Zangalewa Lyrics

Much has been written about the meaning of “Zangalewa.” Is it a tribute to African soldiers who served during World War II? Or is it a criticism of black military officers who served whites and helped to oppress their own people?

The lyrics, which are presented in full here for the first time, make it clear that in the end this is simply the lament of a soldier. He is probably young, perhaps far from home, and he is coming to terms with the rigors of army life. From the very first word - Zangalewa (“Who called you? Or, “Who brought you to the army?”) - you know that the recruit is wondering what he has gotten himself into.

A few of the lyrics are in Douala, a language of Cameroun, but most are in the Pidgin English spoken in Cameroun, Nigeria, and Ghana. In Cameroun today this broken English is mixed with French and patois. Other portions of the song are in French, with some idiomatic expressions thrown in. Some translations are provided in the text, but keep in mind that there is often no literal translation for some of the phrases.



Guy Dooh:
Zangalewa (4 times)
he he he he he

Edjibe Zangalewa — [Edjibe is a general-purpose exclamation]
Edjibe na war this — [Whoa this is hard (like a war)]
Edjibe na me fanam — [I'm the one who got myself into this]
Edjibe na army — [This army is doing hard things to me]
Edjibe djibe zangalewa

Chorus:
Edjibe djibe he edjibe djibe zangalewa
Edjibe djibe heee eh edjibe djibe zangalewa

Guy:
Edjibe zangalewa
Edibe man no run — [You don't have to give up]
Edibe money no deh — [With all this there is no money]
Edjibe na me fanam
Edjibe djibe zangalewa

Chorus:
Edjibe djibe he edjibe djibe zangalewa edjibe djibe heee edjibe djibe zangalewa

Guy:
Zangalewa (he) zanga zangalewa (eh) (etc.)

Emile Kojidie:
Edjibe zangalewa
Dibe na war dis
Dibe war don trong — [The training is hard]
Dibe man no run
Dibe na me fanam
Edjibe djibe zangalewa

Chorus:
Edibe djibe he edjibe djibe zangalewa
Edjibe djibe he he edjibe djibe zangalewa

Emile:
Edjibe zangalewa
Tchop tchop tchop make me fine — [Food (eating) makes me happy]
Tchop tchop tchop make me glad 
Hey i don taya — [I'm tired]
Hey na me fanam
Hey chief don come — [The chief just arrived (so no joking around)]
Edjibe edjibe zangalewa

Chorus:
Edjibe djibe he edjibe djibe zangalewa edjibe djibe he he edjibe djibe zangalewa

Emile:
Zangalewa zanga zangalewa (he) (etc.)

Chorus:
la la la la la la la la la la (3 times)

Guy:
A soldja (4 times)
Quand je pousse a gauche toi tu pousse a droite 
Quand je pousse a droite toi tu pousse a gauche
Moustache (toujours!)
Moustache (toujours!)

En avant marche un deux trois quatre (ewa wa wa wa wa ewa)
En avant marche un deux - un deux
En avant marche un deux trois - un deux trois
En avant arret tema tema tema tema tema tema tema he
En avant arret tema tema tema tema tema tema tema he  

Say hein say hein say hein say hein ventilateur
Moustache (toujours!)

No touch my gary oh ho ho — [Don’t touch my food]
[Gary is dry cassava that can be eaten with sugar and peanuts or milk]

You sabi say i day — [You know I’m hot, right?]
Small no be sick no — [Cream for pain (such as tiger balm)]

Jean-Paul Zé Bella:
Edjibe zangalewa (he) edjibe zangalewa (he)

(French)
Les commandos zangalewa (he)
Tous ensemble zangalewa (he)
Le meme esprit zangalewa (he)
Le meme but zangalewa (he)
Zanga mina Zangalewa

Chorus:
Edjibe djibe he edjibe djibe zangalewa
Edjibe djibe he he edjibe djibe zangalewa

Jean-Paul:
Edjibe zangalewa
Les commandoes zangalewa: 

[He names the members of the band, all of whom are fellow soldiers]

