Quand on se promène avec un écureuil, on apprend à grimper à l’arbre mais aussi à voler (Proverbe Solongo – Angola). – Mauvaise compagnie.
When walking with a squirrel, you learn to climb a tree, but also to steal (Solongo Proverb – Angola). – Poor company.
Quando se anda por aí com um esquilo, você aprende a subir na árvore, mas também para voar (provérbio Solongo – Angola). – Diz-me com quem andas dir-te-ei quem és.
Today, I would like to share a poem by one of Angola’s most prolific writer and its first president, Agostinho Neto. This poem, “Havemos de Voltar” / “We Shall Return“, speaks to all people, and all times.
Back when this was written from his prison cell in Lisbon, the poem symbolized the return of lost sons, of exiles, of freedom fighters, and the return to their homeland, their loved ones, and the re-attribution of their resources back to them. Today, the message means pretty much the same: a return to liberty (African countries’ freedom from the oppressors), economic freedom (FCFA, the slave currency), and even freedom to all immigrants around the globe who run away from their country because of poverty, war, etc. So to all those seeking a return to peace, to love, a return home, here is Agostinho Neto‘s message.
| Havemos de voltar
Às casas, às nossas lavras ÀS nossas terras Às nossas minas de diamantes Aos nossos rios, nossos lagos À frescura da mulemba À marimba e ao quissange À bela pátria angolana Havemos de voltar |
We shall return
To the houses, to our crops, To our lands To our mines of diamonds To our rivers, our lakes To the shade of the mulemba To the marimba and the quissange To our beautiful Angolan homeland We shall return |
From Sacred Hope – Poems by Agostinho Neto, published by the Angolan Writers Union, 1986, sponsored by the National Bank of Angola. Translated to English by Marga Holness.
Ce que Imana (Dieu) te donne, le vent ne peut pas l’emporter (Proverbe Rwandais – Rwanda).
What Imana (God) gives you, the wind cannot take it away (Rwandan proverb – Rwanda).
In memory of one of Africa’s great women writer, I would like to share a post I wrote a few years back dedicated entirely to her work. Buchi Emecheta was a strong woman, a strong writer, and she used her writing to get out of a difficult situation (violent marriage, divorce, single-handedly raising 5 children, work). Above all, she believed in what she was doing, and gave us some of the first feminist books in Africa
Today I would like to talk about a strong woman… a determined woman… an independent African female writer: Buchi Emecheta. Dr. Buchi Emechetais an established Nigerian author who has published over 20 books. She wrote such books asSlave Girl, The Joys of Motherhood, Second Class Citizen, The Bride Price, and more recentlyKehinde. Her themes have always revolved around motherhood, child slavery, and women independence. Buchi got married at the tender age of 16, and by the age of 22 was the mother of five children (they had moved to London after the birth of the first child for her husband to pursue higher education). Her marriage was unhappy and oftentimes violent. She used writing as an escape, to keep her sanity. The day her husband burnt her first manuscript marked Buchi’s rebirth. As she watched him burn her novel…
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Le chemin qui conduit vers des êtres chers, n’a pas d’épines (Proverbe Douala – Cameroun).
The path which takes to loved ones, does not have thorns (Duala Proverb – Cameroon).
Who has not heard of the famous African love song ‘Malaika?’ The best known version of this song is the one sung by Mama Africa, Miriam Makeba. It is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian Adam Salim in 1945, who composed “Malaika” for his very beautiful girlfriend Halima Ramadhani Maruwa. Their parents disapproved of their relationship, and Halima was forced by her parents to marry an Asian tajir (wealthy man). The song is sung by a poor young man who wishes to marry his beloved ″Angel″ or ″Little bird″ but is defeated by the bride price.
This song is the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili songs in the world; again, it was made popular around the globe by Miriam Makeba. Malaika means “angel” in Swahili, and this word has always been used by the Swahili speakers to refer to a beautiful girl. So this is to all the angels out there for this Valentine day.
| Malaika
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika Malaika, nakupenda Malaika Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Kidege, hukuwaza kidege Kidege, hukuwaza kidege Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Pesa zasumbua roho yangu Pesa zasumbua roho yangu Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio Ningekuoa Malaika Nashindwa na mali sina, we, |
Angel
Angel, I love you angel Angel, I love you angel and I, what should I do, your young friend I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have I would marry you, angel I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have Little bird, I think of you little bird Little bird, I think of you little bird and I, what should I do, your young friend I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have I would marry you, angel The money (which I do not have) depresses my soul I would marry you, angel I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have |
Le fond de la pirogue ne dit pas ce qu’il y a au fond de l’eau (Proverbe Douala – Cameroun). – Ne racontez pas les secrets de vos amis.
