Khadja Nin: "Sambolera mayi son" (1996)

Khadja Nin (born June 27, 1959) is a Burundian singer and musician. She was born in Burundi as the youngest of a family of eight. Her father was a diplomat. She studied music at an early age like most of her brothers and sisters. With her exceptional singing voice, at the age of 7 she became one of the lead vocalists in the Bujumbura choir and performed in the local cathedral.

Khadja left Burundi for Zaire in 1975 and got married in 1978. In 1980 she emigrated to Belgium with her two-year-old son. In 1985 she met musician Nicolas Fiszman, who helped her get a contract with BMG. Her second album, a 1994 release entitled Ya Pili, was critically acclaimed. Her breakthrough, however, came in 1996 with her widely popular album Sambolera, which was sung in Swahili, Kirundi, and French. In 1997 she performed the song Sailing in a duet with Montserrat Caballé on the album Friends For Life. Khadja Nin successfully used a blend between African rhythms and modern pop to create her own unique brand of music. One of her most popular songs is Sina Mali, Sina Deni, a translated cover version of Stevie Wonder's song Free.


- Lyrics:

Duniya ile Sambolera
Oh ! wanayijifondeya
Duniya yetu Sambolera
Mbona wazimu... mayi
Watu wa duniya Sambolera
Oh ! wanajisondeka
Siyo wa mungu Sambolera
Oh ! ni watu... mayi
Watu wabaya Sambolera
Oh ! hawana uluma
Wanasema ji sema Sambolera
Duniya ni yao... mayi


Mungu akipenda Sambolera
Oh ! watagukumbuka
Wakupe njiya Sambolera
Oh ! ujaribu
Mbele ya mungu Sambolera
Oh ! watajibu aje ?
Watasema ju ya au ya mungu
Wameuwa corazon


Oh ! guerre ya mungu gani ?
Oh ! guerre ya rangi gani ?
Oh ! guerre rangi ya damu
Rangi ya damu
Rangi ni moja


Damu ni mingi Sambolera
Oh ! wanatesa watu
Ju mutu umoja Sambolera
Oh ! akitaka... mayi
Ni vita... son
Waca waseme Sambolera
Oh ! mayisha yako mbele
Watasema waseme Sambolera
Alakini corazon
Usitubiye
Ngoyela... son
Mayele
Oh ! Oh ! Oh !
Iye ! Iye ! Iye !
Ule wazimu usi wuogope...son