If you like Chameleone, listen to ‘Jamila’, ‘Valu Valu’ and ‘Kipepeo’ as well.Ĥ. I couldn’t find a good video for this one, but here’s the song: His problems continue in the next verse when they go to Kampala and she demands to stay at the Sheraton, and then when they go out to a restaurant in Kigali and she refuses to eat ugali (he’s had enough by this stage, and leaves her there). I decided to go to the dance floor and danceīut she refused! She doesn’t like songs in Lingala I was shocked when she started ordering whiskyĪnd expensive drinks without getting tipsy In the evening we went out together for a beer I felt in my heart that she would be mine

She asks me for “bei kali” things, and if I don’t have them she stops caring for me. She likes things that cost “bei kali”, even though she knows I don’t have any money I can’t think of a translation that quite does “bei kali” justice though, so I’m going to leave it as it is.Īnapenada vitu vya bei kali, kama hajui ati sina maliĪnaniomba vitu vya bei kali, nikiwa sina yeye hanijali “Bei” means price, and “kali” is fierce, severe, or strict – in other words, something extremely expensive. I’m particularly fond of this one, which is the story of a poor young man who has a very demanding girlfriend and their adventures in three East African cities. Most of his songs are in Swahili, and he’s very popular all over East Africa. Meet your own needs, increase your incomeĬhameleone comes from Uganda, and sings in Swahili, English and Luganda. Rahisisha mahitaji yako, ongeza kipato chakoĬalm your heart, accept the fact that you can’t have everything ‘Tamaa mbaya’ means a bad wish or desire, and the song is a warning to a young girl still at school whose ‘tamaa mbaya’ is wanting to have a baby before she’s finished her studies.

I recommend their film ‘Furaha ipo wapi?’ where there is an explanation for the name: “My parents named me 20%, because only God is 100%”. Twenty percent are probably my favourite bongo flava group. Unataka nyama? vipi pweza wako?ĭon’t sit at the front, blocking the others. In reality these women seldom look like Ray C, but the dance moves of the small children and the odd guy in a tank top more than compensate for the lack of realism. A mama ntilie is a woman who sells food at a street stall – the kind of place where working men might go for lunch.

Watoto wa mama ntilie kitabu