The Click Song
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Qongqothwane is a traditional song of the Xhosa people of South Africa. It is sung at weddings to bring good fortune. In the western world it is mainly known as The Click Song. The Xhosa title literally means "knock-knock beetle", which is a popular name for various species of darkling beetles that make a distinctive knocking sound by tapping their abdomens on the ground. These beetles are believed by the Xhosa to bring good luck and rain.
The song is known worldwide thanks to the interpretation of South African singer Miriam Makeba. In her discography, the song appears in several versions, both with the title Qongqothwane and as The Click Song. The song was written and originally performed by The Manhattan Brothers who made it famous across Africa. Miriam was discovered by them and sang with them throughout the 1940s.
Lyrics
[edit]- Original
- Igqirha lendlela nguqongqothwane
- Sel' eqabel' egqith' apha nguqongqothwane[citation needed]
- Phonetic transcription
- [í.ᶢǃi̤.xa. lé.ⁿd̥ɮe̤.la. nɡ̊ǘ.ᵏǃʼó.ᵑǃo̤.tʰʷa.ne]
- [se.l e.ᵏǃʼa.ɓe.l e.ᶢǃï.tʰ a.pʰa. nɡ̊ǘ.ᵏǃʼó.ᵑǃo̤.tʰʷa.ne]
- Translation
- A diviner of the roadways is the knock-knock beetle,
- Already it climbs up and passes by here, it's the knock-knock beetle.
Other versions
[edit]- Hugh Masekela included the song in his debut recording Trumpet Africaine (1962).
- Four Jacks and a Jill released a version of the song on their 1965 album, Jimmy Come Lately.[1]
- Cher released a version of the song as the lead-single of her 1968 album Backstage.[2]
- The Cool Crooners of Bulawayo include a version of the song on their 2003 album, Isatilo.
References
[edit]- ^ "Four Jacks And A Jill, Part 1". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ "Backstage - Cher - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2019.