African Memories Of Singing Yvonne Chaka Chaka's 1988 South African Song "Umqombothi" (African Beer") With Made Up Lyrics In Their Own Languages

Yvonne Chaka Chaka Youtube Channel, Jan 25, 2018
-snip-
statistics as of July 24, 2023 at 10:20 AM EDT
total # of views - 7,404,127
total # of comments- 2,254

**** 
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka's 1988 hit song "Umqombothi" (English translation: "African Beer"). 

This post also presents information about Yvonne Chaka Chaka as well as some information and partial lyrics for that song.

Some comments from Africans about their childhood memories of "Umqombothi" are included in this post. Most of those comments focus on how people in Kenya, East Africa and in some other African nations sung "Umqombothi" with similar sounding lyrics from their own language instead of singing the Xhosa words of that song. 

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

These comments help to document how -prior to the internet- many people throughout Africa were familiar with certain recorded songs from other African nations even if those songs were in languages they didn't understand.

This is in contrast to how - prior to the internet- most people in United States weren't familiar with music from other nations, and particularly weren't familiar with non-English language songs from within the United States and from outside that nation.  

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Yvonne Chaka Chaka for her musical legacy. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.  
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/07/african-commenters-childhood.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Africans' Childhood Remembrances Of Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens' 1987 Hit Song "Kazet" ("Gazette")

****
INFORMATION ABOUT YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA AND HER HIT SONG "UMQOMBOTHI"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_Chaka_Chaka
"Yvonne Chaka Chaka (born Yvonne Machaka on 18 March 1965) is a South African singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, humanitarian and teacher. Dubbed the "Princess of Africa" (on a 1990 tour),[3] Chaka Chaka has been at the forefront of South African popular music for 35 years and has been popular in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Gabon, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.[3] Songs such as "I'm Burning Up", "Thank You Mr. DJ", "I Cry For Freedom", "Motherland" and the ever-popular "Umqombothi" ("African Beer") ensured Chaka Chaka's stardom. The song "Umqombothi" was featured in the opening scene of the 2004 movie Hotel Rwanda."...
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/Yvonne-chaka-chaka-umqombothi-lyrics for complete lyrics the song "Umqombothi". Here are partial lyrics to that song in Xhosa with English translations in parenthesis:

"We Ma Dlamini (Everybody)
Uph'umqombothi? (Come and drink my)
We MaDlamini (Magic beer)
Uph'umqombothi?
We Ma Dlamini (Everybody)
Uph'umqombothi? (Come and drink my)
We MaDlamini (African beer)
Uph'umqombothi?"

**** 
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD 
This is a small portion of the comments from the discussion thread for this embedded YouTube video that refer to childhood memories of the South African song "Umqombothi".

Numbers are added to these comments for referencing purposes only.

English translations are added from Google translate. Additions and corrections are welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUrPy6wG-i4

1. @dorrisnzilani1417, 2022
"Where are the 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 kenyans?,,,I know I'm not the only one that sang,," yesu mkombozi" growing up ahah,,, a perfect example of good literature,  it's timeless 😉"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "yesu mkombozi" = "Jesus Savior"

**
Reply
2. @eddynaingasian2813, 2023
"😂😂😂wee mashabiki yesu mkombozi ...I wish someone could record us them days ...our lyrics heheee"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "wee mashabiki yesu mkombozi" =" O fans of Jesus the Redeemer"

**
Reply
3. @mariavanessanakayiki2480, 2023
"As a Ugandan all I grew up singing was, “owamaso amelu Okomukomboti”😂 indeed this was an African and still an African song…90s baby here

** 
4. @rosinakithinga8839, 2022
"This song rocked Kenya..Was young I could not master the lyrics,,,, had mine in my language Swahili,,, how beautiful ❤❤❤❤"

**
Reply
5. @dolldelly8347, 2022
"The "ngombe za meru" version"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "ngombe za meru"= "meru cows"

**
Reply
6. @barryweke,2022
"Ngombe za Meru hazina magoti😂😂"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "The Meru cows have no knees."

