Khona

Where is my love?

Please return it

To where you found it.

I want it to return

To me from that place

Bring it back,

bring it back,

I want it back.

I have been loving this video because it is a conversation. New York Ball Scene gays with bo mme ba Lesotho are chatting about Ndebele art and Sarafina through Kwaito beats and Salif Keita's haunting wailing. These are just my associations, I am sure different people see/hear different things. 

As always, I am late to the party. I am sure others have finished writing about how awesome all of everything in this video is. I discovered the translation late. (Sometimes I purposefully fail to listen to the words of songs I love. I have been disappointed too many times - looking at you Beyonce.)

I also missed the poignancy of this song.  You wouldn't think that they are mourning a bandmember, a mother, a child, and a lover. You wouldn't think it is a song about death. It seems to be.

I guess it makes sense that it is as upbeat as it is tragic. Because we are a singing people. When we are happy we sing, when we are sad, we sing. When we are hungry or tired or bored, we sing.