My niece Michelle challenged me about our poems and prose always being about the sad moments, and while I believe the saying that our sweetest songs often tell of our saddest moments, I also want to remember the fun and laughter. When I was growing up, in the late 60s we often performed little concerts for Aunts and Uncles, with cousins – for the fun of it, and to get some pocket-money… here is a little vignette:
Concerts
Adults upright on
Dinning room chairs.
The side of the staircase forms
A dark wooden backdrop
to the stage.
The first number
An Indian song that
Norah taught.
‘Mwogowali mali mali
Mwogowali maaaali
Eeeeva pali, teeeva pali
Chakara, chakara
Shugari shari’
Voices singing
Foreign incomprehensible words
That were probably incorrect
Hand and leg movements
Imperfect
Faces beaming with pride!
Next – Joyce’s song
Choir in place … and …
‘Sikwendera, sikwendera
sipiriti, sipiriti, sikwendera, sikwendera
oh sipiriti!
Oh, oh, oh sipiriti …’
The parents clap their hands
the performers smile with glee
And hurry on…
Finally the ‘piece de resistance’ – the ‘bakisimba’ dance!
The white enamel basin
Now a drum, throbbing ..
‘Olunkutiza, olunkutiza
olunkutiz’olukutwala mu
bakisimba…’
Dancers line up –
Sweaters on hips – all ready
The singers start…
‘Twe yanze twe yanze
Waalalala kabweteme mu mwonger’ekyupa
Nabulagala…’
Dancers march in, kneel down, pay their respects
And then …. they start,
Hips seem to swivel
Twisting and turning to the beat
Of the drums
Feet stepping forward gently
Singers clap and ululate!
The climax
The audience and performers are one!
Tu tu tu!
Tu tu,tu tu
Tuku tuku tuku tuku tu
PA!
Concert over,
The hat full of coins
We sit and share
Our spoils!
namutebikabalikagwa 
Keep up the good work Pippa!
I remember you playing the piano at 13 Kitante!
Singing “Day by day, Day by day, Oh dear Lord three things I pray…”
That moment framed forever in my mind…
Daddy’s face watching you with a smile,
The sun streaming in behind you,
The music of the piano, your voice…
My silent admiration of your obvious talent…
To this day that song moves me!
Takes me back to that moment on a sunny afternoon.
Thanks Nabunya – You have warmed my heart on this cold, rainy, actually freezing cape town afternoon. You must be remembering no 5 Sezibwa Rd, opposite Nakasero, coz we moved out of Kitante Rd in 1971! In those days we used to do concerts with the Kabanyolo group and the Bigirwenkyas – and Joyce, Kitongo’s big sis who lived with us.
The time I was singing Day by Day – that was when Nina, Liz, Lorna and I – and a few others were trying to produce the musical Godspell – except that we did not have a clue how to do it, and we could not get a complete cast together, so we let it go…! I still love that song,
Cheeeeeeiii I remember that Godspell season. We didn’t finish it but we had fun while we tried 🙂