**
7. @queendalynchy733, 2022
"Good old days! This was my brother's and mine favorite back them. As kids we didn't care about the lyrics we just sang along how we understood. My younger sis will also be seriously sing everything upside down😂😂😂. I feel so  nostalgic right now.

Thank you mummy chaka chaka for this memorable song."

**
Reply
8. @mihajasonrakotondraibe693,2023
"This song also hit Madagascar, I remember singing the lyrics differently when I was a kid, we were singing it in our language..."

**
9. @mwandangomusa467, 2022
"Sweet memories, in Kenya the church goers used to sing it happily thinking it was 'mkombozi' only to learn later it was African beer"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "mkombozi" ="the redeemer"; "savior" 

**
10. @nabaddaalice5545, 2022
"We used to listen to this song wen we are still young 😂😂😂😂 without knowing even it's meaning 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Uganda is my country ❣️🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬❤️🙏"

**
Reply
11. @nancynatasha8034, 2022
"Waaahh...we as kids we use to sing  "ng'ombe za meru hazina mkia lakini kukunia hauzitomboi" Kenyans in the house can relate"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: Meru cows don't have tails but you don't cut them off"

**
12. @muhatiastephen684, 2022
"when i was growing up i thought this is a Swahili Christmas carol. "Amezaliwa Yesu Mkombozi"🤣  Am sure am not alone. Anyone from Kenya or Tanzania will understand me so well."
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Amezaliwa Yesu Mkombozi" = "Jesus the Redeemer is born"

**
Reply
13. @nchokosamuel2818,2023
"Same here😂🇰🇪"

**
14, @danngoso746, 2022
"So in Kenya when I was young my friends were like Bwana Asamehe, Yesu Mkombozi......🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣..

We thought it was some gospel song.....

But this has remained a jam all through the passage of time.

God bless Africa, God bless E.A. region 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Bwana Asamehe, Yesu Mkombozi".="Lord Forgive, Jesus Redeemer"

**
Reply
15. @noelakhasoa4923, 2023
"😂 " yesu mkombozi". 🇰🇪 Childhood memories.  This song never gets old."

@SuperBizzle10, 2023
"My Mom and Grandmother are from South Africa this was thier song back in the day just love this song all good memories

This song made us rename alcohol "Mkomboti" in our local village in Kenya. We would be asked where our fathers were and we would answer, they have gone "Mkomboti" 😀😀😀"

**
16. @johnanwoh, 2023
"Nostalgia at its peak.... This song blew all over Ghana when i was very young. We did not understand the lyrics so we came up with our own twi version.... our sbasically translated ... someone's goat is dead, take it to the mortuary..... oh my [emoji of a smiling face that is the color blue]

**
17. @eunicemusyoki3489,2022
"Wema wa Mungu,Yesu Mkombozi",this is how my sisters and I  used to sing this beautiful song!"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Wema wa Mungu,Yesu Mkombozi" = "The Goodness of God, Jesus the Redeemer"

**
18. @jumapatrickkurwa4231, 2022
"2022 and am still singing, " Ng'ombe za moi, hazina magoti."
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Moi cows, they don't have knees."

**
Reply
19. @calebtarus3022, 2022
"..... lakini kwa mbio, huzitoboi"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "..... but for racing, you don't break it"

**
20. @lorainecheptoo5944, 2022
"The Kenyan 🇰🇪 me who grew up singing 'ng'ombe za lodwar hazina magoti' because that's what my big bruh told me,,, the song is still a lit🔥🔥 though

It's 2022 but still here"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English -"lodwar cows have no knees"

**

21. @Psalmsvs, 2022
"🇺🇬It's 29th 11-2022 am here enjoying Mukomboti song,thanks maama chaka chaka,long live."
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English = "Mukomboti" = "Liberate"

