Here's a plethora of Lugbara lyrics by a notable female artiste. Arguably one of the Best Solo Divas from West Nile (alongside Nebbi’s Susan Kerunen [Alur] who ‘kufika’-d [‘arrived’) onto the scene in the first decade of the 21st Century), LEILA CHANDIRU sings a lot about domestic relations, work and societal issues just like the fantastic Lugbara female duo of Betty & Gladys who are based in the UK. Straka of WBS TV’s Late Show actually thought she was Tanzanian. Leila is “Arua’s Gift to East Africa”.
In “Asi Onzi”, CHANDIRU sings about the worthlessness of a bad heart (filled with hatred, malice, envy or jealousy) or just a Heart of Darkness against someone who advances in life. In Lugbara tradition, it is believed that a black heart referred to as ‘Ole’ is the root of witchcraft. Having bad thoughts about someone is equivalent to offering the blood of a goat to a medicine-man to bewitch that person.
Hahahaha, Ah ah! Asi onzi ko 'ba aza ku ya!
Ine mi agi mile onzi si ku! Hahahahaha, Ah ah!
[CHORUS]
Drileba mavu ri MUNGU feni, ile mavu a’du ni ya?
Ka adri chandisi MUNGU ni ma aza ko ni
Songi songi ca masi ra
Jirani, ile mavu a’du ni?
Zanva ‘di, ile mavu a’du ni?
Oku ‘di, ile mavu a’du ni?
Agupi ‘di, ile mavu a’du ni?
Akini, ile mavu a’du ni ya?
Drileba mavu ri MUNGU feni ile mavu a’du ni ya?
Ka adri chandi si MUNGU ni ma aza ko ni
Songi songi ca masi ra
Jirani, ile mavu a’du ni?
Zanva ‘di, ile mavu a’du ni?
Oku ‘di, ile mavu a’du ni?
Agupi ‘di, ile mavu a’du ni?
Akini, ile mavu a’du ni ya?
[VERSE ONE]
Asi onzi di ma, 'ba ‘di, ma 'ye, ma 'ye ngonia?
Songi songi di ma, 'ba ‘di, ma 'ye ma dri fe ngoa ya?
Androndrua di ma, aka mi zi a 'ye mi a’du ni ya?
Ombili di ma, 'ba ‘di ama 'ye, ma 'ye ngonia?
Culture-a eri lu alu rile,
Kenya-a eri lu alu rile,
Tanzania-a eri lu alu rile,
Congo-a eri lu alu rile,
Sudan-a eri lu alu rile,
Ata mavu Arua-a ‘dia
[INSTRUMENTAL]
[VERSE TWO]
Indrundrua ndro piri, ale mi zi zita alu si
E’dozu ili ajerisi pere andru mi isu alenia a'duni?
Baraza itia 'dia mi azi anzenzia nzezu
A’dia ma bongo si iri ku
Dribi lite 'di si iri ku
Agoni mu 'dale, 'ba dro eri ra
Azi ti-a 'ba dro eri ra
Businessi nze eri ra
'Ba kata emi ofe musarasi ta ’do emi lonyi be
Akuki 'ba ru ndroza ja, akuki 'ba ru ndroza ja!
Ama egaki e’yo ama edri ma dria
Angaki azi ama edri ma tambazu
[CHORUS] x2
[VERSE THREE]
Ma oja ni a’duni 'ba ‘di nyaku ‘di ma ‘dria
Ika eri ni afa fe, eco ni awa'difo ni feku
Ika erini afa fe ku, eri ‘yo mi asi onzi
Ika aa ayikosi, eri eca eri ma asi’a onzi
Ika chandi nya 'da eri ma ayiko ni
Eri te leri, ima nya chandi erini ta nyarile
Aza mi dria ‘di, MUNGU awa drileba ndu ndu
Ocori vuri fe-i, eri aci foloko nyaria
Indri vuri fe-i, eri aci eribi nyaria
Ite mivuri, MUNGU ni nga mivu ri fera
[CHORUS / Repeat Chorus till it fades around “Songi songi cha masi ra.”]
