Traditional pounding songs (Machinga)

Ipu, Ipu kwa Abiti Joni

Ipu, Ipu kwa Abiti Joni

Kutwa, kutwa kwakutwa jika

Kulya, kulya kwakulya wosope.

Translation: Rice at Miss Joni’s,

When it comes to pounding I do it alone.

But when it comes to eating, everyone is involved.

Yao song: Performed in TA Mposa’s area, Chanyungu.

Apongozi

Iyayi

Apongozi zoona

Apongozi

Iyayi

Apongozi

Zoona

Andilanda chimanga kumitondo

Nanga ine nditani njala yakula

Andilanda chimanga kumitondo

Nanga ine nditani njala yakula

Ali mbeta akwatiwe chaka chino kuli njala,

Ali mbeta akwatiwe

Chaka chino kuli njala

. Njalayi, iyayi. Njalayi, njala yakula

Njalayi, iyayi, njalayi, njala yakula.

Translation: There are two possible translations for this song. In the first context, a daughter-in-law complains that her mother-in-law has snatched away the maize which the daughter-in-law was pounding. The daughter-in-law is at aloss because there is a famine. Her advice is that those who are single should get married in order to avoid the famine that will hit the land that year (the implication is that the marriage will provide food security).

In the second translation, the woman is complaining to her mother-in-law, not about her. One can only assume that other people have snatched the maize. The rest of the context remains the same.