Emlanjeni

The past weeks have not been easy for me, I have lost people and as one who likes music for its lyrical value in such uncertain times, today I listened to Mafikizolo who I dare say is the best thing to come from RSA. Emlanjeni is a xhosa word that losely means,”in the river”.

The Song Emlanjeni (meet me at the river) by Mafikizolo Sang in tribute of Tebogo Benedict Madingoane a member of the band who was shot in an incident in Soweto in 2004, This song is about a man sitting next to the river thinking about his loved one who is far away from him.”yandlula” means It passes, in this song they were referring years passing by while she was waiting for her lover.-“ngingal’boni” means without seeing you. It combines both sadness and joy and tune is heaven to my ears. “Iminyaka” is ages.
“Yadlul’iminyaka ngingal’boni
Yadlul’iminyaka ngingal’boni isoka lam
Yadlul’iminyaka ngingal’boni
Yadlul’iminyaka ngingal’boni isoka lam
Uzong’thola ng’blom’emlanjeni
Uzong’thola ng’blom’emlanjeni soka lam”

Mafikizolo teach us about the beautiful grieving where the song has a two fold meaning where we shall meet at the river with our loved ones . The next song is ‘khona’ and here’s my take.

Khona means ‘there’ or ‘at that place’. So the song is more of a dialogue-type song. So for every persons mentioned in the song; Khona is a rhetorical call to them to ‘come back.Its kind of a sad plea. Khona being an euphemism for death’s hades and cracks of a broken heart. Nhlanhla Nciza, the only lady of the Trio also had her share of misfortune when she lost her 5 year old daughter, Zinathi, in a car accident in December, 2009. Her death and request to come back was portrayed at the end of the music video where the smoke from the ghastly car which was supposed to disperse in the air, was seen reverting back into the car from the car’s windscreen.The song Khona is a sad love song but one with a beam of optimistic hopelessness. We’ve all lost something. And we all miss something. For all of us that have lost and missed something, and wish it to come back; this song is for us. Khona to our demised friends and family. Khona to our broken hearts. Khona to those strangers that gave us a good smile whilst walking past. Khona to those lost precious times. Albeit a lost call, its still uplifting to yearn for them. Perhaps, just perhaps, we may have them back. Khona to perhaps the broken dreams and hope that they will get back “there” where we can rebuild them. If you have lost someone, tell yourself you will meet at the river.