"Embeleke" by CHANDIRU LEILA is an uplifting song for people with a low self esteem. It does not matter what job you do, whether 'kyeyo' (Luganda for a sweeping job in a foreign land) or fishing, as long as you eat from it. So if anyone mocks you, just know that they are like 'Embeleke' (Lugbara for Chimpanze). When Gorillas see the red bottom of their friends, they laugh as though they do not have one. Do you get the wisdom now? When someone laughs at or talks ill about your job or anything else related to you, just remember they forget that there is a lot to say about theirs too. The message in this song is similar to the Gospel in Matthew 7:5 which warns, "You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Chandiru performs the song with a male colleague, some of the filming for the music video was done on the Northern Bypass in KLA City...
[CHORUS]
Embeleke ka i-agi ma iti ne (Eri gu si be imve)
Embeleke ka i-agi ma iti ne 'bo (Eri gu si be nya)
Eri idri ku 'dia, eri i-agi dri ne (Eri dri sa)
Eri idri ku 'dia, eri i-agi dri ne (Eri cere gbe)
Embeleke ka i-agi ma iti ne 'bo (Eri gu si be imve)
Embeleke ka i-agi ma iti ne (Eri gu si be nya)
Eri idri ku 'dia, eri i-agi dri ne (Eri dri sa)
Eri idri ku 'dia, eri i-agi dri ne (Eri cere gbe)
[VERSE ONE]
Ma adri la, ma amvi la, ye eh eh! Efini a'duni?
Ma adri la, ma amvi la, yo! Efini a'duni?
Katro coroni nga, 'da erivu aziri-i; Eri nya ani.
Enga azi mi drile-a ri, igu 'ba azi ku. Ama woro drici ri-a.
A'dia ki nga ofisi-a, iki la jo asesiri-a, 'da eri ma style ni.
A'dia ma bizinesi nga 'di, e'du 'di loni ni.
Mi asi ni su a'dusi. Mi a'dia piki ne 'di, iki aro du TASO-a.
Ite mi rua ri.
[CHORUS]
Nya nya ci le ndo. Embeleke 'ba ada 'be, isele coza yo.
E ka nga adre idri ru, igu 'ba ku, nyaku va 'di, tro papa alu ni ku.
Nya nya Chandiru ye, embeleke 'ba ada 'be, isele coza yo.
E ka nga adre idri ru, egu 'ba ku!
Nyaku vaa 'di tu pa, khee!
Ka mi omve muyaye, mi omve eri "mbeleke"
Ka mi omve malaya, mi omve eri "mbeleke"
Ka mi omve silimu pye, mi omve eri "mbeleke"
Ka mi omve marua ni, mi omve eri "mbeleke"
[CHORUS]
[VERSE TWO]
Lugbara emi ngua ya? Azi emi woro ci! ('Di Chandiru)
E'yo nyakuari ma ndu mba, 'ba zi lu MUNGU-i (Eri 'ba aza ko ra)
Mi etu ne fu 'da, te eri fu 'dale e'yo be (Lu 'ba ada ni)
Odekua osiria, 'ba eri osi cere gbe (E'yo 'duari ambamba)
Amani vini mviria ATA vu ama mvi cere be (A'ye izata ambamba)
Mi agi ka mi nde te, mi dri ko mu ojo-a (Mi izata nyaria)
Sende mini ico oti mi azakozuri (Enyeyile? dri)
Cika e ka mu ojo-a azo mi ruari si (Mi 'da mi tamba)
[OUTRO]
Embeleke ka i-agi ma iti ne 'bo (Eri gu si be imve)
Embeleke ka i-agi ma iti ne (Eri gu si be nya)
Eri idri ku 'dia, eri i-agi dri ne (Eri dri sa)
Eri idri ku 'dia, eri i-agi dri ne (Eri cere gbe) x4
[END]
"Malaya Nyama" by CHANDIRU LEILA featuring GEOFREY ATIKU is a lamentation about a man who spent all his money on a prostitute and got nothing but poverty out of the affair. He used to fly in a plane, cruise in a Benz and sleep at the Sheraton Hotel plus play with money but now he doesn't because the prostitute 'fleeced' him but she replies by saying that she did not force him to give her the money. The man wants her back but she can't return to him since he is now poor.
