Djcook 50, July 23, 2023
****
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents seven YouTube videos of South African Gwijo remixes of Rihanna's hit 2016 Dancehall song "Work".
The Addendum to this pancocojams post presents some information about Rihanna's song "Work".
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Rhianna for her musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/09/what-do-xhosa-south-africa-words-gwijo.html for the pancocojams post entitled "What Do The Xhosa (South Africa) Words "Gwijo" And "AmaGwijo" Mean?"
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/09/south-africans-what-are-lyrics-to_12.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "South Africans, What Are The Lyrics To The "Beyonce" Gwijo (Soccer Song)?- Update 2023- A South African Responds".
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This pancocojams post showcases some of the Gwijo remixes of Rihanna's hit 2016 Dancehall song "Work" that I have found on YouTube.
Although Rihanna's "Work" song which featured Drake was released in 2016, the earliest YouTube video of a Gwijo remix of that song that I've come across is dated August 31, 2019 That example is given as Showcase Video #2 below. (I also came across a Short YouTube 2019 video of a Gwijo remix of Rihanna's "Work", but I don't showcase Short videos on pancocojams because they immediately lead to other videos).
**
Some partsof these Gwijo remixes of Rihanna's song have the same tune of Rihanna's Dancehall song. It's very easy to recognize the English words "work work work work work" which Rihanna sings in her song. Those are the only English words that I hear in that song. I believe the other words for those Gwijos are in isiXhosa, since most Gwijos are in that language.
I haven't found the lyrics to any of the Gwijo remixes of Rihanna's song "Work". Those lyrics aren't shared in those discussion threads (which happens with a few of the Gwijos). I think that all of the Gwijo remixes of Rihanna's song have the same or very similar words,but I'm not sure about that.
A comment from the discussion thread of one of the "Work Work" Gwijo videos that is showcased in this pancocojams post may be a direct quote for one line for those songs. I added that comment to the discussion thread below this pancocojams post.
**
Some Gwijo remixes of Rihanna's "Work" song are slower than others. As is the case with most Gwijos, the singers perform a cappella. An exceptionis when one of the singers uses an improvised musical instrument for percussive effect. For example, in one of these "Work Work" videos, a singer hits an empty plastic bottle against the pavement and in another one of these "Work Work" videos ,a singer hits two empty plastic bottles together. I've noticed this custom on some other Gwijo videos of a member of the group making a drum like sound on some "random" object such as a large plastic container that he (or she) holds.
**
I use he word "gwijos" as a plural form of the word "gwijo" although that term isn't correct in the IsiXhosa language.
**
Please share any information about these Gwijo remixes (such as when they were first sung) and please share any lyrics that you know for these Gwijos. Thanks in advance.
SHOWCASE #2: - Jeppe.gwijo~work
Jeppe Gwijo, Aug 31, 2019 JEPPE HIGH SCHOOL FOR BOYS
You told me I deserve it ♡
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Work work work workOwethu's gwijo, May 27, 2020
-snip-
I believe that an example of this same group singing this Gwijo was posted on Oct 18, 2019 by Bonolo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYYDM8xyE28 . I didn't embed that example because the it was videotaped sideways.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - Work Work
Pule Matiba, May 24, 2021 NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY VAAL TRIANGLE CAMPUS
#gwijo
SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Work Work gwijo | Rihanna remix😅😅
SHOWCASE VIDEO #6 -"Work, Work, Work" (Rihanna Gwijo Remix) #Gwijo
GwijoTube, Oct 24, 2022
Who said South Africans weren't creative? Bad girl Riri would surely love this...
