TEDGlobal 2007
Vusi Mahlasela: "Thula Mama"
"Thula Mama": Vusi Mahlasela al TED
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Il cantautore sudafricano Vusi Mahlasela dedica la sua canzone, "Thula Mama" a tutte le donne -- e in particolare a sua nonna, che mantenne la schiena diritta persino negli anni più duri dell'oppressione dell'apartheid. La sua storia, la sua voce e la sua musica vi lasceranno senza fiato.
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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Vorrei dedicare questo pezzo a tutte quelle donne del Sudafrica
00:31
those women who refused to dwindle in the midst of apartheid.
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che si sono rifiutate di piegare la testa durante l’Apartheid.
00:36
And, of course, I’m dedicating it also to my grandmother,
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E certamente, lo dedico anche a mia nonna,
00:42
whom I think really played quite a lot of important roles,
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che penso abbia avuto un ruolo molto importante,
00:45
especially for me when I was an activist, and being harassed by the police.
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nella mia vita, quando ero un attivista tenuto d'occhio dalla polizia.
00:51
You will recall that in 1976, June 16, the students of South Africa boycotted
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Ricorderete che nel 1976, 16 Giugno, gli studenti del Sudafrica boicottarono
00:56
the language of Afrikaans as the medium of the oppressor,
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l’Afrikaans in quanto strumento dell’oppressore.
01:00
as they were sort of like really told
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Ci dicevano che
01:03
that they must do everything in Afrikaans --
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tutto doveva essere fatto in Afrikaans
01:06
biology, mathematics -- and what about our languages?
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- Biologia, matematica ecc- e alle nostre lingue non veniva dato spazio.
01:10
And the students wanted to speak to the government,
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Gli studenti volevano parlare col governo,
01:14
and police answered with bullets.
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e la polizia rispose con le pallottole.
01:16
So every year, June 16, we will commemorate
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Quindi, ogni anno, il 16 Giugno commemoreremo
01:18
all those comrades or students who died.
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tutti quegli studenti e compagni che morirono.
01:22
And I was very young then. I think I was 11 years,
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Ero molto giovane in quel periodo, mi pare che avessi undici anni,
01:28
and I started asking questions,
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ed iniziai a fare domande.
01:30
and that’s when my political education started.
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Fu lì che iniziò la mia formazione politica.
01:33
And I joined, later on, the youth organization
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E più tardi, mi unii al settore giovanile
01:36
under the African National Congress.
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dell’African National Congress.
01:39
So as part of organizing this and whatever,
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E siccome organizzavamo tutto questo,
01:42
this commemoration, the police will round us up
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questa commemorazione, eccetera, la polizia ci circondava,
01:45
as they call us leaders.
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come sapete, ci chiamavano leader.
01:48
And I used to run away from home,
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Ed io ero solito scappare da casa
01:50
when I know that maybe the police might be coming
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quando sapevo che forse la polizia sarebbe potuta arrivare,
01:53
around the ninth or 10th of June or so.
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il 9 o il 10 di Giugno o giù di lì.
01:56
And my grandmother one time said,
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E mia nonna, una volta disse:
01:58
"No, look, you’re not going to run away.
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“No, guarda — Non te ne andrai via,
02:01
This is your place, you stay here."
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Questo è il tuo posto. Stai qui!”
02:05
And indeed, the police came -- because they’ll just arrest us
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E poi la polizia arrivò. Perché dopo il 20
02:09
and put us in jail and release us whenever they feel like, after the 20th or so.
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ci avrebbero arrestato e messo in galera in qualunque momento garbasse loro.
02:14
So it was on the 10th of June, and they came, and they surrounded the house,
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Quindi era il 10 Giugno, arrivarono, circondarono la casa,
02:19
and my grandmother switched off all the lights in the house,
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e mia nonna spense le luci nella casa
02:25
and opened the kitchen door.
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e aprì la porta della cucina.
02:28
And she said to them, "Vusi's here, and you're not going to take him tonight.
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E disse loro: ”Vusi è qui. E stasera non lo prenderete.
02:33
I'm tired of you having to come here, harassing us,
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Sono stanca di avervi qui, a tormentarci,
02:36
while your children are sleeping peacefully in your homes.
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mentre i vostri bambini dormono in pace nelle vostre case.
02:38
He is here, and you're not going to take him.
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Lui è qui, e stasera non lo prenderete.
02:41
I've got a bowl full of boiling water -- the first one who comes in here, gets it."
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Ho un pentolone pieno di acqua bollente. Il primo che si avvicina se lo prende in faccia”.
02:48
And they left.
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E quelli se ne andarono.