[CHORUS]
[GEOFREY:] Malaya nyama, malaya nyama kayi kayi
Malaya ohohoh, malaya nyama
Malaya nyama, malaya nyama kayi kayi
Malaya ohohoh, malaya nyama kayi kayi
[CHANDIRU:] Andama, ma azi andra mi ma-i ku
Mi sende ma inze okposi ku.
Advice mani fe miniri-i, "You should not talk to malaya again!"
[VERSE ONE]
Ma oku aci ndege si, malaya nyama
Ma oku aci Benz si, malaya nyama
Ma oku lapi Sheraton-a, malaya nyama
Ma oku lapi sende dria, malaya nyama
Ma oku avipi sende si, malaya nyama
Malaya ohohoh, malaya nyama kayi kayi
[INSTRUMENTAL then CHORUS]
[VERSE TWO]
[GEOFREY:] A'di la ma tenda ni ra???, ma ogu malaya ku yo
Kiri kiri adri ma la, kiri kiri malaya ole ni
Kiri kiri anzi akua vini ra, kiri kiri malaya oleni
[CHANDIRU:] Ari kini mi ica mavu ni?
A'di kini mi imu mavu ni?
A'di pe mi ti mavu ni, a'di 'yo mi imu mavu ni?
Sende nde, mi ife ndra mi-i, heh!
[INSTRUMENTAL then CHORUS]
[HOOK] [GEOFREY (then CHANDIRU):]
Mi andra ma nya were were? (Eri te andra fe mi-i 'di)
Te mini nya 'borisi, mi idadri vule! (Adadri osubi nyaku yo)
Inya andra chips 'bo yo (Eh, ma nga azini nda)
Koma (a)wo! (Toyina sente, nze ndeka)
Kiri kiri, mi idadri! (Mivu sente yo) Audio Wave Production
[INSTRUMENTAL then CHORUS]
"Geofrey" by CHANDIRU LEILA is a quadro-lingual song about a Love Relationship that is not based on money. The female doesn't care if the man is poor. Afterall her own father is loaded with Dollars and all she wants from her boyfriend is friendship, love and respect. Chandiru sings all this in Lugbara, Luganda en English while the man replies in Swahili close to the end.
[CHORUS]
Asile mani mi lezu ri, Geofrey, adri sende ni ku
Asile mani mi lezu ri, Geofrey, adri mali ni ku
Ikatro adri sende be, le mi iri ma indi
Ikatro adri mali be, le mi iri ma indi X2
[VERSE ONE]
Jeff, ne bwoba nga ofunye, Jeff, chensaba kitibwa
Jeff, ne bwoba nga ofunye, Jeff, chensaba mukwano
Jeff, ne bwoba nga ofunye, Jeff, chensaba ompulirize
Jeff, ne bwoba nga ofunye, Jeff, chensaba otule awo
Mi te kaadri sente be, le mi iri ma indi
Ale agini mali ku, le mi iri ma indi
Oso ma, mi ka tro adri mali be, le mi iri ma indi
Ma kini, mi ka tro adri sente be, le mi iri ma indi
[CHORUS]
[VERSE TWO]
I will prefer the poor one
He has got time to show me love
Ata ka aa mani maskini, nika liya apa
Ata ka aa mani moja, baba, tuta kula
Ata ka aa mani mali, ni sikilize!
Ata ka aa mani Dollar, ni sikilize!
[CHORUS]
[BRIDGE]
[MAN'S VOICE:] Nimekuskiliza mupenzi wangu, nimekuskiliza bitch wangu
Ni haki na womba musamye???, nilikua busy kua kazini
Nilikua busy osusini, nimekusiwawu??? mpenzi wangu
Wanawome mpenzi wangu. Kutoka leo mwana wake, kua kusikilize
[CHANDIRU:] Ka adri sente si, ma ati vu sente ci
Ka adri mali si, ma ati vu mali ci
Ka adri Dollar si, ma ati vu Dollar ci
Ka adri ale si, ma ati le ma ra.
[CHORUS to fade]
