adminFreedom Mutanda
Music has always been part of popular culture from time immemorial and today’s youths love dancehall which has its origins in Jamaica; surprisingly, at times, words used by the chanters aren’t understandable to the ordinary person.
A long time ago, I remember reading ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and many other stories where magic wands were used much to the gratification of my tender young mind. At that time, magic made Cinderella to abandon her lethargic life into royalty while the evil sisters and their mothers didn’t find life rosy after their step sister married the charming prince.
Magic! It is a word I heard often when listening to Charles Mabika’s soccer commentaries back in the 1980’s when he called upon any Zimbabwean who had a magic wand to use it so that the national soccer team won’t be beaten by a visiting team.
Music has always been part of popular culture from time immemorial and today’s youths love dancehall which has its origins in Jamaica; surprisingly, at times, words used by the chanters aren’t understandable to the ordinary person.
Many young people and the general public enjoy the song, ’’problem disappear,’’ by the irrepressible dancehall king, Winky D. It’s unmistakeable the way everyone rise to the beat.
Winky D’s star is shining brightly and he must enjoy his moments because he is very innovative when it comes to the lyrics of his popular song that he released before Christmas.
‘’ . . . tora sip ‘’ and then you will see the magic around you as all problems disappear. That’s Winky D and then ‘’maokomudeng . . . happy happy.’’
The way that song has captivated the rank and file of the young Zimbabweans is amazing as bars, growth points and homes play the song nonstop and people dance to the beat.
The revered artist chants ‘Abracadabra’ pronounced ‘ab-ru-ku’dab-ru’ several times in his hit song and obviously repetition brings out a rhythmic aspect which is musical. Strangely, the dictionary definition of abracadabra is ‘’gibberish and nonsense’’. Gibberish is a noun for unintelligible talk.
Wow! Our musician unintelligible discourse actually make children with excitement. There are those who like to think about the word in another sense. These critics are not cynics by any stretch of the imagination but they traced the root of the word.
From an online source, Abracadabra is said to be an incantation used as a magic word in stage magic tricks and its origins may be from an Aramaic phrase meaning ‘’I create as I speak.’’
Aramaic is the language used by Abraham, the Israelite patriarch and his relatives.
Later, some people said the Roman Emperor,Caracalla, prescribed that malaria sufferers wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of a triangle:
A-B-R-A-C-A-D-A-B-R-A
A-B-R-A-C-A-D-A-B-R
A-B-R-C-A-D-A-D-A
A-B-R-A-C-A-D
A-B-R-A-C-A
A-B-R-A-C
A-B-R-A
A-B-R
A-B
A
In other words the power of the amulets would chase away all misfortune and diseases. I find it particularly intriguing when he chants all problems will play a hasty retreat once the magic words were sounded. Belief in magic because of our link to Christianity is said be part and parcel of black Africa alone but it is pervasive through- out the world.
It is worth noting that black magic is bad while the same powerful deed is done by a Christian is said to be a miracle. Anyway, that’s analysis for another day. It is a fact that a diviner becomes a prophet when he becomes a Christian and the reverse is true for a prophet. Some enterprising researchers can undertake a research on that.
Nowadays, the word-Abracadabra- is used to refer to stage magicians. There is nothing particularly bad about abracadabra per se but there is absolutely something strange when people wallow in shame, hunger and everything that is weird about a word. Therefore, Winky D borrows from the eastern side in his hit song.
Before we rush to condemn him, it is important to look at the wider picture. He is saying if you drink to a drunken stupor expecting to be normal a day later and problems will just vanish, the problems will remain with you. No, life is never like that.
You have to be responsible.
There was a time in the not too distant past when our singers sang about life and the consequences of vices.
Patrick Mukwamba’s all- time classic, “Wapenganayo bonus’’ comes to mind. In 1984, the song illuminated music stores and households but even now many people get crazy when the 13th cheque comes and the money spent or is it wasted comes to haunt them when ‘’January disease’’-a Paul Matavire hit again-comes knocking on the door.
