Swahili Gospel Music: Prince of Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nTaz4ICLRk

This is a Swahili Gospel song by the singer Solomon Mukubwa.  The song title is Mfalme Wa Amani (Prince of Peace) from the album Mungu Mwenye Nguvu (God Beatification Power). 

http://www.google.com/search?q=solomon+mukubwa&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=enlcUZqbC4W29QSQgoG4Cg&sqi=2&ved=0CFYQsAQ&biw=1202&bih=812

You Tube appears to have disabled their embed feature so only the link is available.

Christian Music from the Democratic Republic of Congo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MC_bqk8t5E

Christian music from the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire). The song is Ujamaya bwa Yezu (Dance for the Lord).  The language is Swahili.

A Swahili Gospel Song: Mimi Yesu

"Mimi Yesu" is a Swahili song which translates in English as "I Am Jesus."

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Religious Place Names

Andaman Islands:  This name is believed to have been derived from the name of the monkey god, Handuman.

Amritsar, India: From the Sanskrit words “amrita saras,” meaning “lake of immortality.”

Munster, Germany:  From the Old High German word “munistri.”  This word was ultimately derived from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Montruex, Switzerland:  This name is also from from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Kilmanjaro, Tanzania:  The name of this volcano derives from the Swahili words “kilima” = “mountain” plus “njaro” = “god of cold.”

A Swahili Worship Song

Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe (There Is No God Like You)

Another version of the song.

http://www.jonathanhostetler.com/taste-swahili

Religious Place Names

Many place names have religious origins.  Here are a few of them.

Madras, India: from Arabic word “madrasa,” an Islamic religious school

Peshkopi, Albania: from the Greek word “episkope,”  “the eat of a bjshop”

Kilimanjaro (volcano), Tanzania: from the Swahili word “njaro,” meaning “god of gold.”

Omkareshwar, India: “om” is the Sanskrit word for the “holy sound.”

Saytan Sofrasi, Turkey:  This rock formation is named for Satan. 

Hello, Uganda!

Hello, Uganda!  Welcome to the group of readers from eighty-five other countries who also visit this blog.  I hope you find some of the posts useful or meaningful.

The “Translate This Page” gadget directly above the “Total Pageviews” Counter has the capability of translating the English text of this blog directly into Swahili.

Hello, Uganda! Karibu katika kundi la wasomaji kutoka nchi themanini na tanowengine ambao pia kutembelea blog hii. Natumaini kupata baadhi ya nafasi muhimu au maana.
"Translate Hii Kwanza" gadget moja kwa moja juu Counter "Jumla Pageviews" ina uwezo wa kutafsiri Nakala ya Kiingereza ya blog hii moja kwa moja katika lugha ya Kiswahili.

Themanini na sita Nchi: Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus,Ubelgiji, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Jamhuri ya Czech, Denmark, Ecuador, Misri, El Salvador,Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Ufaransa, Georgia, Ujerumani, Ugiriki, Hong Kong,Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait,Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Kimasedonia , Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldavia, Morocco, Uholanzi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia,Slovenia, Afrika Kusini, Korea ya Kusini , Hispania, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad na Tobago, Uturuki, Uganda, Ukraine, Falme za Kiarabu, Uingereza, Marekani, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Swahili Worship Song

Kwanzaa

The celebration of Kwanzaa begins today and runs through 1 January, 2011.  The holiday, which is cultural rather than religious,  is primarily observed in the United States; the name of the celebration comes from the Swahili phrase, matunda ya kwanzaa, which in English is translated as "first fruits of the harvest."

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulanga Ron Karenga (b. 1941), a college professor, political activist, and black nationalist.  He called it a "communitarian African philosophy" and stated that the festival was intended to  help African-Americans reconnect with their African heritage.

Each of the seven days of the festival features a different African value: Umoja (Unity); Kujichagulia (Self-determination); Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility; Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics; Nia (Purpose);  Kuumba (Creativity; and Imani (Faith).

The festival has no overt religious content though some celebrants combine it with their Christmas festivities.  Nothing about the festival seems to be directly incompatible with Christianity.  Some criticism of the festival is based on its collectivist impulses.