It was circa '98, and K-Shaka had dropped a gem of an album. Back then it was still done on CDs. Assanands on Moi Avenue was the spot for new music. Kenya was going through the pangs of an economic recession; the choke hold of a brutal and corrupt regime. Its sad that 20 years later we are still not doing much better.
Anyway, the album contains a single who's lyrics are surprisingly prescient of the economic and political conditions Kenya finds herself in today (the more things change the more.....).
The song is known as Ni Wakati (Its time), and the lyrics hit me so hard then -and now- that i tried to find them posted somewhere in the vast wilderness of the internet. But to my dismay I couldn't.
So I decided to write them down. There may be some errors here and there, but I believe the overall message isn't going to be lost.
Ni Wakati by Kalamashaka
There's been a revolution; a black revolution going on in Africa
In Kenya, the Mau Mau were revolutionary
They were the ones who made the word Uhuru
They were the ones who brought it to the fore
The Mau Mau; they were revolutionary
Verse 1
Waa waa ni wakati
Na kama we hujui ni wakati ni Kamaa ndani ya zangu pati pati
Kuona ndugu zangu wakijidharau ndio sitaki
Haki, nyuma tusibaki
Kimbia shule, ujue kuhusu akina Samori toure
Hawakufanya nayo kazi ya bure, ni mashujaa
Wacheni kuzubaa, twende sambamba na wanaojifanya kuku weupe
Tutoke kwenye mataa chini kaa another
Superpowers rather, haziwezi kubali tuishi kama a shamba of beautiful flowers
Discover maua tofauti zikiwa pamoja ndio sawa
Lakini wamehaikikisha kati ya races hakuna moja
Hebu ngoja
Nani player kwenye hii game? nani tutablame?
Naweza ata die nikimname
18/4 juu ameingia na ni ya fake ya kututame
Ni a shame!
CHORUS
NI WAKATI,
KWA AFRIKA YOTE KUSIMAMA,
NI WAKATI,
KWETU SISI HAPA MA VIJANA,
NI WAKATI,
TUSIISHI KAMA JANA,
NI WAKATI,
SIKU ZA USONI KUTAZAMA
Verse 2
Anajifanya ako next kwa M-U-N-G-U
Jina M-Z-U-N-G-U
Wee ukicheki kwenye kamusi, yuumaanisha kitu deadly; kitu safi; mwenye ujuzi
PROBABLY ABOVE KILA KITU, ESPECIALLY WATU WEUSI, aah
Mwafrika unajitusi
Ukijifanya sophisticated na njaro za ungoso
Yule ana jidai eti yee ndiye the most educated
Vitu haziko so complicated, ni simple
Anapretend anatuletea peace na raha
Ah aaa
The intent ni tumalizane, ndio maana yee anatudiss
Anatusupply na silaha, aha
Ni juu yako wewe kutumia brain, unataka kufight all in vain
Ama wee uone light, wee ugain
Tight ni chain zile ametufunga nazo kwa akili
Mental slavery; kujifree twastahili
Pili; Mwafrika usijitusi
Hebu angalia huyo jamaa, ako kwenye hio kioo
Unaona nyeupe ama ni nyeusi?
Ni Wakati, au sio?
CHORUS
NI WAKATI,
KWA AFRIKA YOTE KUSIMAMA,
NI WAKATI,
KWETU SISI HAPA MA VIJANA,
NI WAKATI,
TUSIISHI KAMA JANA,
NI WAKATI,
SIKU ZA USONI KUTAZAMA
Verse 3
Nilambiwa nikigonga nitfunguliwa
Nikiomba nitapewa ujumbe kufikisha
ilinibidi kubisha hodi hodi akilini, fungua macho kilichokula ki nguoni mwako
Shauri yako, mmmm mjinga yusahau atokako
Ona Margaret Thatcher mbona hakuwacha Reagan
Itabaki umejijibu mbona Afrika tumewachwa
Naongea kuhusu theory ya Uhuru, ya 1963
Siku tulienjoiwa tuko free
Na philosophy yao kwa hii society
Man eat Man, man can't plan, white man society
IMF sasa inademand
Na kama beggars bado si tunaendelea tu kustretch hand
Unaweza kubali ama ukatae na uwe mjinga
The G7 countries zimeshikilia trigger
Jipe tiki Mwafrika eti Muamerika ni rafiki, umekosea
Madeni kuzipokea eti wamejitolea kumaliza umasikini
Kujaribu kutolea matajua
CHORUS
NI WAKATI,
KWA AFRIKA YOTE KUSIMAMA,
NI WAKATI,
KWETU SISI HAPA MA VIJANA,
NI WAKATI,
TUSIISHI KAMA JANA,
NI WAKATI,
SIKU ZA USONI KUTAZAMA
Credits to the original author
