TEDGlobal 2007
Vusi Mahlasela: "Thula Mama"
Vusi Mahlasela canta "Thula Mama"
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El cantautor sudafricano Vusi Mahlasela dedica su canción “Thula Mama” a todas las mujeres y, en especial, a su abuela que demostró una valentía inquietante enfrentando a la opresión policial en la era del apartheid. Su historia, su voz y su música los dejará sin habla.
Vusi Mahlasela - Musician, activist
South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela was a crucial artistic voice during the fight against apartheid, and now in the new modern-day nation. Blending traditional African music with soul and blues, his music showcases powerful vocals and poetic lyrics. Full bio
South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela was a crucial artistic voice during the fight against apartheid, and now in the new modern-day nation. Blending traditional African music with soul and blues, his music showcases powerful vocals and poetic lyrics. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:25
I’d like to dedicate this one to all the women in South Africa --
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Quisiera dedicar esta canción a todas las mujeres sudafricanas;
00:31
those women who refused to dwindle in the midst of apartheid.
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a esas mujeres que no cedieron durante el apartheid.
00:36
And, of course, I’m dedicating it also to my grandmother,
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Y, por supuesto, se la dedico también a mi abuela
00:42
whom I think really played quite a lot of important roles,
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que pienso realmente tuvo un papel muy importante
00:45
especially for me when I was an activist, and being harassed by the police.
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sobre todo en mi época de activista cuando era perseguido por la policía.
00:51
You will recall that in 1976, June 16, the students of South Africa boycotted
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Ustedes recordarán que el 16 de junio de 1976 los estudiantes sudafricanos boicotearon
00:56
the language of Afrikaans as the medium of the oppressor,
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el idioma africaans por considerarlo un instrumento del opresor;
01:00
as they were sort of like really told
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ya saben, tenían instrucciones
01:03
that they must do everything in Afrikaans --
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de hacer todo en africaans --
01:06
biology, mathematics -- and what about our languages?
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biología, matemáticas. ¿Y nuestros idiomas?
01:10
And the students wanted to speak to the government,
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Los estudiantes querían hablar con el gobierno
01:14
and police answered with bullets.
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pero la policía les respondió con balas.
01:16
So every year, June 16, we will commemorate
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Por eso cada 16 de junio conmemoramos
01:18
all those comrades or students who died.
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a todos aquellos camaradas o estudiantes que murieron.
01:22
And I was very young then. I think I was 11 years,
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Yo era muy pequeño, pienso que tenía 11 años,
01:28
and I started asking questions,
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y comencé a hacer preguntas.
01:30
and that’s when my political education started.
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Y así comenzó mi educación política
01:33
And I joined, later on, the youth organization
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Más tarde ingresé a la organización juvenil que
01:36
under the African National Congress.
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era parte del Congreso Nacional Africano.
01:39
So as part of organizing this and whatever,
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Entonces, mientras organizábamos algo,
01:42
this commemoration, the police will round us up
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una conmemoración, la policía nos cercaba,
01:45
as they call us leaders.
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ya saben, por considerarnos líderes.
01:48
And I used to run away from home,
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Y yo solía huir de casa
01:50
when I know that maybe the police might be coming
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cuando calculaba que ya vendría la policía,
01:53
around the ninth or 10th of June or so.
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cerca del 9 ó 10 de junio o así.
01:56
And my grandmother one time said,
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Pero mi abuela, saben, una vez dijo:
01:58
"No, look, you’re not going to run away.
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"No, mira, no vas a huir".
02:01
This is your place, you stay here."
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"Este es tu lugar y aquí te quedas".
02:05
And indeed, the police came -- because they’ll just arrest us
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Y, de hecho, vino la policía – porque nos arrestarían,
02:09
and put us in jail and release us whenever they feel like, after the 20th or so.
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nos encarcelarían, para liberarnos cuando quisieran, después del 20 más o menos.
02:14
So it was on the 10th of June, and they came, and they surrounded the house,
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Fue así que el 10 de junio vinieron y rodearon la casa.
02:19
and my grandmother switched off all the lights in the house,
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Mi abuela apagó todas las luces
02:25
and opened the kitchen door.
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y abrió la puerta de la cocina.
02:28
And she said to them, "Vusi's here, and you're not going to take him tonight.
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Y les dijo: "Vusi está aquí pero esta noche no se lo van a llevar".
