Hugh Masekela: Trumpet Lonely

smooth

silky sounds

shuffling and sliding

shape-shifting and slipping

snaking along the velvet air

this music raw and rare

tribute to a legend

the maestro, the one and the only

the Trumpet Lonely

Hugh Masekela

his spirit rebounding

his echo resounding:

bring back Nelson Mandela

back Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Mandela

…

and tonight

under the pulsing light

he’s poised like a cobra

swaying before striking

mesmerising

hypnotising

moving from the shadows

grooving in the echoes

as the music tip-toes

on and on and on it goes

before tripping and flipping

and beat-stripping into

foot tap-tap-tapping and

knee slap-slapping and

hand clapping

music in motion

momentum mounting

swirling eddies in a stream

stoked coals glowing

perspiration showing

steadily building up steam

like a locomotive

a-hissing and a-huffing

and a-plodding and a-puffing

and a chugging and a-chuffing

stimela! a-hamba!

shosholoza

shhhhhhh!

…

toot-tooooooooot!

go train go!

go slow, go steady

gather up steam, get ready

for the steep mountain climb

the syncopated time

the synchronised rhythm of rhyme

overlaid and understated

overplayed and underrated

the song talk

the long walk to freedom

we won’t forget

we’ll never regret

the way we won

the day the sun

came shining

the people lining

the suburbs and the streets

the colours and the beats

no we won’t forget

the day the sun

came shining

shining

the sun, the day

the way we came

together

as one

shining

 

 

Copyright 2007

 

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