Bunny Hill - "Happy Happy Kwanzaa" (sound file, lyrics, with information about the Kwanzaa holiday)

Bunny Hull - Topic, Aug 29, 2015

Happy Happy Kwanzaa: Kwanzaa For The World

℗ 1999 BrassHeart Music Released on: 1999-01-01 **** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post showcases a sound file of Bunny Hill's song "Happy Happy Kwanzaa". The lyrics for that song are included in this post along with information about Kwanzaa. The content of this post is presented for cultural and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to Bunny Hill for this song and thanks to all those who were associated with this sound file. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. Swahili to English: "Kwanzaa Faraha" = "Happy Kwanzaa"

**** LYRICS = HAPPY, HAPPY KWANZAA (Bunny Hill) Chorus Happy happy Kwanzaa
Light the candles one by one
Happy happy Kwanzaa
Can be celebrated by everyone

Verse #1
The first day of Kwanzaa stands for unity
We are one big family
The second day of Kwanzaa self determination
We make our own way under the sun.
Everybody

Chorus Happy happy Kwanzaa
Light the candles one by one
Happy happy Kwanzaa
Can be celebrated by everyone

Verse #2
The third day of Kwanzaa responsibility
We can do it together joyfully
The fourth day of Kwanzaa we buy from each other
Sharing with our neighbors is helping one another

Chorus Happy happy Kwanzaa (Happy Happy Kwanzaa).
Light the candles one by one (Light the candles one by one).
Happy happy Kwanzaa (Happy Happy Kwanzaa).
Can be celebrated by everyone. 

Verse #3
The fifth day of Kwanzaa it is good to know
Whose shoulders we stand on
And that it how we grow.
The sixth day of Kwanzaa beautify your world
Cause we've got special talents every boy and every girl.
Everybody

Chorus Happy happy Kwanzaa (Happy Happy Kwanzaa).
Light the candles one by one (Light the candles one by one).
Happy happy Kwanzaa (Happy Happy Kwanzaa).
Can be celebrated by everyone .

Verse #4
The seventh day of Kwanzaa believe with all your heart
You believe your dreams come true. Each day's a brand new start.
So celebrate this Kwanzaa like one big family. (Everybody)
We can change the world together - you and me.

Chorus Happy happy Kwanzaa (It's a Kwanzaa song. Everybody sing along).
Light the candles one by one (One by one. One by one)
Happy happy Kwanzaa (Come sing along. Come sing along)
Can be celebrated by everyone. (Everyone. No matter where you come from)

Outro
Clap your hands
(Everybody!)
Stomp your feet
(It's Kwanzaa!)
Do your dance
(Be happy!)
Sing it with me
(Come on now!)
Touch your heart
(Can you feel it?)
Close your eyes
(Can you see it?)
See your dreams
(Make it fun now.)
And reach for the sky.
Everybody

Chorus Happy happy Kwanzaa (It's a Kwanzaa song. Everybody sing along).
Light the candles one by one (One by one by one)
Happy happy Kwanzaa (Come sing along. Come sing along)
Can be celebrated by everyone. 

Spoken
You know
You are VERY special.
Share your specialness with your friends and family.
The world is a better place
Because you are in it.
Follow your heart.
Believe in yourself
And reach for your dreams-
They just might come true.

Singing begins again 
All of you
(One!)
We are one big family
All of you
(Two!)
We make our own way.
(Three!)
Let's all pull together
(Four!)
Helping one another
(Five!)
We know our own purpose.
(Six!)
Use your creativity
(Seven!)
Believe with ALL your heart.
All of you
This is Kwanzaa

Chorus Happy happy Kwanzaa (Happy happy Kwanzaa).
Light the candles one by one (Light the candles one by one).
Happy happy Kwanzaa (Happy Happy Kwanzaa).
Can be celebrated by everyone. 


-snip-
My family and I transcribed these lyrics from this sound file.

Additions and corrections are welcome.

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INFORMATION ABOUT KWANZAA
From https://www.bhg.com/holidays/kwanzaa/traditions/kwanzaa-history-traditions/ 5 Kwanzaa Traditions That Honor the History of the Holiday

Kwanzaa traditions link African traditions and American customs. Learn more about the holiday's important history, symbols, and customs.
By Emily VanSchmus,  December 18, 2022
"Kwanzaa is a relatively new observance in December, dating back to 1966. The holiday's primary purpose is to link African traditions and American customs. "Kwanzaa is an African American cultural holiday," says blogger Richie Holmes Grant "It's all about family, community, and being together."

Dr. Mualena Karenga founded Kwanzaa while he was chairman of Africana Studies at California State University in Long Beach. He focused the holiday on seven core principles, expressed in Swahili as Nguzo Saba (nn-Goo-zoh SAH-bah). Each principle is linked with one of the seven days of the celebration, which runs each year from December 26 through January 1. "Each night our family lights a candle and shares reflections on the daily principle," Riche says. Listed in order of observance, the principles are:

1. Umoja (oo-MOH-JAH) — Unity
2. Kujichagulia (koo-ji-chah-goo-LEE-ah) — Self-determination
3. Ujima (oo-JEE-mah) — Collective work and responsibility
4. Ujamma (oo-jah-MAH) — Cooperative economics
5. Nia (NEE-ah) — Purpose
6. Kuumba (koo-OO-mbah) — Creativity
7. Imani (ee-MAH-nee) — Faith

SUE BARR/GETTY IMAGES

In addition to the seven principles, the Kwanzaa celebration includes seven core symbols that have Swahili names and represent traditions, cultures, and community.

1. Kinara — The candelabrum is symbolic of ancestry.
2. Mishumaa Saba — Seven candles stand for the seven core principles.
3. Mazao — Crops represent the harvest, community and working together.
4. Mkeka — A woven mat represents foundation and tradition.
5. Muhindi — Corn is symbolic of children and the future they exemplify.
6. Kikombe Cha Umoja — The unity cup is symbolic of unity and remembrance.
7. Zawadi — Gifts reflect parents' labor and love, plus the commitments made by children.

The holiday's daily ritual begins with a family member or friend's lighting of one of the seven candles placed in the candleholder called the kinara (kee-NAH-rah). This candle-lighting is followed by a discussion of the day's principle, a folktale, or a shared recollection of how the principle has influenced the family or friend participating in the celebration.

SUE BARR/GETTY IMAGES

The first candle lit and placed in the center of the kinara is the black candle, which is symbolic of unity. As the celebration continues in the following days, revelers light a red or green candle daily to commemorate each principle. The three red candles represent self-determination, collective work and responsibility, and cooperative economics. The three green candles are for purpose, creativity, and faith. Often the green candles are placed to the right of the black candle and the three red candles are placed on the left.

The word Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili word meaning "first" or "first fruits of the harvest." Kwanzaa reflects the traditions of harvest festivals celebrated in many African countries, acknowledging the first fruits of the harvest, and the reward of family and friends working together to produce the season's crop.

As with any holiday, Kwanzaa traditions vary and continue to evolve with each celebration. And they're different for each family! "

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