refers to the African American Vernacular English originated use of "fire" as a superlative.

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6. MovieSonic 1234

"Kenyans ain't playing this 2020 y'all 💯🔊Migos of  Kenya 🇰🇪 💥💥💥International hit✨👏🏼👏🏼"

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REPLY
7. Tim Mitoz
"Nope they are Matata of matata don't start comparing it will cap your perspective especially when they are just trying to pop out."

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REPLY
8. MovieSonic 1234
"@Tim Mitoz i only said that because they gave me Migos kinda flow.. I ment their swag and style reminded me of them..."

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REPLY
9. Tim Mitoz
"@MovieSonic 1234 LOL its because they have fused gengetone with trap. Thats why they've called it gengetrap in their title up there. Isnt it funny how they hopped into the gengetone sound because they saw its potential while other people were busy creating twerking videos? Now they are trying to expound on it to find their own  style in the gengetone sound that will set them apart from the rest."
-snip-
Several other commenters in this Matata discussion thread and in other Matata video discussion threads compared this group with the African American Hip Hop/Trap trio Migos. Here's some information about Migos from https://www.biography.com/musician/migos
"Migos is a hip-hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, comprised of family members Quavo, Offset and Takeoff. Known as purveyors of trap music, the group has ignited global trends like the dab — the head-dropped arm-bent dance — and their mixtapes and videos have gone viral."...

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10. Nelson David
"Taking Kenya music world wide ..big up guys😘"

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11. Moreen Mwendwa
"I love how they keep their lyrics clean and their music videos are next level🤗🤗"

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12. Dan Trainer
"Matata,

Choreography 100%

Bars 100%

Creativity 100%

Entertainment 120%"

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14. Lorian Mona Atieno Okong'o
"This is so beautiful! The Video is a Very creative display of Modern Afrocentrism. Aaand, the GengeTrap tune? Big, Big guys."

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15. PhilSide
"Hakuna genge hapa hii ni Trap"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English:
"No gang here this is Trap"
-snip-
"Gang" is the Swahili direct translation for the word "genge". However, in that comment "genge" is a  Sheng word that refers to a specific type (or types) of music.

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16. Dennis Mwenda
"Video ni dope, ngoma ni dope. Amazing talent all through 100%"
-snip-
Swahili to English translation of "ni" = is; ngoma = song or dance;

"Dope" here has its African American Vernacular English meaning of "very good".

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M M Micheni
17. "Matata taking cinematography to the next level."

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18. Epic Stevens
"Giving credit where it’s due. The visuals are stunning, the song is just a banger💯"

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19. Lilo N.
"someone call mpasho and tell them how Matata are taking gengetone to the next level"
-snip-
Here's information about Mpasho from  https://mpasho.co.ke/
"Mpasho, The Number one freshest Kenyan entertainment news site, for all your fashion news, music news, videos, celebrity news and Lifestyle News."

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20. KAMKAN LIMASHEP
"You have leveled up guys, I like this gengetrap🔥🔥🔥"

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21. Dj Joe Mtrue
"Different kind of dope."

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22. Kevin khago
"this guys are lit...taking Kenyan music to the next level"

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24. Liz Wambui
"This song is mind blowing,everything matata touches turns into Gold walaaa"

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25. JULIAS ARKADI
"Visuals manze!!!!! And my love for trap!. Guys you made my day"
-snip-
"Manze" is probably a stylized form of the colloquial referent "man".

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26. Milch Shake
"THIS IS GOING TO BE THE OFFICIAL RURACIO ANTHEM PLAYED IN ALL RURACIOS/KOITOS 🇰🇪🎶👌🏾"

-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koito

"Koito ("To give away")^[1] is a Kalenjin wedding ritual which involves the negotiation of a brides dowry"-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalenjin_people
The Kalenjin are a group of Southern Nilotic tribes indigenous to East Africa, residing mainly in what was formerly the Rift Valley Province in Kenya. They number 6,358,113 individuals as per the Kenyan 2019 census. They are divided into nine culturally and linguistically related sub-tribes: Kipsigis, Nandi, Keiyo, Marakwet, Sabaot, Pokots, Tugen, Terik and Ogiek.^[2] They speak Kalenjin languages, which belong to the Nilotic language family"...
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27. Capital FM Kenya
"Good music + Great visuals = Matata 🔥🔥🔥"

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28. maki Michael
"Yoh. The whole thing is awesome. I mean audio, video you guys are taking kenya somewhere. Gengetrap is a good idea for the inventor💯💯.

Then i think if you would have done it in english and swahili would have been much better. Because the pick of the story is in kikuyu in which I've just understand it through comments.

