The Vim Views & Versions - Blogs of a MIghTy African

I asked my friends to name their  top 5 songs  ever, from  South Africa . My South African alter-ego,  Siyabonga Andile Mthimkhulu , also contributed, thanks to all he has learnt around  Museke . I also asked  Google  Gemini (yes, not Meta AI, Chat GPT, Grok, Deepseek, or POE - because, I asked it through Google Sheets). You know it is my friend these days right? I also contributed my top 5, while reminiscing this  list from 2009 . My first time in  South Africa  was in 2011. But prior to that, I had been hearing a lot of South African music (not like circa 2011 though) on Ghanaian TV. I did not meet that many South Africans at  MIT . I got to know much more about South African music when me,  Phelele Fakudze,  and others started  Museke  in 2006. It was great to see some of my friends suggest songs that we were jamming to back in the day. I wanted to do a list of top 5, but there are too many song...

Before I get into Lira 's music. I debated which artiste to feature in the last spot in my starting eleven. I just had to have someone from South Africa - the country which I believe has the best singers (globally, yes) and maybe the best range of music.  I have been searching for a special happy birthday song she did for Mandela. I loved it enough to blog about it . I have a story about meeting Lira for the first time. Yes, I blogged about it too . In fact, I like Lira's music and aura a lot. That when she followed me on Twitter, I had to write about it too o !  I have a couple of Lira CDs & a DVD even. I really adore how she records her concert and those are sold as albums. Every time I listen to those, I wish female Ghanaian musicians like Efya, Becca and Adina would do similar. The way Hamba is performed live, with the crowd singing it, is magical.  I said South Africa has lots of great singers eh? How come Lira though? Something Inside So Strong. Somet...

'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' could become my most loved movie ever. And if I haven't even seen it yet. I can't wait. #Madiba . #Mzansi . — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 8, 2013 Waving Flag by @KNAAN is part of the 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' soundtrack? So says the trailer. Anticipation but not hype. #Madiba — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 8, 2013 I met Anant Singh, the director of the 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' movie this year in Cape Town. #Madiba should have seen this movie. :( — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 8, 2013 So I've watched the trailer for the 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' movie and @TerryPheto is not in it. Ayibo! Not lekker. #Madiba . #Mzansi . — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 8, 2013 "A film by South Africans for South Africans & for the world as well".- @TerryPheto . 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom'...

Anyone could have guessed that something about Nelson Mandela was going to dominate Twitter as soon as it was confirmed that he had passed away . I won't be surprised if things about him continue to trend as the year comes to an end. He was adored and loved by many. Many a song has been sang for him . Here are a few tweets that show this. Switching to my South African alter-ego in honour of Nelson Mandela who just passed away today. Go well Tata! We love you #Madiba . — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 5, 2013 Hamba kahle Tata. Hamba kahle Madiba. Safe journey Nelson Mandela. #Madiba #NelsonMandela pic.twitter.com/8K5ThrHprg — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 5, 2013 "Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father". @SAPresident on @NelsonMandela 's passing. #RIPMandela #Madiba — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 5, 2013 The World is in Mourning... 💔 #RIPNelsonMandela #LalaNgoxolo...

Since we are all talking about Nelson Mandela now, this is a good time to blog about him some more. After this tribute . I started listening to this Happy Birthday song sang by Lira   @miss_lira on the occasion of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday. Our hero is no more. This is a happy birthday song but unfortunately, he won't be celebrating any more birthdays. I can't wait till July 18, 2014 to blog about this. This song is way too awesome for it to not be known by more people. So I felt I had to blog about it. Today. And give it some more publicity. So I googled one more time to see what I could find and I wasn't surprised to see this through the Museke archives. Lyrics to the song I have had on repeat the last 27 minutes . Before the lyrics, this is what she said - Thank you so much. Hello everyone, Happy birthday Tata! I decided to just write a few songs from my heart this morning. So this is quite impromptu, but it is a really heartfelt message. To say, ...

Was listening to South African music today. :-( RIP Nelson Mandela. You'd be fondly remembered, #Madiba . pic.twitter.com/VZDODhbbCx — Siyabonga Mthimkhulu (@mightyafrican) December 5, 2013 This morning, I thought to listen to gospel music. The first song I played via the #vimride was Asimbonanga/Biko . It's one of my favorite songs to listen to these days. Later on during the day when I was thinking more and more about International Volunteer Day , I switched to my Southern Africa playlist and listened to a lot of Mzansi music . Funnily enough, I haven't listened to any songs from my favorite Lira , not even once today. That is going to change in a hurry. Because I need to listen to some Madiba music. One of my heroes, Nelson Mandela , has passed away. I have blogged about Nelson Mandela many times. I have a label for him on this blog. I wrote a blog post to mark his 92nd birthday 3 years ago . I love the song that was the subject of that blog post so much that I ...

