Pata Pata 2000
Miriam Makeba
Sung in Xhosa -- South Africa
and lyrics.
© 1999 Putumayo World Music. All rights reserved.
At the very southern tip of the great continent of Africa is the country of South Africa. South Africa has a vast grassland called veld where animals like lions, elephants, rhinoceroses and antelopes live. There are many different languages, tribes, and cultural traditions in South Africa. Some names of the different tribes are Xhosa, Zulu, Swazi, Ndebele, Sotho, Tsonga and Venda. South Africa is a very developed country with big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town, and lots of natural resources. Maybe you have heard of Nelson Mandela, who led the fight against discrimination in South Africa.
There is also a lot of music in South Africa. Some songs are about love. Others are about feeling sad or lonely. And some songs, like "Pata Pata,"
are just about dancing, singing and having a great time. "Pata Pata" means "touch, touch" and it is an old dance that was popular when Miriam Makeba
was a girl. This is a new version of "Pata Pata," Miriam Makeba's first international hit song over 30 years ago. This is a new version that features
her grandaughter, Zenzi Lee. Imagine if someday you are able to record a song with your grandmother!
This song is in Xhosa, one of the many Bantu languages in South Africa.
It is a click language, which means people make a clicking noise with their
tongue when they speak it. If you listen closely you can hear the click in the words of the song.
Saguguka sathi beka
(Nantsi, pata pata)
Saguguka sathi beka
(Yiyo, pata pata)
Yi yo mama yiyo mama
(Nantsi, pata pata)
Yi yo mama yiyo mama
(Yiyo, pata pata)
Pata Pata is the name of a dance
We did down Gauteng* way
Everybody starts to move
As soon as Pata Pata begins to play
Every Friday and Saturday night
Its Pata Pata time
The music keeps going on and on
Till the morning sun begins to shine
* a province in South Africa