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #7- Work Work Gwijo Song by The Amazing VoicesThe Amazing Voices, Apr 19, 2023 #Gwijosongs #Gwijo #TheAmazingVoices
****
ADDENDUM-INFORMATION ABOUT RIHANNA'S SONG "WORK"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_(Rihanna_song)
" "Work" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her eighth studio album Anti (2016), featuring Canadian rapper Drake. The song was released as the lead single on January 27, 2016, through Westbury Road and Roc Nation. The song was written by the artists, PartyNextDoor, Monte Moir, Rupert "Sevn" Thomas, Allen Ritter, and producer Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels, with additional production from Kuk Harrell and Noah "40" Shebib.[1] The dancehall, reggae-pop, and R&B song, contains an interpolation of "If You Were Here Tonight" (1985) performed by Alexander O'Neal. Lyrically, the song incorporates themes of working for money, as well as discussing fragile relationships. The song is written in Jamaican Patois and Bajan Creole.[2][3] Three of its writer-producers: Rupert "Sevn" Thomas, Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels, and Jahron "PartyNextDoor" Brathwaite, are Jamaican-Canadians.[4][5]
Critical opinion improved over time; the song was included on several year-end lists and nominated for two awards at the 59th Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The song reached number one on the United States' Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Rihanna's fourteenth number-one single and making her the act with the fourth-most number-one songs on the chart (after The Beatles, Mariah Carey and Elvis Presley). The song remained at the top for nine weeks. The song also peaked at number one in nine additional countries and is certified Platinum or higher in thirteen countries, including 9× Platinum in the US, 3× Platinum in the UK and Diamond in France. It has also since sold 32.5 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling digital singles of all-time.[6]
The song was accompanied by two music videos, which both premiered on February 22, 2016. The first of the two versions was directed by Rihanna's previous collaborator Director X, while the second was directed by Tim Erem. The song was further promoted with live performance's at the 2016 BRIT Awards which featured guest appearances from Drake and SZA, the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, as well as being performed on the Anti World Tour. "Work" became the first dancehall song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Rihanna's own "Rude Boy" (2010) and was succeeded three weeks later by another dancehall song, Drake's "One Dance"."...
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtXeXd-VMEM for a (clean) sound file of Rihanna's song "Work". The official videos for this song is labeled explicit.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Here's one comment from a discussion thread for an example of the Gwijo "Work Work" (remix of Rihanna's song "Work" that hints about a line in that song:
ReplyDelete@siphiwendlovu3489, 2022
"Washo u Rihanna wathi work work work, amazing magenta love what you guys are doing"
-snip-
Xhosa to English
"Washo u Rihanna wath" = "Rihanna said"work work work"
This comment exchange from a discussion thread for Gwijo with another title documents how that music genre has changed/is changing:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHNEL-wAVfo
"Gwijo sinama wele" published by Lonwabo Lobo, Oct 24, 2018
@sibabalwesaul912, 2019
"This is what u call igwijo....leader,followers, chant, claps on point....I hate people who turn igwijo to choral music"
**
Reply
@nkosizulu9705, 2022
"Some even practice now😔"
-snip-
That second comment reveals that traditionally, gwijos were sung spontaneously, which means that it's unlikely that the words and the length of the song stayed the same each time a particular song was sung.
Here's another comment exchange about singing gwijos:
ReplyDeleteFrom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au2TncTgYvQ&t=4s "Nobody Wanna See Us Together" published by Mbulelo Nqgobe, Jan 15, 2015
1. @WeFlyEMA, 2020
"Can anyone give me context to this? I'm not sure how I found this video but I LOVE IT!"
**
Reply
2. @vickykgoete3161,2021
"They are singing gwijo, which is a traditional style/way of singing. I think it originated from the Xhosa and Zulu.
Its so popular and diverse in SA that we sing it everywhere. We sing it at churches, different sport games, school events, political events, traditional ceremonies, weddings and funerals as well. You can make a song out of anything, and its easy to learn. Its a call and response kind of song. With a song leader and the rest following afterwards. During Apartheid we used gwijo for struggle songs. This young man is singing a girl he likes."
**
Reply
3. @WeFlyEMA, 2021
"@vickykgoete3161 That's so interesting, thank you for your explanation!"
-snip-
From what I've read online, igwijo originated among the amaXhosa.
-snip-
This is the oldest gwijo video that I've come across on YouTube.
-snip-
A section on gwijos is part of Deidre Doris Hansen's 1981 University of Wits dissertation whose fieldwork among Xhosa speaking people from 1969to 1972. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/09/what-do-xhosa-south-africa-words-gwijo.html for that excerpt.
In that passage, gwijo is described as songs sung by male (and female) soldiers. That description reminds me of the military cadences ("jodies") that African American soldiers created and probably still create.