Kwanzaa Music

The seven days long Kwanzaa holiday is not just about making of Kwanzaa gifts, lighting of the seven colored candles on the Kinara, drinking and pouring out libation from the unity cup/Kikombe Cha Umoja or placing of the Mkeka/special mathttp://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/symbols.shtml. It also involves the singing and playing of Kwanzaa music during the seven-day holiday, especially on the Kwanzaa feast. Singing or playing of Kwanzaa music is a way to commemorate and celebrate the Kwanzaa holiday. The Kwanzaa music covers everything from the educational and informative lyrics on the history and origin of Kwanzaa holiday to the sing-along lines in African languages. There are lots of sing-along Kwanzaa music for both children and adults

Kwanzaa music was originally composed by African artists, but over the years many musicians have either remixed the original songs or composed fresh lyrics from their own understanding of the essence of the Kwanzaa holiday. When you listen to most Kwanzaa songs, you would surely hear the sounds of African instruments like the musical bows, talking drums, rattles and the slit gongshttp://www.ehow.com/how_2061712_pick-music-kwanzaa.html. Modern artists now substitute the use of these African instruments for the electric piano which has some programmed beats that sounds just like the African instruments. Other modern instruments used are the fiddles and the flute.

Kwanzaa Theme Song by Okera Ras I.

• This is a message for everybody
• You, your bredren, your sistren and your family
• The word Kwanzaa means First Fruits in Kiswahili
• It’s a special time for you and for me
• It’s from December 26th to the first of January
• But we have to live it out daily-lee-lee-lee (Everyday)
• A time to reaffirm our values and our identity
• And fight the negative results of slavery...

Excerpt from Kwanzaa Theme Song by Okera Ras I.http://www.kwanzaamedia.com/lyrics/kwanzaa_kwest_lyrics.pdf

Celebrating Kwanzaa by Marla Lewis

• From our roots deep in Africa
• Springs the greatness of who we are
• Habari gani – now what’s the news?
• There’s a celebration!
• Seven Principles, seven days...
  

Umoja by Koran Carlos

• Umoja, it’s the Umoja
• Come on let me tell you ‘bout the Umoja-wa-wa
• Umoja, it’s the Umoja
• Come on let me tell you ‘bout the Umoja.
• To strive for and maintain peace in the family,
• community, nation and race
• We need to place, Umoja
• or should I say Unity my sister (brother)
• without Unity how could our people be free? It couldn’t happen...

Excerpt from Umoja by Koran Carloshttp://www.kwanzaamedia.com/lyrics/umoja_lyrics.pdf