As promised, today’s post is featuring the latest releases from Goa Ni Mal Studios, Mha Chang’s recording studio in Gambella town, western Ethiopia. Two of the most recent music videos the studio has released are collaborations between Mha Chang, Oluch Aballa, and Majang King, in which they sing about unity and working together to collectively develop Gambella region.
As we’ve discussed before, Gambella region struggles with inter-ethnic tensions and occasional violence. Relations are especially difficult between the Nuer and Anywaa ethnic groups and ethnic groups who have immigrated to Gambella from other areas of Ethiopia. A variety of factors play into this, including pressure placed on indigenous populations by refugees and immigrants, shortages and uneven distribution of resources, political and cultural marginalization of the indigenous populations over the course of Gambella’s incorporation into the Ethiopian state, and the politicization of ethnic identity in recent decades in Ethiopia.
Mha Chang is Nuer, Oluch is Anywaa, and Majang King is from the Majang (or Majangir) ethnic group. By collaborating on these music videos together, they are teaching unity through their lyrics as well as providing providing a visual and sonic example of inter-ethnic collaboration.
The following is the music video for the song by Mha Chang and Oluch, with transcription and translation to follow (Oluch’s verses are in the Anywaa language and Mha Chang’s are in the Nuer language):
Lyrics and Translation
Oluch Chorus (in dha-Anywaa)
Kørø gëëmö dëëtö poot nøk
We should not fight against each other, because we are few in number
Kanyo bwöre møa therø nee duny ge wøk,
When the next generation arrives,
Kar kaaca øøno pïï re ngøøni nøk?
At that time, what will they see?
Manynya wec bëëta ajeeny ki dëëtö,
We should stop discrimination against each other
Ker jooti banga kää mano gø (2x)
You will never see any [discriminatory] attitude like that from me
Ker koori banga kää manø
Don’t expect any attitude like that from me
Mha Chang Chorus (in Nuer)
Kɔn görnɛ mal cieŋdan
Let’s seek peace in our land
Kɔn nhɔknɛ cieŋdan
Let’s love our ourselves and land
Kɔn görnɛ mal cieŋdan
Let’s seek peace in our land
Ɣän kɔnɛ ji ban wec rialikä
You and I are the ones to make peace for our community
Mi thiɛlɛ ji thiɛlɛ mi de gɔaa
If you are not around, nothing good will happen to our community
Mi thiɛlɛ ɣä thiɛlɛ mi de gɔaa. 2x
If I am not around, then nothing good will happen
Gɔaa ni mal gɔaa ni mal cieŋdan
Peace is the only way, peace is the only way in our land
Oluch Rap (in dha-Anywaa)
Pwøc wado mar nyïë nee cääth maal ki tïïë ni tïïë,
Appreciate your relative, so that they can grow in what they are doing
Tiir mana näk ba løny nee mana näk kwuuë nee ngääë
Correct them when they are wrong so that they can learn from it
Ker røø tïïö ni pälXX man jääl wad kiper gïn mo ee baaø
We should not criticize them when they do something wrong
Ni cwïnye ba cïp piny owëënï kiper nee duu bangø
When we are too quick to criticize and do not forgive people, they [will leave and] will not come back
Ba kanyo näk mo jø jägö jamø kwödö
When there is laziness, the people sit and do nothing
Kiper ni cam dagø bung par-wïc, jø bëëna lwödö,
Having plentiful food can make them forget to work, they only eat
Bung winy dëël kiper nee dee bëët wödö,
Not understanding each other has brought disrespect
Odøønga ataa, bëët rääö cwödö,
Not believing in each other will lead to a bad attitude
Bung gïn mør këët, ba bëët jwödö,
At the end of the day, we get nothing but suffering
Dëëri ii tïïö nii käära opïrï bee gïn tïïc ïïni nii jïttï ki bïrrï,
You make yourselves as manual laborers, as if that is the only source of income for you
Ni ïïnu okweer ki jïëdhï møe ni ngati kee theem aba mwøe,
And you who do nothing and do not look for ways to help yourselves expect to get help from others
Ni bungë bïrrö ï ba lang, Ï läänga niine nyengngi onaang
When you don’t have money, you don’t go out and just always stay home sleeping
Chorus
Mha Chang Rap (in Nuer)
Thiɛlɛ rami jiäk kɔn dial
There is no one among us who is better than anyone else
Kɛ kɔn kɛl.
