Pistole Gwijo, Jul 6, 2024 #gwijokings #gwijo #pistolegwijo
By General Gee
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Statistics for this YouTube video as of June 23, 2025 at 4:18 PM EDT
total # of views -
total # of comments -1,273 as of June 23, 2025 at 4:18 PM EDT
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Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision- June 24, 2025
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on (South African) gwijos (songs) that have the title "Zampampam" or include the word "zampampam" as a refrain..
This post showcases a YouTube video of General Gee's version of "Zampampam".
This is the first online video of any YouTube or Tik Tok amagwijo ("gwijos") * with the title "Zampampam" or which have the word "zampampam" as a refrain.
This post also presents the partial lyrics for this July 6, 2024 gwijo from the screen captions of that video. English translations of those Xhosa words are given in this pancocojams post along with some explanations about those English translations.
* "Gwijo" is a South African Xhosa word for a certain type of call & response song. The plural form of the word "gwijo" is "amagwijo". However, in this pancocojams blog I include the incorrect plural form "gwijos" in parenthesis along with the word "amagwijo" to clarify the meaning of that Xhosa word.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/general-information-about-south-african.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents information and notes about "gwijo" in general and "Zampampam" amagwijo ("gwijos) in particular.
The content of this post is presented for entertainment, aesthetic, and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to General Gee and all the members of this group for this gwijo. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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Disclaimer:
I am an African American who doesn't speak any language but English and has no direct knowledge of South African culture.
Therefore, the only information that I have about amagwijo ("gwijos") in general and examples of these songs that are titled "Zampampam" or include the word "zampampam" as a refrain has been gleaned from searching the internet.
I'm aware that some of this information may be incomplete and/or inaccurate.
Additions and corrections are very welcome.
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XHOSA LYRICS FROM THIS VIDEO'S CAPTIONS WITH GOOGLE TRANSLATION RESULTS FROM XHOSA TO ENGLISH
[Pancocojams Editor's note:
A number of amagwijo ("gwijos") have the title "Zampampam" or include the word "zampampam" as a refrain. The tune and tempo for many of these songs are the same or similar, but the lyrics appear to differ except for the "zampampam" refrain.
These captions given below appear on the video screen [in Xhosa] to .59 although the group continues singing until 2:49.
I’m assuming that the words are in Xhosa since that is
usually the language for gwijos. The English translations are given in parenthesis.]
Zampampam
(no translation found)
Foya shaya inae nae
(Come on, hit him with it)
Iyoh haa
(oh yeah)
weh foja
(Wow, soldier)
Foya shaya inae nae
(Come on, hit him with it)
Zampampam
Shaya itswala bami
(Hit my cousin)
iyoh haa
(oh yeah)
Tobetsa Labantu
(Press people)
Zampampam
Point ubabuze kwenza kalani
(Point, ask them what they did
Iyoh haa
(oh yeah)
Zampampam
ahh ahchu mahn
(Google translate doesn't give any results for "ahh achu". However, I found this meaning elsewhere online: “ah achu” [ah achoo]
means “oh well” in Xhosa"
"mahn" is probably the contemporary African American spelling for “man”.)
Zampampam
Iyoh haa
(oh yeah)
weh foja
(Wow, soldier)
Zampampam
Phuza ama apetito
(Drink your appetite)
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
My guess is that the lyrics of this gwijo is challenging others to try to best (perform better than) the lead singer and his group. This comment in this video's discussion thread indicates that General Gee made up the words to this gwijo on the spot:
@St4rs.4_Musa, 024, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnU0oc0dhX0
"I love how this is a freestyle ✨💗"
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Addition and corrections are welcome regarding my guess about the overall meaning of the lyrics for this version of "Zampampam".
Read my comment in this pancocojams post's discussion thread that quotes some commenters about how lyrics for amagwijos aren't supposed to be fixed.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXPLANATION FOR "ZAMPAMPAM"
from AI results [June 22, 2025] - "Zampampam" appears to be a nonsensical or onomatopoeic sound, possibly added to the gwijo for rhythmic or playful effect. It doesn't have a direct English translation."
