This African folksong is about a young man who wants to bring sweets, buns, bananas to his sweetheart. There is a loose translation below. Arlo Guthrie sings, "Guabi Guabi" on his ninth album released in 1976, "Amigo". I hope you enjoy!
Translation & information for "Guabi Guabi" from http:\\www.arlo.net:
It's a Zulu children's song with a wonderful melody and addictive guitar fingerpicking, and was taken from the singing and playing of guitarist George Sibanda(2). It can be found on an album put out by Decca called Guitars of Africa.
The song is about someone who teases his girlfriend by holding something behind his back and saying, "Guess what I've got." It's an interesting mix of Zulu and French expressions, and this English transliteration and translation is from Andrew Tracy of the African Music Society thanks to the guitar tutorials of Happy Traum (who put out a book with the tablature for Guabi Guabi):
"Guabi, Guabi, guzwangle notamb yami,
(Hear, Guabi, Guabi, I have a girlfriend)
Ihlale nkamben', shu'ngyamtanda
(She lives at Nkamben, sure I love her)
Ngizamtenge la mabanzi, iziwichi le banana."
(I will buy her buns, sweets, and bananas.)
Personnel:
Russ Kunkel - drums, percussion
Waddy Wachtel
Bob Glaub - bass
Jai Winding - keyboards
Gayle Levant - harp
Nick DeCaro - accordion
Arlo Guthrie - vocals
Leah Kunkel - vocals, electric piano
John Pilla - vocals
Billy Green - guitar
Rick Jaeger - drums
Also: Linda Rondstat and Milt Holland as Special Guests
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