The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
1 August 2008
opinion
It is Italian. And similar to when we say Mama Yangu! Or Mama Wee...a very typical African and Latin exclamation. The English language does not have an equivalent cultural use of Mamma Mia.
I have lived amongst Anglo Saxons for ages but never heard someone screaming "my mother" like we do in Kiswahili or Italian. They might swear upon the mother of their children but not the same way Mama Yangu is said.
"Oh My God", would be more appropriate. Until beginning of this week I had never understood why the famous Swedish band, Abba, composed and titled one of their best hits, Mamma Mia. I thought they just wanted to be continental by borrowing various European clichés and phrases to sell records. There is Chiquitita, (which comes from Chica) Spanish for a young female; Voulez Vous (Will You) in French, plus Waterloo named after the legendary historical battle of the English.
Mamma Mia, the new Hollywood musical showing across the world, is one of the most currently loved films in London. The songs are from the original Abba repertoire but singers are celebrated Hollywood actors, led by the wonderful and gifted American, Meryl Streep. Any aspiring actress wanting to be inspired should watch Mama Streep. I have seen dozens of her movies; I never cease to melt in admiration: she is highly skilled, a brilliant chameleon. She becomes (like great actor Robert De Niro) the character she is playing.
Mamma Mia is a fun film, part comedy, part exaggeration, part joyous expression.
But that is just one side of the story.
I first noticed Abba while still a young naïve reporter with Uhuru in 1977. We loved them. Their songs were being played almost daily by Radio Tanzania, especially the English External Service. Normally Africans are never into Wazungu rock music. I mean huge European bands like Rolling Stones hardly ever sold (or sell) in Africa.
Back in the early 1960's, their only smash hit that was constantly played by Radio Tanzania was Satisfaction, penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
It was another Ulaya band, The Beatles that was loved, especially in the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions. Abba were similar to Beatles (although their arrangements are technically very sophisticated) they sang simple songs with easy melody lines and choruses that anyone anywhere could sing along. Songs like She Loves You, Yeah Yeah.
Abba were even better.
Their sound had the disco beat of the 1970's. They were funky and the fashion was high platform shoes (called raizoni in Kiswahili) with bellbottoms and colourful wear. Some Abba compositions became theme of the 1970's: Fernando, Dancing Queen (regarded as one of the most cheerful party songs of the last hundred years), Money, Money, Money etc. They remain one of the highest selling pop bands in the world with over 400 million albums sold.
When I was in Sweden for the first time in 1984 I asked where I could see Abba.
I was shocked by the nonchalant, bored reaction. In some European cities, I was even more perplexed to learn that the music of Abba was a joke because it was loved by homosexuals.
Brings to mind when these days I meet Wazungu and they are still asking me where are Hukwe Zawose (the late Gogo Marimba player) or Remmy Ongala. These musicians are rarely heard in Bongoland, but still revered on the international arena (not bongo fleva).
Abba had by then split up due to divorce. The band's name came from mixing beginning letter of each member's initials (two husbands, two wives), Agnetha (vocals), Benny (pianist), Bjorn (guitar), Anni-Frid (vocals).
Mamma Mia, the musical, is a simple story of a 20-year-old woman getting married and waiting for her father to give her away.
The problem is the mother had three lovers and it is not clear who the real dad is. The rest is just loads of singing and dancing to Abba songs in a Greek island.
When I was watching it I thought of great old Swahili songs by Fadhil William (Malaika), Salum Abdullah (Wanawake Wa Tanzania), Mushrooms (Jambo Jambo/ Hakuna Matata), Shakila (Kapu), Marijan Rajab (Si Wema) and so on.
One day, Inshallah, I hope to turn them into a musical. Like Abba almost forgotten and even regarded as a joke, good old day Swahili classics would be revamped, reinvented, reincarnated, re-sold and re-appreciated.
Mr Macha is writer and musician working in the media and entertainment business since 1976.
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