-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Wishing all Goanetters | | a Prosperous | | and | | Happy New Year - 2006 | | Goanet - http://www.goanet.org | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi JoeGoaUk !
Malaika is a Swahili ballad which in Swahili means My Angel. It was written by a Kenyan from Mombasa - Fadhili Williams who went on to sing its first version with a Kenyan singer- Mona Miller. Several other singers have produced versions of the popular song;however, a few well known include Zimbabwe's Dorothy Masuka with whom I was honored to sing in Zambia in the mid-seventies; the popular British black group - Boney M, South Africa's well known singer Miriam Makeba with the Afro-American actor and calypso singer- Harry Belafonte, and the Indian folklore singer- Usha Uthup in a duet with Fadhili. However, the original version - strangely enough was not the most popular, but has two verses in English in addition to the two Swahili verses; whilst Makeba and Belafonte have added one more verse. Most goans singers prefer to sing the Swahili verses of Fadhili, Mona , Makeba and Belafonte; when I normally sing it at picnics and parties in New York and New Jersey , I add one of the English verses. Since I do not write Swahili very well, I am forwarding your email to the Toronto band-leader and singer of the popular "Naked Flame"- Joe "Bols" Rebello who sings it very well in addition to another popular Swahili song- "Mama Sophia". I have requested Joe to email you the lyrics. Fadhili Williams died last year, and in an obituary carried by the "New York Times", he voiced his grievances about how singers and record producers -mainly in the First World -capitalized on the lack of laws in Kenya to protect the song from copyright infringements. He added that he never got a single penny from all those productions of the song. rgds. Tony Barros. Union, New Jersey. U . S . A . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