**
22. @ngurapoultrycare, 2022
"Growing up in Kenya I used to think it's a swahili song meaning Amezaliwa Yesu mkombozi😂😂😂"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Jesus The Redeemer is Born"

**
23. @catherinewamaitha4559,2022
"@faithwafula7466  in Kenya we sing our own things...what's important is that we enjoy😂😂"

**
Reply
24. @faithwafula7466,2022
"@catherinewamaitha4559  that's the joy of being us we sing our hearts out with our own lyrics especially other African songs beautiful written in our native languages 😂😂😂😂😂"

**
Reply
25. @brigitm.masaku9412, 2022
"Hee, kwanza versions za Kenya za hii song, acha tu😂😂"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Hey, first the Kenyan versions of this song, stop it😂😂"

**
Reply
26. @jomanioluwadare8611, 2023
"No lies here. I’m Nigerian, and I knew this song as a child, way before we had the internet."

**
27. @AsaGoB, 2022
"We used to call it Omkombozi in Eastern Africa somewhere in central !!"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Omkombozi" ="Liberate him"

**
28. @mosakonnet, 2022
"My childhood we sing along like.. Won'le Samanja osa 240, won le Samanja... 😄😃😀😃😅. There was a drama aired on NTA Nigeria 🇳🇬  called Samanja🤣😂🤣"

**
Reply
29. @akataman7319,2022
"It’s Samanja, not Samaga. It’s a popular army comedy."

**
Reply
30. @mosakonnet,2022
"@akataman7319  Thanks. Phone autocorrect error."

**
31. @kurashigesir8709, 2022
"I was like..

Yesu mkombozi...alimwaga mimba....Yesu mkombozi....wamwaga mimba.  1995 @5yrs old 😂😂🇰🇪🇰🇪💪🏾💪🏾 It was big in Kenya"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Jesus the Redeemer...he aborted....Jesus the Redeemer...he aborted."

**
32. @catherinewanjiku9238, 2022
"At the Kenyan animal orphanage Singin to this "ngombe za Meru"😂😂"

**
33. @ruthotieno828, 2023
"Remember singing wepo mkombozi as a kid them days much love from Kenya"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "wepo mkombozi" = "there is a redeemer"

**

34. @mrmayor7828,2022
"Gen Babaginda was president back then, beautiful song was corrupted to "women are many looking for husband's" by some miscreants 😂😂😂"
-snip-
From https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ibrahim-Babangida
"Ibrahim Babangida, (born August 17, 1941, Minna, Nigeria), Nigerian military leader who served as head of state (1985–93)."...

**
35. @TukondjeniJohannes, 2022
"August 2022 and I am still listening to Mama Yvonne... This sound will forever remain echoed in my mind because I knew it since my childhood. In Namibia, they use to play it on radio every Friday on a entertainment program called “weekend special ".

**
36. @moniqueblessed7878, 2023
"OMG 😲 what was I singing when young 😳

"Mkombozi" I was like "wema jameni"

Thanks for the Internet 😄 🤣"

**
Reply
37. @anastansianyangoto6809, 2023
"Me at 5 yrs .😂wema thambeni yesu mkombozi 😂much love from kenya"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "thank you Jesus the Redeemer"

**
38, @dantan704, 2023
"Haha used to think it says “mama samina Yesu mkombozi” 😂😂"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "Mother Samina, Jesus the Redeemer"

**
39. @kwasigyamerah9133, 2023
"Ha!!!! obi abonkye awu 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.for years my family swore that was the right lyrics"
-snip-
Google translate from Ewe [a Ghanaian traditional language to English: "obi abonkye awu" = "someone's bones are dead"

**
40. @crackerjack9691,2023
"This song reminds me of my first year in college-medical school at the university of Nigeria in 1987...it was a hit that year. We used this song as the basis of our student union election campaign that year for the student unions president, Joe Jackson...our translation was some thing like this...when guys are many...voting for Jackson!...when guys are many....voting for Jackson!🥰...those were fun days no doubt!...I am sure anyone who was there that year could relate to this. Really nostalgic!"