02:33
I'm tired of you having to come here, harassing us,
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"Estoy cansada de que vengan aquí a acosarnos...
02:36
while your children are sleeping peacefully in your homes.
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mientras sus hijos duermen tranquilos en sus casas".
02:38
He is here, and you're not going to take him.
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"Él está aquí y ustedes no se lo van a llevar".
02:41
I've got a bowl full of boiling water -- the first one who comes in here, gets it."
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“Tengo agua hirviendo lista para el primero que se acerque".
02:48
And they left.
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Y se fueron.
02:51
(Applause) (Music)
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(Aplausos)
03:24
♫ Thula Mama, Thula Mama, Thula Mama, Thula Mama. ♫
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♫ Thula Mama, Thula Mama, Thula Mama, Thula Mama. ♫
03:29
♫ Through the mist of the tears in your eyes on my childhood memory, ♫
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♫ Por las lágrimas de tus ojos en mis recuerdos de infancia, ♫
03:37
♫ I know the truth in your smile, ♫
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♫ conozco la verdad en tu sonrisa, ♫
03:41
♫ I know the truth in your smile, ♫
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♫ conozco la verdad en tu sonrisa, ♫
03:44
♫ piercing through the gloom of my ignorance. ♫
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♫ que perfora la penumbra de mi ignorancia. ♫
03:47
♫ Oh, there is a mama lying down sleeping ♫
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♫ Oh, hay una mamá recostada durmiendo ♫
03:52
♫ you're very ill and your heart crying. ♫
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♫ está muy mal y su corazón llora. ♫
03:56
♫ Wondering, wondering, wondering, wondering where is this world coming to. ♫
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♫ Preguntando, preguntando, preguntando: ¿a dónde va el mundo? ♫
04:04
♫ Is it right the children have to fend for themselves? No, no, no, no, no. no. ♫
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♫ ¿Está bien que los niños tengan que valerse por sí mismos? No, no, no, no. ♫
04:09
♫ Is it right heaping trouble on an old lady's head? ♫
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♫ ¿Está bien colmar de problemas la cabeza de una anciana? ♫
04:13
♫ So unlucky faceless people. ♫
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♫ Entonces gente anónima sin suerte: ♫
04:19
♫ Thula Mama Mama, Thula Mama. Thula Mama Mama. ♫
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♫ Thula Mama Mama, Thula Mama. Thula Mama Mama. ♫
04:51
♫ Thula Mama, Thula Mama, Thula Mama Mama, Thula Mama ♫
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♫ Thula Mama, Thula Mama, Thula Mama Mama, Thula Mama ♫
04:56
♫ Tomorrow it’s going to be better. ♫
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♫ Mañana va a ser mejor. ♫
05:01
♫ Tomorrow it's going to be better to climb, Mama. ♫
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♫ Mañana va a ser mejor para subir, Mama. ♫
05:06
♫ Thula Mama, Thula Mama. ♫
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♫ Thula Mama, Thula Mama. ♫
05:46
♫ Am I to break into the song like the blues man or troubadour. ♫
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♫ ¿Me pongo a cantar como un trovador o un blusero? ♫
05:53
♫ And then from long distance in no blues club am I to sing, ♫
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♫ Y luego, ya lejos, ¿no cantaría en algún club de blues? ♫
05:59
♫ baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby. ♫
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♫ Nena, nena, nena, nena, nena, nena, nena... ♫
06:09
♫ Should I now stop singing of love, ♫
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♫ ¿Debería dejar de cantarle al amor? ♫
06:15
♫ now that my memory’s surrounded by blood? ♫
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♫ ¿Ahora que mi recuerdo está teñido de sangre? ♫
06:18
♫ Sister, why oh why do we at times mistake a pimple for a cancer? ♫
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♫ Hermana: ¿por qué, oh, por qué a veces confundimos un grano con cáncer? ♫
06:37
♫ So who are they who says, no more love poems now? ♫
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♫ Entonces ¿quiénes son los que ahora prohíben los poemas de amor? ♫
06:42
♫ I want to sing a song of love ♫
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♫ Quiero cantar una canción de amor ♫
06:45
♫ for that woman who jumped the fences pregnant ♫
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♫ para esas mujeres embarazadas que saltaron la cerca ♫
06:48
♫ and still gave birth to a healthy child. ♫
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♫ y aún así dieron a luz con salud. ♫
07:00
♫ Softly I walk into the sun rays of the smile ♫
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♫ Suavemente camino entre los rayos de sol de la sonrisa ♫
07:07
♫ that will ignite my love song, my song of life, ♫
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♫ que encenderá mi canción de amor, mi canción de vida, ♫
07:15
