Oxamu - Click Song 2 (Miriam Makeba)

This song is a rhyme of "nonsense words" with no meaning. Kids in South Africa sing it to practise the various clicking sounds of the Xhosa language. I belive it's the letters "q" and "x" that represent the clicks.

Because the name of the song is so hard to pronounce, people just call it the "Click Song No. 2".

This is by far my most favorite video of Miriam! Just look how beautiful she is and listen to her amazing voice!

Oxamu - Clicks Song 2 Lyrics

baxabene oxamu
bexabene ngengxongxo
bexakwe yinxu baxaka

qyike legqithigqele
laqinge igqele, laqinge qhude ni
beliqhatha baba bgeqotho leqhude

Comments for Oxamu - Click Song 2 (Miriam Makeba)

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Jul 14, 2015
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Interesting
by: James Hoffer

Nice blog, thanks for sharing the information. I will come to look for update. Keep up the good work.

Jan 14, 2012
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re: meaning
by: Anonymous

It's funny that you say that it means dungbeetle, because in Xhosa dungbeetle is "qongqothwane" and that's the title of the song you are talking about. I am not sure what this song means, but it isnt about the dungbeetle.

Aug 25, 2011
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meaning
by: Anonymous

Iguanas??? No way!
"The dungbeetle is the doctor (and diviner) of the road
It passeby by here - the dung beetle"

In other words the guy who cleans up the shit has the message...
a brilliant Xhosa version of a 'haiku' type poem

it dobles as a 'nursery rhyme' type of song for kids to learn their clicks
hope this sheds some light

Aug 25, 2011
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Sep 28, 2010
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Thanks for the lyrics!!
by: Anonymous

I absolutely love this song and am so happy to see the lyrics!
I love to see this pereformed on the Live at Bern's dvd, and th studio recording is nice also.
The Live at Lincoln Center version is odd...she sounds a bit choked or nervous at times-it doesn't flow as well as te other performances. But I always love her anyway!
RIP Mama Africa!

Jan 13, 2010
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Fantastic
by: Patrik

M.M. makes a presentation of the song here:
http://open.spotify.com/track/0oq40gJsRFViKrUaRiC0n4

Thank you.

Jan 02, 2010
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lyrics
by: Tudor

actually the words do mean something :D it's about iguanas quarelling or sth like that :)

Nov 03, 2009
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Amazing video!
by: African Music Safari

What a wonderful video, thanks Vanessa! It reminds me of something:

In her biography, Miriam mentions how shy she was as a young woman. That's hard to imagine when you see her shine on stage. But did you notice her shy look in the video as soon as the song is over? Too cute!

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