My favorite album right now is whichever selection of Lira songs I am playing in the #vimride these days. Talking of vim, none of Lira's songs gives me 'vim' quite like this one - The version I listen to a lot (and on repeat) is the live in concert version, which includes the audience reaction and people singing along, with the backing vocals and all the lovely instrumentals. The version you would listen to here is lovely but it just doesn't do the song justice like this one does. So, go get that album - Captured Tour (A Concert Film) . I have a signed copy of the CD and then the  DVD too. So I decided to write a blog post sharing the lyrics. You can find the lyrics for the original in many places, but you can find the lyrics to Lira's version in a few places . And now, here, on the MIghTy African blog. The higher you build your barrier The taller I become The farther you take my rights away The faster I will run You can deny me You can decide to...

Due to Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday falling on Thursday, July 18, I started listening to South African music a lot. I even changed my Twitter name to that of my South African alter-ego, Siyabonga Mthimkhulu . I listened to some house, kwaito, hip hop, jazz, R&B and gospel music from Mzansi. Heavy on the rotation was music from Lira. Yeap, the one I met in South Africa . She's simply the rockas. My father is also in town and he's been listening to me rock Lira in the car all the time. Yesterday, I made him watch Tsotsi , my favorite movie of all time. But these occurrences didn't drive me to write this blog post quite like what happened this morning. I was listening to Lira's Captured Tour CD along with my father on the way to work. And then the song started --- "I have a dream, a dream that lives in me. A gift that is given to the uniqueness of me. There is a path, a path made just for me and I walk it faithfully, though not certain where it leads...

Earlier today, many Global Shapers in Africa had the pleasure of sitting down with Professor Klaus Martin Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum. He himself has really championed this Global Shapers community, a community of young people with demonstrated potential and excellence who are committed to changing and shaping the state of the world. I wanted to share a few soundbites from the session. For me, the biggest was his 'raving' about Nelson Mandela. I asked him a question about "how he would compare the youth of today to the youth of decades past" since the World Economic Forum has been existence more than 40 years. In answering the question, he went into stories of how WEF was involved in the birth of a new South Africa. He mentioned how he invited Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and De Klerk to Geneva when Madiba was released from prison and forged conversations and relationships around trust, and reconciliation. He ended up saying that no leader has i...

I've heard a lot of Senegal's DJ Awadi and how he is talked about a lot when it comes to African hip-hop. We've seen a lot of conscious and meaningful hip hop come out of Senegal and Awadi's Positive Black Soul deserves a lot of the credit. Awadi's recent album, Presidents d'Afrique (African presidents) was released in 2010, the same year many African nations celebrated their golden jubilees of independence. Awadi took us back to the 60's and told us those messages of unity, positivity, leadership and revolution still ring true today. So, I had to let you know all about the album :-) African rap legend, Didier Awadi , is one of the most highly respected African musicians. He spent four years of research, reading, collecting and interviews preparing his most recent album, Presidents d'Afrique. He featured many African rappers and musicians on the album, making a transcendent and monumental African rap album. L'Esclave opens the album and feature...

One of my Presec mates (Odadee) posted on my wall this week "I hope I'm not the only one getting Conversations With Myself". Then I conf pass corn flakes dem conference for corn inside. After I asked him about it, he said "New Madiba book...heard about it on 60 minutes...I get chills whenever i hear about this man...same feeling i had when i watched Invictus i had today". Yep, same feeling I also had when I watched Invictus with a dear one last December. I can't even begin to describe Nelson Mandela in one blog post . That makes me think, why didn't I even blog about Invictus? I think I should. Then again, I am a bigger fan of movies than books. Dont judge me. I'll read this one . Because a book called "Conversations with Myself" is too good to pass up. Ayoba. I stumbled upon the story again on one of my favorite websites, Africagoodnews.com . Seriously, follow them on Twitter @sagoodnews. Yes, it started as sagoodnews.co.za and now they ha...

South Africa's Nelson Mandela is one of the greatest statesmen to ever live. One of the highlights of the recent Mzansi Mundial, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, was when Nelson Mandela was ridden in a golf cart around Soccer City in Johannesburg, before the final. Nelson Mandela is 92 today. In this tribute, Lira and Soweto Spiritual Singers sing "(Something Inside) So Strong". "(Something Inside) So Strong" is one of Nelson Mandela's favorite songs. The song was written by British poet, songwriter and singer, Labi Siffre. It was a 1985 anti-apartheid anthem. Lira and the singers were performing at Sony’s 3D experience pavilion “3D world Created by Sony” at Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg, on 4th July two weeks ahead of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s birthday on July 18th. Watch the performances here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKrG60WobYc Lira performed a special happy birthday song for Nelson Mandela two years ago at the occasion of his 90t...