Subj:
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Guabi
Guabi Results |
Date:
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3/30/2004
1:16:06 PM Eastern Standard Time |
From:
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Mr.
Wolinsky |
To:
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Mrs.
Riggins' Class |
Sent
from the Internet ( Details
) |
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Hi
Kids,
Thanks for doing all the great work with the Guabi Guabi activity.
I
think you all did a wonderful job. I'm going to answer many
of the
questions you asked at the end of the activity and give you two
versions
of the words. (I'll use your names if you put the on the form,
but some of
you forgot to type in your name, so I'll just have to answer "someone".)
One version is the way I wrote it out to learn it and the other
is the way
it is written using English/Zulu spelling along with what the
words mean.
Denisha, Yonisha, Michael, Jamirah, Stachonah, Denita and Crayton
all
think the song is about fruit or bananas and they are all partly
right.
You'll see at end of this message that it mentions bananas, but
it is
really about Guabi and his girl friend.
Amira noticed that the song was about fruit AND a man named Guabi.
Way to
go Amira!
Jefar
says he likes the way I sing it. I'm very flattered, Jefar. How
long have you had your hearing problem? <ha-ha> I can't
wait to hear all of you singing it.
Bryanna noticed that everything is repeated twice. Way to
go, Bryanna!
Many songs repeat things over and over again. In the music
industry
that's call a hook.
Denisha
asks: "Where did you learn the song Guabi-Guabi?"
I first heard it back in the 1970's and it is on a CD that I have
by one of my favorite folk singers, Arlo Guthrie. I'll play
it for you this Thursday.
Someone asked: "How did you memerrize that."
I went to the Internet and did a search to find out more about
the song. There I found the English/Zulu version. From there
I listened it one section at a time and wrote to the words the
way they sounded. I listened many times to make sure it
was right. Then I began singing along with the song over,
and over, and over, and over again until I had memorized it. It
took a long time, but it was fun!.
Michael Asks: "Where did the song come from?"
It comes from Africa and has been around for a looooong time.
It was
first recorded back in 1950 and was a hit in Europe
before it came to the U.S.
Jaramiah says she liked the song, but the words are too hard.
Amira said almost the same thing and Jefar said, "I
think this song is fun to listen to. I think that I could learn
it but it isn't going to be easy."
Well, to all of you I say, anything you do for the first time
is hard.
When you first started using a spoon, I bet you put more food
on your face than you did in your mouth, but you don't do that
anymore and it's easy. You always get better with practice and
can do anything you put your mind to!
Robert says, "It was cool. I like it very much. I think I
can learn it in a day." I LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE, ROBERT!
Bryanna asked how I knew how to spell it. Well, I just spelled
it the way the words sounded to me. However, I listened
over and over and made little changes each time I listened until
I thought I had it exactly right. Of course when you write
things the way they sound, they are often very different from
the way they are really spelled. For example enough sounds
like enuff.
Stachonah says, "I bet we will be good at it except
for me!"
I bet you are wrong! You had one of the best translations.
You have a
good ear! Denita said, it was very hard to spell the words. To
Denita I say that along with Stachona, and Denisha, you did a
best jobs with the spelling. Crayton asked if I could teach you
the song.
I would LOVE to!
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English Phonetic Version
(Sing this two times)
Gua-bi, Gua-bi, guz-wan ling tomb yam-bie,
Ee-say-lay Knam-bee chew-ie ahm-tanda
(Sing this two times)
Nee-a-zam tingie la ma ban-sa ee-say-wichi lay ba-na-na.
Nee-a-zam tingie la ma ban-sa ee-say-wichi lay ba-na-na.
English/Zulu Spelling
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.)
See you all on Thursday!
Mr. W.
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I'm perfectly capable of learning from my own mistakes.
I will surely learn a great deal today!
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