Anyway congratulations great work guys"
-snip-
MATATA's songs are rapped/sung in Sheng.  Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/05/an-introduction-to-kenyas-sheng.html for a 2015 pancocojams posts on Sheng.

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29. William Nzeli
"Sheng +Trap =SHRAP #shraptotheworld #shraplife 🔥🔥"

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30. Tim Mitoz
"I like how you guys are trying to experiment and blend different sounds apart from gengetone. So far you guys and Chris Kaiga are the ones bringing in fresh tunes from just experimenting sounds in Kenya 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪.. Keep it up!"

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31. Munene Kirimi
"Finally musicians who are setting new standards.

Its time the Kenyan music scene left the comfort zone."

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32. Joy Kinyua
"Kenya isn't even ready for you!! We don't even deserve y'all😂. The choreography, cinematography, storyline...too much!! You are enough prove that we can still have clean gengetone music and good music in general. #TeamMatataAllTheWay.”…

Wow you guys 👏🏿👌🏿"

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33. Tito kenya
"#kenyan trap next big artists"

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34. Davy Raphael
"Fact that these guys arent in Kenya makes their songs slap harder😍😍😍"

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35. Joel Watatua
"Pure creativity! No need for nudity or vulgarity to make it in the scene. I like it."

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36. Paul Norman
"Clean videos like these🔥🔥🔥💯"

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37. Nelson Mecha
"I always told my fellow Kenyans that they were underrating “MATATA”,.. you guys are liiit 🔥 🔥,.."

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38, AplainEast Official
"Who Took This Video He Is Flames🔥,Lines Are Perfect Though Message Some Popped Out Of Lane But Still Is Lit ...🔥🔥🔥🔥 Production Always Kwa Point 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥(Is Litttttttt!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥) The African Chant Is Also Fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥(Creativity Is Flames) .... (Keep On Grinding Matata)🔥🙌🏽"

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39, James Ian
"Eish. Vida imeenda shule"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "video has gone to school"

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40. CPA Robert Mwangi
"Your videos are always of high qualities, from production, directing, lighting, everything, so professionally done"

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41. shavanga davies
"This is super amazing. The choreography behind it, is top notch. You brought a different touch in the industry. 💯"

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42. Sam Kinyua
"Eish!!! Mad visuals, sick beats and top shelf choreography. MATATA never disappoint!!!Hii GengeTrap imeweza."
-snip-
Read a definition for the exclamation "Eish!" in the comment section for this post.
Here's one definition for the exclamation "Eish!"
from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Eish

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43. Benson Njenga
"This is a piece of Art.... Beautiful"

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44. Enock Khapoya
"This here is a gamechanger👌🏿👌🏿 love the visuals, the beats, the music itself. I'm hooked maguyz👊🏿"

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45. Evangelical Poet
"This guys are so creative, best of all the gengetone around"

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46. Nelly Waruguru
"Now we are talking, another video I can finally share with my friends continue coming with the heat, we are here to support you and thank you for not loosing the Kenyan in you 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰"

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47. Johnny Rhymes official
"Eish..!!

I love this crew

Everything on fleek

Swagg straight to the ceiling

#kenyan migos"

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48. Roy Mweri
"Waah... You guys make me skip that "hakuna Matata" part of the lion King  song😂😂😂 coz waah Mii sioni life bila Matata y'all fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English- "Mii sioni life bila Matata"' "I don't see life without Matata".

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49. Maxwell Adira
"Content safi creativity hatari"
-snip-
Swahili word "safi"= "fresh"; "hatari" = "dangerous"

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50. Alex Gichiri"And who directed this song..🔥🔥🔥this video is maaad🙌🙌🙌.."

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51. jenn wahu
"Them BARZZZZ!!!!!!!!!! 🔥 🔥 It’s MATATA!!! & U   Can’t tell me nothing!!!!  🇰🇪 254  to the world 🌎"
-snip-
In this comment "bars"refers to the rapper's lyrics. "Them BARZZZ!!!!" means that the lyrics (and the way of delivering them) is very good.  "254" =county code for Kenya; "Kenya to the world" is a declaration/boast that Kenya's music deserves worldwide attention.

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52. ELMUSO SNEH
"LOVE THIS GUYS.VERY UNPREDICTABLE"

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53. Rhena Adhis
"The concept for your videos and execution is always on point"

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54. Antonio Kaberia
"Keep it kenya....Nice vibe Genge Trap to the world"

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55. Willyken Karithi
"New invention who has heard of genge "trap"before pure creativity no copies

New hit makers for sure"

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56. cia juliett
"I cannot beleive how much matata are a hit and are not even in Kenya😂😂😂👐😍😍anyway Hakuna Matata"

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57. TUNA salad
"This song makes me wanna tell corona to wash its hands"

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