We are one
Kɔn görnɛ mal ciëŋdan (2x)
Let’s seek peace in our land
Kɔn nöŋnɛ mal ciëŋdan
Let’s bring peace to our land
Kɔn nhɔknɛ rɔ kam ni kɔn
Let’s have love among us
Min ditnɛ jɛn nhɔk, min dit ni ɛ mal
What matters most is love, what matters most is peace
Kɛ kuic ɛmɔ muɔcnɛ gaat läät
For that matter, let’s give jobs to our children
Kɛ ɣöö thiɛlɛ ciaŋ jiäk
To avoid criminality
Tii bilɛ tuɔk ciëŋdan
In our land
Cuarnɛ rɔ lɛ tɛ̈ɛ̈k, cuarnɛ rɔ lɛ däk
Let us not divide ourselves, let us not discriminate among ourselves
Kɛ ɣöö kɛ kɔn kɛl
Because we are one
Mi thiɛlɛ ji kä thiɛlɛ ɣä thiɛlɛ mi de tuɔk
If you are not there, and I’m not there, there will be no help
Nhɔknɛ rɔ, Nhɔknɛ rɔ, Nhɔknɛ rɔdan kɛl
Let’s love each other, let’s love each other, let’s love each another as one
Chorus
The second music video, by Mha Chang and Majang King, features some footage from Ethiopia’s Nation and Nationalities Day, a government-sponsored event that takes place in different regions throughout Ethiopia every few years. Gambella hosted it in December 2015, and musicians and dancers gathered from all around the country to perform. This was a big deal, since Gambella usually doesn’t receive as much national attention as Ethiopia’s other regions.
You’ll recognize the Nation and Nationalities day footage by the many performers all dressed in white. The video also features images from Majangir areas (the round houses) and the main roundabout in Gambella town, both of which the Goa Ni Mal crew managed to film with a drone camera.
The lyrics are in three different languages: Nuer, Majang, and English. Mha Chang added the English verses so that other Ethiopians and international audiences will understand the message of the song even if they do not understand Nuer or Majang. We were not able to manage to translate the Majang portion, but we did transcribe and translate the Nuer. You’ll also notice in Verse 2 that they name the Komo, Anywaa, Opwo, Majang, and Nuer people. These are the five politically-recognized indigenous ethnic groups in Gambella region. Check out the video and lyrics:
Lyrics and Translation
Chorus (in Nuer and English)
Gambella wecda, Gambella dhɔra
Gambella is our land, we own Gambella
We live in harmony
Gambella wecda
Gambella is our land
We live in harmony
Verse 1 (in Majangir)
Chorus
Verse 2 (in English and Nuer)
Tell the voice of unity
Nobody gonna take away your dignity
Cause this is Gambella
Let’s stop, let’s stop corruption
Impress, impress development
Tell the voice of unity
Nobody gonna take away your dignity
Let’s change Gambella together
Komo, let’s change Gambella
Anywaa, let’s change Gambella
Opwo, let’s change Gambella
Majang, let’s change Gambella
Nuer, let’s change Gambella, together
Nobody gonna take away your dignity, cause this is Gambella
Malɛ, malɛ, malɛ mi gɔaa,
How are you, how are you? I’m fine
Chorus
Though I have yet to do listener interviews specifically targeting reception of these songs, Mha Chang and Oluch say that the audio is, indeed, circulating around their neighborhoods and that they have received positive feedback about their message so far.
Like all of these artists’ output, these songs were not sponsored or commissioned. They were composed, recorded, and produced through local efforts. Clearly, these productions demanded a huge amount of time and resources, and the fact that these artists accomplished this by their own efforts speaks to their genuine commitment to the betterment of their community. Take a moment to appreciate that and lend these folks some serious respect!
Before concluding this blog post, I’d like to offer special thanks not only to the artists for their taking the time to interview with me but also to our amazing transcribers and translators, Ojho Ojullu Othow (for the dha-Anywaa) and Marnaath Jangjuol (for the Nuer). As usual, I want to emphasize that this web site is a product of everyone’s collective collaboration and contribution, and would not be possible without our Gambellan research associates!
Music of Ethiopia 