♫ my song of love, my song of life, my song of love, ♫
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♫ mi canción de amor, mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor, ♫
07:25
♫ my song of life, my song of love, my song of life. ♫
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♫ mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor, mi canción de vida. ♫
07:37
♫ Ooh, I’ve not tried to run away from song, ♫
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♫ Uh, no he intentado huir de la canción, ♫
07:41
♫ I hear a persistent voice, more powerful than the enemy bombs. ♫
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♫ escucho una voz persistente, más poderosa que las bombas del enemigo. ♫
07:47
♫ The song that washed our lives and the rains of our blood. ♫
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♫ La canción que lava nuestras vidas y las lluvias de nuestra sangre. ♫
08:17
♫ My song of love and my song of life, my song of love, ♫
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♫ Mi canción de amor y mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor, ♫
08:24
♫ my song of life, my song of love, ♫
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♫ mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor, ♫
08:31
♫ my song of life, my song of love -- I want everybody to sing with me -- ♫
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♫ mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor – Quiero que todos canten conmigo -- ♫
08:36
♫ my song of life, my song of love, my song of life -- everybody sing with me -- ♫
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♫ mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor, canción de vida -- canten conmigo -- ♫
08:44
♫ my song of life, my song of love -- I can’t hear you -- ♫
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♫ mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor -- no los oigo -- ♫
08:49
♫ my song of love, my song of life -- you can do better -- ♫
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♫ mi canción de amor, mi canción de vida – pueden hacerlo mejor -- ♫
08:54
♫ my song of life, my song of love -- keep singing, keep singing -- ♫
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♫ mi canción de vida, mi canción de amor – sigan cantando -- ♫
09:00
♫ my song of love, my song of life, yes, my song of love -- ♫
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♫ mi canción de amor, mi canción de vida, sí, mi canción de amor -- ♫
09:07
♫ you can do better than that -- ♫
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♫ pueden hacerlo mejor -- ♫
09:09
♫ my song of life, yes, my song of love, my song of life, my song of love -- ♫
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♫ mi canción de vida, sí, mi canción de amor, canción de vida, canción de amor -- ♫
09:18
♫ keep singing, keep singing, keep singing -- my song of love. ♫
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♫ sigan cantando, sigan cantando, sigan cantando -- mi canción de amor. ♫
09:21
♫ Oh yeah. My song of -- a love song, my song of life. Sing. A love song, my song of life. Sing. ♫
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♫ Oh sí. Mi canción de – canción de amor, mi canción de vida. Canten...♫
09:35
♫ Love song, my song of life. Sing. Love song, my song of life. Sing. ♫
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♫ Canción de amor, mi canción de vida. Canten... ♫
09:46
♫ Love song, my song of life. Sing. Love song, my song of life. ♫
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♫ Canción de amor, mi canción de vida. Canten...♫
09:56
♫ Love song, my song of life. ♫
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♫ Canción de amor, mi canción de vida. ♫
10:02
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Vusi Mahlasela - Musician, activistSouth African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela was a crucial artistic voice during the fight against apartheid, and now in the new modern-day nation. Blending traditional African music with soul and blues, his music showcases powerful vocals and poetic lyrics.
Why you should listen
Vusi Mahlasela has dedicated his life to using music and words to inspire change. As a young boy in South Africa, he was routinely watched by the police because of his anti-apartheid poetry and his open support of student protest. During the final fight against apartheid, his songs of protest and solidarity became anthems -- stirring the South African people to create their new nation.
His lyrics touch on themes of love, family, hope and pride. Working with his own band and an international crew of genre-bending musicians, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo and fellow South African Dave Matthews, Mahlasela crafts a rich, propulsive sound that helps his words reach directly into the heart.
His latest album is Guiding Star (2007), of which Dirty Linen magazine says:
"Contributions by Dave Matthews, Australian didjeridu player Xavier Rudd, Welsh singer/songwriter Jem, and slide guitarist Derek Trucks transforms Guiding Star into an Earth-spanning celebration, but they only enhance Mahlasela's Garfunkel-meets-Marley vocals, harp-like guitar fingerpicking, and mastery of his homeland's diverse musical traditions."
Vusi Mahlasela | Speaker | TED.com