Skip to main content

Featured

Luanda Reggae Defenders - what is your long term agenda?

Luanda Reggae Defenders is a now a popular movement with roots in Vihiga and border Siaya and Kakamega counties Attention is brought to the manner and conduct the movement has gained fame and followers, mainly the Youths. The movement capitalizes on funerals. With a poor culture of putting the dead to rest, the Reggae Defenders have taken it by storm and rebranded the infamous ‘Disco Matanga’ – disco at funeral. Reggae Defenders on move. Pic: Charles Rankings: Facebook They mobilize quickly on the day the dead will be discharged from the mortuary. They have this huge old school sound system that is over buzzing to no clear reggae song - that they hire a pickup to carry - and it has a young DJ mainly standing there than mixing anything. Often, against the rules, the casket is grabbed from a hearse vehicle and tied to a motorbike. There it will be swayed and jerk breaked between other motorbikes on the narrow roads. That, is, how a fellow soldier, often a young dead, is mourned. ...

Viegombwa (Desiderata)

Genda nuwitul'lii hagati hiriyoga nirihambagil'la
Ma wizurizi mirembe jinyara kuva muvuchiring'anu
Murigeriza rinyarika, vujira rietima mwoyo
Ove nimbul'lizana na vandu vosi
Vora girigari gogo muvuchiring'anu kandi muvuravu nu hul'liza vandi
Kari kuvaasiniara na vaagotwa; vo navo vavee nurugano

Isuhi vandu viriyoga namahaga
Vagerizaa riiva mwoyo
Nuwerenganyia kuvandi
Unyara kuva kihanzahanze nohomba wuvuzunu
Kijira kazozo nakoveho
Vakurundu nindi vake kwivi

Yihul'li muvikorwa nindi zinganagani zizio
Yidinyi muvusiza vuvwo kari voveye novogeheru
Numwandu gwigirigari
Murigirung'ana riezingavi muzinyinga

Ove mwihul'lizi murienyel'liza ririo
Kijira ikivara chaizura uvugaza
Nutareka yiki kikuvakurizi
Ku vurahi voveeho
Vandu vanyingi vahandal'laa kuguuta
Na hosi rimenya riakira uvuhaga

Ove nivi.
Kenene taveha wakayirwa
Nohomba tava nengede muriyanza
Kijira muriva riekivasu nirigenya
Vivee viviti nang'ana vurimu

Vugura kuvurahi gariho kutura kare
Muvuyari noreka gavee guruyayi
Hindiriza vunyari vwu mwoyo wayirinda kivi nikitul'la
Nutiminiza zinganagani ziekisundi
Vuti vunyingi vuturanaa kul'luha nuvumanani

Komeda kovohocha
Va mwehozerizi
Ovee mwana wiriguru, sogehaa misara nizing'ereng'ani
Ovee wigirigari kuvaho.

Na nigava noho gavuri havuravu kwivi
Ni risuvira riguru rikoraa genyekaa
Navuza ove nemirembe nuMwami, shiumuvuguraa kuva
Na kari miyinzi nirienya
Hagati hiridundana rie rimenya, va numurembe mumwoyo
Nuvubara, rivoyong'ana, rivunika mwoyo, kikiri kivara kirahi
Yizanzarizi. Handal'la ove wuvuyanzi.

With thanks.
Original poem by Max Ehrmann
Translated by Lung'afa Igunza.

Comments