South Africa: Sotho

SOUNDS OF GLOBAL WORSHIP:
SOUTH AFRICA, NORTH SOTHO

Under the previous Apartheid political system of South Africa the black population (85%) were relegated to live on the "homelands", representing about 10% of South Africa's land base. They were banned from the white dominated commercial cities except to come in daily and work under curfew.

As a result the black men would leave their communities and families in the "homelands" for six months to a year at a time living in makeshift camps around the cities. Over the years this effectively destroyed the black families.

This video was taken of a powerful young church in the "homelands" in the Northeast part of South Africa pastored by Jonas Mangena, a former member of the African National Congress (ANC) which fueled his hatred of the whites.

A white missionary couple, John and Nancy Hudson, moved to Moshakga to demonstrate the love of God to these who had for so long been rejected and mistreated. Though initially shunned and mistrusted, this love eventually melted the hatred of Jonas. You see him playing the guitar in the video.

This song, Ga Gona Wa Go Swana le Jesu (There Is No One Like Jesus) was one of our favorites. The language is Northern Sotho (pronounced Sutu), one of the seven black South African languages. It demonstrates the transformation that is reflected in the hearts of Jonas and others as they found love in the midst of violence.

GA GONA WA GO SWANA LE JESU
(THERE IS NO ONE LIKE JESUS)

GA GONA WA GO SWANA LE JESU
There is no one like Jesus
GA GONA WA GO SWANA NAE
There is no one like Him
GA GONA WA GO SWANA LE JESU
There is no one like Jesus
GA GONA WA GO SWANA NAE
There is no one like Him

KA NYAKA NYAKA GOHLE GOHLE
I searched everywhere everywhere
KA DIKOLOGA GOHLE GOHLE
I circled everywhere everywhere
KA MO FUMANA JESU . . . WA KA
I found my Jesus . . . and now
GA GONA WA GO SWANA NAE
There is no one like Him

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• south
• africa
• moshakga
• homelands
• black
• sotho
• sounds
• global
• worship
• indigenous
• ethnodoxology
• ethnomusicology