**
Reply
41. @isobaramark7032, 2023
"But the song was release in 1988, maybe u got the dates wrong"

**
42. @WamumeruCheru-tl2ep, 2023
"Back 1992..we used to sing this song in Kikuyu and swahili way..."Mama sammy wiku mkomboti..mama sammy wiku mkomboti..long live KBC swahili channel Kenya...saturday Early in the morning i remember.

**
43. @stephen_adol, 2023
"If you don't know your community's version of the intro then you don't deserve to be their tribesman. Go to Antarctica."

**
44. @latifahmumbejja6378, 2023
"Any ugandan here how you was sing it owamaso ameru yawasa mukombot😂😂 😂😂"

**
Reply
45. @kawooyaismail7663, 2023
"that me😂🙋"

**
46. @michequejemusse3036,2023
"Finally i have found this master piece. Mozambique 🇲🇿 loves this song sooooo much. 2-4 generations grew up listening and vibing to this song."

**
47. @mkanku9506, 2023
"The only South African song I ever listened to when I was still small in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It brings back my childhood memories in my parents house. This song played over and over while I was playing outside with my big sis. Best song of all times!"

**
48. @ruthmithamo2118, 2023
"Kikuyu from kirinyaga and I used to sing it like "Comba Kanyiri....umbwa mkomboti,,,"

**
49. @wendynunoo8862, 2023
"Obi n'aponkyi awu, monfa nko mortuary..... This was me singing along with my own lyrics in the 80's all the way in Ghana.."
-snip-
Google translate from Twi to English "Someone's door is dead, take it to the mortuary."

**
50. @justusobara1019, 2023
"Always my song, big memories! We always sung it in our own words, no song cannot be sung in one's own words that are completely not related to the singer's ."

**
51. @jidafricrealtors8894,2023
"Growing up in Nigeria in the 80s , this song dominated the airwaves.. fond memories of

kids always humming the song without getting the lyrics right but it makeshift us happ the all the Same.... Thanks Chaka Chaka 🙌🙌"

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM ANOTHER YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THIS SONG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZAWo_K3yNA

Umqombothi (African beer), by Yvonne Chaka Chaka, South African music, published by Multimedia Online by TheHarvard.com, Jan 17, 2010

Numbers are added to these comments for referencing purposes only.

1. @cowperdandara2088, 2020
"I sang this song so wrongly! ahahahhha  wemanzabi ukulukombodji. Ahahahhahahaha oh Gosh!"

 **

2. @CHRISKASSMUKEN,2022
"I'm from DRC a French speaking country, this song was very popular while I was growing in the 90s, my uncles use to play it, yet we didn't know the lyrics, we just used to dance and say Umqombothi 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Yvonne made us dance in joy."
-snip-
DRC= Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) 

**
3. @genevievemakafuiamewoseany191,2022
"lol! My dad used to play this with his gramophone player every evening. I finally got the word right ''umqombothi " Ghanaians in western region definitely in that era would remember how we pronounce that word "wo ko " 'mortuary' "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"

**
Reply
4. @keltar2007, 2022
"For me it was Loko Comoti. 😂🤣😅"

**
5. @muragesimon9627, 2022
"Mama sammy...yesu mkomboti....used to sing my own lyrics.....frm kenya"

**
6. @lilsavage2064,2022
"anybody from Kenya>ngombe za meru hazina magoti if you dont gerrit forget about it."

**
7. @alexmanya6750, 2023
"I wonder who lied to Kenyans that this song is about "Ng'ombe za Meru, ni supuu mgongoni"?"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English: "The cows of Meru, are they a burden on their backs?"

****

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.