Redefining the meaning of language via music SOUL JAH LOVE . . . Poet, comedian and clever lyricist

Ignatius Mabasa Shelling the Nuts
I was asked by one veteran journalist friend whether I listened to Zim dancehall music. My answer was, “sometimes”. Why sometimes? Because I am a creative person and I love the creativity and language used by the young artistes, but I have problems with their lack of self-control, pride, arrogance and self-importance.

Apart from that, I think Zim dancehall artistes are doing a lot to promote and celebrate our local languages.

Recently, I was listening to Soul Jah Love’s new CD titled “Kuponda Nhamo” and I must say I “almost” fell in love with his naughty, flirty and lyrically flowery music.

Soul Jah Love, who is popularly known as Chibaba in Zim dancehall circles, is an exceptionally gifted but scandalous young man, and I think if he could take good care of himself, his diabetes and music career, he will become a great brand.

He has a great and versatile voice, he is a poet, a comedian and a clever lyricist.

Sulumani Chimbetu collaborated with Soul Jah Love to produce a remarkable song called “Nyuchi Dzanditerera”, but the song has been renamed “Chibaba” by fans and listeners because of Soul Jah Love’s naughty play with language.

The song focuses on somebody who is announcing to nobody in particular about how problems, represented by bees, have mobbed him and are not giving him a chance or space to move.

Among the bees that are after inflicting pain on him, is the phenomenal chibaba chenyuchi (the bee father).

This is a beautiful song that tells a story in a metaphoric way that vividly paints a picture of protracted suffering.

However, the suffering is made not so depressing because of the comic way Soul Jah Love weaves in and out of the song playing with the phrase chibaba and chibaba-baba.

Musicians, like most creative people, are really “crazy”, but in a special way.

Their craziness is such that one can expect anything to tumble out of their mouths.

They make us laugh and sometimes sigh. I have seen a lot of my fellow creative people literally live the colourful life that they paint, write, sing or perform. They seem untamable, possessing a free spirit. In their creative prowess, they go to extents and lengths, yes and even depths that the normal and ordinary don’t go.

This is the thing that sets them apart, and it seems their fountains of originality and unique use of language or paintbrush strokes are infinite.

If you are a resident of Harare, or even just a visitor, there is something that if you listen carefully you will hear being uttered by people. It is the word “chibaba.” To some of us who are Shona language enthusiasts and activists, the word chibaba sounds negative because it is a noun for father that has been prefixed with “chi” and the moment you attach the “chi” prefix, it changes the meaning, texture and feel of the noun. In Shona, the prefix “chi” is referred to as a secondary and commentary prefix.

It is used when people talk negatively about the noun.

So, you can hear people say, “Chimukadzi chake chine huchapa”, or “Chimwana chavo hachina kurairwa”, or “Chikombi chakatengwa naPeter marara chaiwo”, etc.

As you can see from these few examples, the use of the prefix “chi” will go on to be qualified by explaining or commenting on some behaviour or some attribute that is on the noun.

Generally, names with the prefix “chi” according to Father Hannan’s explanation in his Shona Dictionary denote objects or instruments that are incomplete (Zezuru), deformed (Zezuru), undersized (Manyika and Zezuru), worthless objects (Manyika and Zezuru), diminutives (Korekore), many sicknesses (Korekore, Manyika and Zezuru). Some examples of such objects or instruments are: chirukukwe, chikuni, chisadza, chisango, chikova, chikuku, chimbwa, chihupfu, chisaga, chibhegi, etc.

Since the prefix “chi” mostly goes with objects and instruments, it means that objectifying a person by calling him or her as |chibaba”, “chimukadzi”, “chimwana”, “chimupurisa”, |chidhiraivha chacho” is in a way dehumanising them.

So, what is it with Soul Jah Love’s “chibaba” word? I am sure that the singer did not even consider or think about all the grammatical aspects of the word “chibaba”, i.e., the combination of a noun and a commentary prefix.

This is where I see the flexibility of the Shona language, or indeed any other language. Languages are not static and they are bound to change with time.

It is very true that if Soul Jah Love goes kumusha and calls some family man “chibaba chacho”, he will start a big and bloody fight.

Yet, if you listen to the song by Sulumani Chimbetu in which Soul Jah Love weaves in and out with his humorous commentary, you will understand that he is talking about “chibaba chenyuchi”, yet it is not just a real bee, but nyuchi being a metaphor for a persistent persecutor.

If you go on to look at the way the Harareans have then taken up the use of the word “chibaba”, or “chibababa”, or “chibaba chacho”, you will realise that there is an aspect of celebrating resilience, style and swag.

Suddenly, if somebody looks cool and swaggy, they are showered with unsolicited praises from onlookers.

The onlookers will be acknowledging and urging someone that they don’t know, saying they are unique and probably an inspiration.

And if the man who has been conferred the “chibaba” title is in the company of a female, then they become “chibaba nechimhamha chacho”.

This is in no way meant to be negative as in the true and traditional use of the commentary prefix “chi”.

Yet, it is also interesting to note how the other term, “chibaba-baba” is actually a degrading term in the Shona language.

The combination of the secondary commentary prefix “chi”, and the repeated noun “baba-baba” is used to refer to a worthless father or man of no substance. Other examples are “chimbuya-mbuya”, “chimota-mota”, “chibhuku-bhuku”, “chibasa-basa”, etc. With such words, what people are saying is that “it is not the real thing” – usually something will be wrong with the noun being talked about.

So, again, like “chibaba”, the word “chibaba-baba” is negative, but “chibaba-baba” goes a step farther to emphasise the negativity. Be that as it may, most people in Harare will not take offence at the use of these terms. They have agreed on the new meaning, and I will not be surprised if most of the users are not aware of the original meaning of “chibaba” with its commentary prefix.

Besides the secondary commentary role that the prefix “chi” plays in qualifying nouns, it also indicates short and stout things.

What Soul Jah Love has done is to use a Shona word “baba” that is quickly being replaced as most African families now use the English word “daddy” for the Shona or Ndebele word for father.

So, the rebirth of the word in the Shona language has come with style that would not be accepted in the traditional Shona language. What I don’t know is whether the use of the term “chibaba” has dignity away from the excitement of social gatherings. I have also heard the young Harareans adding the “chi” prefix to the word “mudhara”, to come up with “chimudhara”.

Again, I have noticed that according to their use of the word “chimudhara”, they are not using the “chi” in a negative way.

Whether we like it or not, musicians play a key role in the creation and redefinition of language and meaning.

This means we should never underestimate the power of the musicians and their music to influence people negatively or positively.

It is a fact that none of us has the power to create reputations – but the public does.

We have people who have created words and worlds, but because the words and the worlds were deliberately “created”, instead of evolving naturally, they eventually disappeared. Whether “chibaba” is going to stay or it is just a fad, is for time to tell, but for now, it looks like “chibaba chenyuchi chicharamba chichiruma, chichitenderera”.

I am seeing the “chibaba” statements on kombis and mobile phone profiles. This is a missed opportunity by Sulu and Soul Jah Love, because I am sure if they were to do T-shirts around the “chibaba” theme, depicting someone running away from a big fat bee that is holding a spear, I will be one of the first people to buy my very own “chibaba” T-shirt.

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