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXPLANATION FOR ' PHUZA AMA APETITO"
[AI result]
In Xhosa, "Phuza" means "to drink". The
word "apetito" comes from Spanish and means "appetite".
So, "Phuza ama apetito" literally translates to
"drink the appetizers" or "drink the appetites". However,
in a South African context, particularly in the realm of slang and online
trends (like on TikTok), this phrase is often used in a figurative way to refer
to taking something that increases one's appetite.
Based on the usage on platforms like TikTok, "Phuza ama
apetito" is associated with the idea of taking something to make one
hungry or to boost one's desire to eat. It's used in the context of viral
videos and challenges, suggesting it's related to some kind of food or appetite
stimulant.
Protea amaapetito gwijo
Phuza Ama Apetito Dance Challenge Highlights
TikTok · Abutiiiqualityyy2.0, 2024
**
TikTok · JEVANEO💕, 2024
ma APETITO Pills Usage and Effects Explained
**
Here's information from Facebook about the South African somewhat related term "Phuza Thursday":
https://www.facebook.com/SaffaDeli/posts/phuza-thursday-is-a-lively-tradition-in-south-africa-the-term-phuza-comes-from-t/594824423592528/
Protea Delights
noseodtSrp, March26, 2025
Phuza Thursday is a lively tradition in South Africa. The
term "phuza" comes from the Zulu and Xhosa languages, meaning
"drink." This day has become a popular pre-weekend celebration, where
people gather to enjoy drinks and socialize, marking an early start to the
weekend 🍻
It’s like a warm-up party for Friday
nights—South African style"
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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Here are links to three amagwijo ("gwijos") that either have the title "Zampampam" or which include the refrain "zampampam": (This is only a small sample of this subset of amagwijo (the plural form of the word "gwijo".)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTOzHCLw-hk "Yebo Lapho (Gwijo) | Lyrics" published by Pistole Gwijo, Aug 20, 2024
By @UnkleMsarow
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from AI Overview:
" "Yebo lapho" is an expression of affirmation in the Zulu language. "Yebo" means "yes" or "I agree," and "lapho" means "there" or "at that place". Therefore, "yebo lapho" translates to something like "yes, there" or "yes, at that place", essentially expressing agreement or affirmation in response to a previous statement or situation."
**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tdYe4nOnqQ "MaFoja x Beyonce ZAMPAMPAM🙆🏾♂️🔥| FOJA NATION EVENT" published by FOJA NATION, Dec 6, 2024
-snip-
"Beyonse" (also spelled "Beyonce" is the stage name for a South African man who is a gwijo singer.
**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re2UpEoRj8U "Jomo, General Gee, Unkle Msarow- Zampampam", published by Gwijo Avenue, Jan 5, 2025
Here are some comments from the discussion thread of a YouTube video of the gwijo "Mntaka Mama (Thina Siyazalana)" by South Africa's St Stithians Boys College (published by Mr Robot, June 2, 2019. That video is no longer available. However, before that video became inactive, I embedded it in a 2019 pancocojams post about that gwijo and included some comments from its discussion thread in that post: https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-south-african-song-mtaka-mama-thina.html.
ReplyDeleteNumbers added for referencing purposes only. (The numbers are different in that post.)
1. lwazi juta, 2019
"They forgot what I gwijo is... Busy here is composing and ish.. QUEENS COLLEGE... any day... You don't practice igwijo... Ii lapha kuwe"
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Google translate from Zulu to English
"Ii lapha kuwe" ="It's here for you"
**
2. Pakamani Ndwandwa, 2020
"What in the mamamia is this... This is utter disrespect to igwijo... This is flippen choral music not igwijo. An absolute wast of data, watching these boys reduce the spirit of igwijo."
**
3. Nkosi Zulu, 2020
"Gwijo shouldn't be rehearsed and preformed. Even the clapping was rehearsed 😴boring".
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I replaced that video which was no longer available with another video of St. Stithians Boys College singing that same gwijo. However, that video didn't have any comments at the time that I added it to that pancocojams post.