Dancehall music as a music genre is quite relevant to the youths. Look at Tocky’s ‘’Mai’’ which has received massive airplay in recent months. It is a song that re-emphasises the good that mothers do. In that respect, it is not an understatement that dancehall is part of African literature where the artist is looked upon as a teacher.
Is Winky D teaching anyone in the abovementioned song?
There is an article doing the rounds in the social media raising some questions on his hit. Raising hands in the air may be synonymous with worshipping and it appears that the author of the article has concluded that there is a God that the artist is urging people to worship. I remember Jamaican artists chanting, ‘’raise your hands in the air,’’ but no-one said anything about it.
It may be foolhardy to conclude that Winky D’s use of ‘’magic’’ has a co-relation with worshipping another God. If magic refers to any art that invokes supernatural powers, then the man who calls himself dancehall king may say he is talking about the supreme-being who is all-powerful.
In Exodus, Moses conjured a magic trick resulting in a snake slithering on the floor but Pharaohs’ priests threw down their knobkerries and soon snakes slithered about until Moses’ snake ate up all the snakes there. Therefore, magic is not the preserve of the underworld as it were.
Artists have artistic freedom in their use of words and in my view the word abracadabra is just that, gibberish and nonsensical. Why must a singer sing songs with no sense? Do you remember the Yellow Man, Winston Foster? He is a well- known dance hall singer who cut his teeth in the cut-throat reggae music and went on to be an international star.
He sang ‘’Zungzungzeng’’ and many of us went bonkers during disco sessions in the high density suburbs and within the confines of our homes. I remember Denis Wilson and HosiahSingende belted it during the Reggae Hour when the former Radio Three was king. To date, I haven’t been able to know the meaning of that song.
In numerous songs sung by the dancehall artists, there are words which we don’t understand or that we may equate with the prince of darkness but we cannot say with certainty that the artists’ religious leaning gravitate towards that.
Nowadays, people want to talk about the prince of darkness as if he is the God to be followed; thus, it is my considered view that let sleeping dogs lie. Winky D may have researched on the song and decided to sing about that word but he is not explicitly saying problems disappear because of subscribing to the prince of darkness.
People talk about benefit of doubt; I believe the time has come for Zimbabweans to give the young man the benefit of doubt having looked at the pros and cons of the word.
Music can be gibberish but when musical instruments are put into the mix and a musicality comes out, we ought to give credit where it is due.
During the festive period, ‘’happy, happy’’ was a favourite of many people as it was taken from the dancehall king’s single.
Could it be that the social media article emanated from a rival who wished to cast aspersions on the song for it to peter off in the court of public opinion and end up receiving little airplay?
Is it true that the artist knows what he is singing about with regards to worshipping the devil and is saying problems disappear when one does that? Highly unlikely, in my opinion.
At the same time, the bible says we mustn’t judge for us not to be judged. Do you remember the song which goes…if God was one of us . . . ? Poetic licence is what these artists have and they leave us to think for ourselves.
Can we do that?
Many of us are always thinking of meaning laden lyrics. At times, it is good to listen to music without being judgemental. Music soothes the soul.
Many centuries ago, William Shakespeare, in Twelfth Night, said ‘’If music be the food of love/Play on,’’ and today when the dancehall chanter, Winky D chants Abracadabra we mustn’t conclude that we are being led astray but celebrate his being a genius.
We can say, ‘’if music be the food of the festive season, play on.’’
Celebrating the end of the year and the beginning of another year is hardly satanic. Yes, we all want to see our problems disappear; we all want to be rich and enjoy the comforts of life; we hope to see the magical transformation of our lives; we have those hopes and aspirations although we may not talk about them.
Winky D gives voice to our likes, problems and aspirations and we cry wolf. Certainly, we may not know what he means by abracadabra but what we know is our children enjoy his music.
As parents, appreciate the music your children listens to.
Online Reporter