Andre Destin zangalewa,
Petit zangalewa,
Zé Bella zangalewa,
Si Bemol zangalewa,
Kojidie zangalewa,
Mpouli zangalewa,
A Belley zangalewa,
Mewondo zangalewa,
Jeannot zangalewa,
Ondobo zangalewa,
Clement zangalewa

Guy:
En avant marche
Sun sun sele tomba nikae sun sun ate — [in Douala]

Guy (“Big belley”):
He massa ngale (he ngale ewa)

[Massa ngale is a strict instructor who does not fool around]

Big belley ngale (he ngale ewa)
He massa ngale (he ngale ewa)
Big belley ngale (he ngale ewa)

Tu as deserter (ewa) — [You are a deserter]
On va te raser (ewa) — [We will shave you]
Et puis t’enfermer (ewa) — […and put you in prison]
Pas de pote pote (ewa) — […with no food! (pote pote = army food)]
Big belley ngale (he ngale ewa)
A massa ngale (he ngale ewa)
Big belley ngale (eh ngale ewa)
Dima dima dima dima (ewa)
Dima dima dada (ewa)  
Dima dima dima dima (ewa)
Dima dima dada (ewa)  

Avec ses begnets (ewa) begnets sucre (ewa)
Begnet haricot (ewa) begnets bouilli (ewa)
Begnets jazzer (ewa)
Tu ne vas pas jazzer (ewa)

[In the morning people eat flour corn mixed with hot water and sugar along with donuts. Beans are known as “jazz” in Cameroon, so “begnet jazzer” is donuts with beans. But sometimes the mamy dadas (women who sell food around the barracks) stretch out the beans with flour to make more money.]

Big belley ngalle (he ngale ewa) 
A massa ngale (he ngale ewa)
(etc.)

Dima dima dima dima (ewa)
Dima dima dada (ewa)  
Dima dima dima dima (ewa)
Dima dima dada (ewa)

Avec ses begnets (ewa) 
Begnet toumba (ewa) — [flour of cassava]
Avec ses begnets (ewa)
Begnet kwem oh oh (ewa) — [donut mixed with cassava leaf]
Avec ses begnets (ewa)
Begnet toumba (ewa)
Massa ngale (he ngale ewa)
Tsaba tsaba tsaba tsaba...

Mewondo Mathurin / Jean-Paul Zé Bella:
Zamina mina hen hen waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

[Mewondo sang these lines on the original recording. He was not present for the recording of the video, so his lines were “covered” by Jean-Paul on it. Mewondo Mathurin passed away many years ago.]

Chorus: 
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

Mewondo / Jean-Paul:
Zamina mina hen hen waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

Chorus:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

Mewondo / Jean-Paul:
Django he he django he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha
             
Chorus:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha 

Meweondo / Jean-Paul:
Django he he django he he zanmina mina zangalew a na wam ha ha

Chorus:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha 
(etc.)

Guy:
Welw welw... a sango doo wa sega so he — [Dooh daddy, do you understand? (in Douala)]

Emile:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam dada

Chorus:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

Emile:
Zamina mina ho ho zamina mina he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam dada

Chorus:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

Emile:
Django ho ho django ho ho zamina mina zangalewa 
Django ho ho django ho ho zamina mina zangalewa

Chorus:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

Emile:
Django ho ho django ho ho zamina mina zangalewa ho ho

Chorus:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he...

Emile:
Ipiiipipipi!

Chorus:
...zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha

Emile:
Django ho ho django ho ho zamina mina zangalewa a na wam dada

Mewondo / Jean-Paul:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa...

Emile:
Ha ha ha, tout le monde!

Ensemble:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha
(etc.)

Mewondo / Jean-Paul:
Classement c’est comment ont se retrouve a soum soum

[Soldiers who enlist together refer to one another as “classe.” So this means, roughly, “Class, how are you doing? We will meet in the market place of the barracks (soum soum).”]

Moral! 

[During grueling training an officer might shout “Moral!” at a slacking recruit. The soldier must respond “Haut!” This doubles as a check of the recruit’s mental fitness.]

Ensemble:
Zamina mina he he waka waka he he zamina mina zangalewa a na wam ha ha
(etc.)