02:51
(Applause) (Music)
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(Applausi)
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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♫ Oltre la nebbia delle lacrime nei tuoi occhi, nei miei ricordi di bambino, ♫
03:37
♫ I know the truth in your smile, ♫
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♫ so che la verità del tuo sorriso, ♫
03:41
♫ I know the truth in your smile, ♫
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♫ so che la verità del tuo sorriso, ♫
03:44
♫ piercing through the gloom of my ignorance. ♫
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♫ supera l'oscurità della mia ignoranza. ♫
03:47
♫ Oh, there is a mama lying down sleeping ♫
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♫ Oh, c'è una donna che giace addormentata ♫
03:52
♫ you're very ill and your heart crying. ♫
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♫ sei molto malata e ti piange il cuore ♫
03:56
♫ Wondering, wondering, wondering, wondering where is this world coming to. ♫
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♫ a chiederti, chiederti, chiederti dove sta andando questo mondo. ♫
04:04
♫ Is it right the children have to fend for themselves? No, no, no, no, no. no. ♫
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♫ È giusto che i bambini siano lasciati a sé stessi? No, no, no, no, no. no. ♫
04:09
♫ Is it right heaping trouble on an old lady's head? ♫
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♫ È giusto dare tanti problemi ad una povera vecchia donna? ♫
04:13
♫ So unlucky faceless people. ♫
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♫ Gente sfortunata, senza un volto. ♫
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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♫ Domani sarà meglio. ♫
05:01
♫ Tomorrow it's going to be better to climb, Mama. ♫
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♫ Domani sarà più semplice da scalare, 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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♫ Irrompo nella canzone come un cantastorie, o un bluesman. ♫
05:53
♫ And then from long distance in no blues club am I to sing, ♫
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♫ Forse canterò da lontano, e non nei blues club, ♫
05:59
♫ baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby. ♫
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♫ baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby. ♫
06:09
♫ Should I now stop singing of love, ♫
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♫ Dovrei smettere di cantare d'amore, ♫
06:15
♫ now that my memory’s surrounded by blood? ♫
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♫ ora che i miei ricordi sono intrisi di sangue? ♫
06:18
♫ Sister, why oh why do we at times mistake a pimple for a cancer? ♫
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♫ Perché, sorella, a volte scambiamo un brufolo per un cancro? ♫
06:37
♫ So who are they who says, no more love poems now? ♫
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♫ Chi è che dice, adesso basta canzoni d'amore? ♫
06:42
♫ I want to sing a song of love ♫
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♫ Io voglio cantare una canzone d'amore ♫
06:45
♫ for that woman who jumped the fences pregnant ♫
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♫ per quella donna che ha saltato uno steccato incinta ♫
06:48
♫ and still gave birth to a healthy child. ♫
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♫ e ha fatto comunque nascere un bambino sano. ♫
07:00
♫ Softly I walk into the sun rays of the smile ♫
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♫ Cammino piano nei raggi del sorriso ♫
07:07
♫ that will ignite my love song, my song of life, ♫
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♫ che accenderanno la mia canzone di vita e di amore, ♫
07:15
♫ my song of love, my song of life, my song of love, ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore, ♫
07:25
♫ my song of life, my song of love, my song of life. ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore, ♫
07:37
♫ Ooh, I’ve not tried to run away from song, ♫
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♫ Ooh, non sto cercando di sfuggire alla canzone, ♫
07:41
♫ I hear a persistent voice, more powerful than the enemy bombs. ♫
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♫ Sento una voce continua, più forte delle bombe nemiche. ♫
07:47
♫ The song that washed our lives and the rains of our blood. ♫
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♫ La canzone che ha lavato le nostre vite e le nostre piogge di sangue. ♫
08:17
♫ My song of love and my song of life, my song of love, ♫
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♫ La mia canzone di vita e di amore, ♫
08:24
♫ my song of life, my song of love, ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore ♫
08:31
♫ my song of life, my song of love -- I want everybody to sing with me -- ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore -- tutti insieme -- ♫
08:36
♫ my song of life, my song of love, my song of life -- everybody sing with me -- ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore -- tutti insieme -- ♫
08:44
♫ my song of life, my song of love -- I can’t hear you -- ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore -- non riesco a sentirvi -- ♫
08:49
♫ my song of love, my song of life -- you can do better -- ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore -- potete fare di meglio -- ♫
08:54
♫ my song of life, my song of love -- keep singing, keep singing -- ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore -- ancora, ancora -- ♫
09:00
♫ my song of love, my song of life, yes, my song of love -- ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore ♫
09:07
♫ you can do better than that -- ♫
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♫ -- potete fare di meglio -- ♫
09:09
♫ my song of life, yes, my song of love, my song of life, my song of love -- ♫
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♫ la mia canzone di vita e di amore ♫
09:18
♫ keep singing, keep singing, keep singing -- my song of love. ♫
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♫ ancora, ancora, ancora -- tutti insieme-- ♫
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 sì. La mia canzone vita e d'amore. Cantate. ♫
09:35
♫ Love song, my song of life. Sing. Love song, my song of life. Sing. ♫
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♫ Canzone d'amore, la mia canzone di vita. Cantate. ♫
09:46
♫ Love song, my song of life. Sing. Love song, my song of life. ♫
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♫ Canzone d'amore, la mia canzone di vita. Cantate. ♫
09:56
♫ Love song, my song of life. ♫
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♫ Canzone d'amore, la mia canzone di vita. ♫
10:02
(Applause)
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(Applausi)
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