Guabi Guabi

about me

Guabi, Guabi: a South African folk song tremendously popular with folkies in the 60s and 70s, thanks to the recordings of Jack Elliott, Jim Kweskin, and Arlo Guthrie. 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. 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:

"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.)

In 1978, at Wolf Trap (in Vienna, Virginia). Arlo Guthrie recorded the song with the following lyrics:

Guabi Guabi kuzwan le toum diome
Ize les gambi shooey entana
Guabi Guabi kuzwan le toum diome
Ize les gambi shooey entana

Ni izome tingy la ma bonza
Ize widgy le ba na na
Ni izome tingy la ma bonza
Ize widgy le ba na na

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I just found out about Recipezaar. A friend recommended it because I have trouble finding decent recipes that meet my dietary restrictions. I am diabetic and have a heart condition, so my diet has to be low sugar, low sodium (I have a limit of 2 grams sodium per day), low fat, and low in liquid content since my liquid intake is restricted to 2 litres per day. Sorry I don't have many good recipes to share, but that's why I am here - in hopes of finding some to expand my menus.

Favorite Foods:

I have had to give up most of my favourite foods due to my health problems, but I'm a sucker for mince and tatties, and chip butties.