Roots of Masambuka

[male

vocals] (

Aweh,

my

daughters)

Haniya,

Shahida,

listen

to

your

baba

From

the

warm

heart

of

Africa,

I

speak

to

you

My

blood,

my

life,

my

story

I

am

Ismael

Msosa

Masambuka,

hear

my

name

Your

mother

Anelisa

is

the

light

of

this

South

African

flame

But

deep

in

my

chest,

a

different

rhythm

beats

Beyond

the

border,

beyond

these

city

streets

I

carried

my

heart

from

Lilongwe,

the

land

of

the

sun

Likuni

TA

Malili,

where

my

journey

had

begun

If

one

day

the

road

leads

me

away

from

here

And

I

cannot

return,

shed

no

single

tear

Look

to

the

North,

where

the

mountains

rise

high

Follow

the

path

to

the

home

where

I

lie

Masambuka

is

the

name,

Zomba

is

the

ground

In

Malawi,

my

daughters,

I

will

always

be

found

Your

grandparents

in

Nkhotakota,

Mnduluka

Matapa

village

They

tilled

the

soil,

a

heritage

of

peace,

not

of

pillage

My

father

from

Zomba,

he

gave

me

the

fire

To

build

you

a

future,

to

take

you

up

higher

Though

you

bloom

in

the

South,

remember

your

vine

Your

soul

carries

whispers

of

your

Malawian

line

If

one

day

the

road

leads

me

away

from

here

And

I

cannot

return,

shed

no

single

tear

Look

to

the

North,

where

the

mountains

rise

high

Follow

the

path

to

the

home

where

I

lie

Masambuka

is

the

name,

Zomba

is

the

ground

In

Malawi,

my

daughters,

I

will

always

be

found

Ask

for

the

Masambuka,

ask

for

the

Msosa

clan

They

will

welcome

you

home,

as

only

family

can

It

is

the

soil

of

my

fathers,

it

is

where

I

belong

And

in

every

heartbeat,

I’

m

singing

this

song

So

Haniya,

Shahida,

keep

this

truth

in

your

heart

Distance

is

nothing,

we

are

never

apart

Even

if

I

am

gone,

trace

the

map

of

my

youth

You’

ll

find

all

my

history,

you’

ll

find

all

the

truth

If

one

day

the

road

leads

me

away

from

here

And

I

cannot

return,

shed

no

single

tear

Look

to

the

North,

where

the

mountains

rise

high

Follow

the

path

to

the

home

where

I

lie

Masambuka

is

the

name,

Zomba

is

the

ground

In

Malawi,

my

daughters,

I

will

always

be

found

Malawi

is

calling,

my

sweet

ones

Likuni

to

Zomba,

that

is

your

home

Masambuka,

Masambuka (

Always

remember

who

you

are)

Sharp

sharp,

my

children,

love

always.