The bottom of the boat does not say what is at the bottom of the water (Duala Proverb – Cameroon). – Don’t tell your friends’ secrets.
Last night, the Pharaohs of Egypt took a stroll in the savanna and were eaten by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Oh yes… the Egyptians, 7th time African champions, finally bowed down to the Cameroonians, who last night became 5th time African champions. The Cameroonian team broke the curse to defeat the Egyptians… who on all previous meets had always beaten Cameroon.
So last night, Cameroon won its 5th African Cup of Nations to become, after Egypt, the most titled African country in soccer. Needless to say that this relatively young Cameroonian squad surprised everybody to first make it through the qualifying turn, and then defeat countries such as Senegal in quarter-finals, and Ghana in semi-finals, to make it into the final against Egypt.
The final score of the Cameroon-Egypt game was 2-1 in favor of Cameroon, even though the Egyptians were ahead 1-0 at the end of the first half, they could not stop the Cameroonian turbo machine, which came back to win 2-1. I raise a special hat to the Indomitable Lions’ goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa, who to me, is truly the reason Cameroon made it that far in the competition. And to think that he doesn’t even have an official club, shows how determined and hard-working this young player is. At the end of the game, the players all wore the number 17, in honor of Marc-Vivien Foé, who had passed on on the field several years back. The last time Cameroon had won the African Cup of Nations was in 2002. Special salutes to this young squad of Cameroon, and our wishes is that they truly work hard to make it further, and always make us proud, and make it back as a great nation of soccer.
Here is the text of the 15 July 1884 treaty signed between the Chiefs of Jibarret (Djebale) and Sorrokow (Sodiko) and the German merchants of the Adolph Woermann and Jantzen & Thormählen firms in Cameroons. It basically does not show the entire text, but rather cites the treaty signed on 12 July 1884 between Kings Bell and Akwa and the Germans. It is pictured here:
“We the undersigned chiefs of Jibarret and Sorrokow, under King Bell’s juridiction declare herewith that we are perfectly agreeing with the treaty made by Mr. Edouard Schmidt acting for the company C. Woermann and Mr. John VoK acting for Misters Jantzen & Thormählen both of Hamburg, with the said King Bell.
The treaty has been properly explained to us and we have signed this paper as follows.
Cameroons the fifteenth day of July one thousand eight hundred and eighty four.”
Source: Abretungs-Urkunde Jibarret und Sorrokow, 15-7-1884 DZA-potsdam 4204 f.192.
Here is the text to the Pre-treaty approved by King Ndumbé Lobé Bell and King Akwa of Cameroons River (Wouri River, Douala) before agreeing to signing the 12th July 1884 Germano-Duala treaty. It is called the “Wünsche der Kamerun” (or the Cameroonians’ wishes) and was signed by the German consul. Note that only the German consul signed to engage his country into this pre-treaty; and no Cameroonian party signed it. It is only once this was done, that the Kings Bell, and Akwa signed the treaty of sovereignty. Here is the text of the pre-treaty.
“Cameroons River, July 12th, 1884
Our wish is that white men should not go up and trade with the Bushmen, nothing to do with our markets; they must stay here in this River, and then give us trust so that we will trade with our Bushmen.
We need no protection; we should like our country to annex with the government of any European Power.
We need no alteration about our marriages, we shall marry as we are doing now.
Our cultivated ground must not be taken from us, for we are not able to buy and sell as other countries.
We need no Duty or Custom House in our country.
We shall keep bullocks, pigs, goats, fowls as it is now and also no duty on them.
No man should take another man’s wife by force or else a heavy fine.
We need no fighting and beating without fault and no imprisonment on paying the trust without notice and no man should be put to Iron for the trust.
We are the Chiefs of Cameroons.
The Imperial German Consul
Emil Schulze“
Source: L’Afrique s’annonce au rendez-vous, la tête haute! Du Pr. Kum’a Ndumbe III, P. 145-146, Ed. AfricAvenir/Exchange & Dialogue 2012
African Heritage 