I've found msyelf listening to many songs and then wondering what they meant either because I don't understand the dialect being used or the idioms/figures used within the speech. So in order to help myself and everyone else, I decided to make a thread where we can post songs/music (in a Nigerian language) and ask for interpretations.

Okay, "Owu sa gi" song. What does that expression mean and where does it come from?

ChinenyeN: Okay, "Owu sa gi" song. What does that expression mean and where does it come from?

I was also hearing that phrase for the first time. I think it means "If poverty catch you".

ChinenyeN: Okay, "Owu sa gi" song. What does that expression mean and where does it come from?

Hmmm...
Let me listen to the song and get back to you.

I just listened to it and I think it's along the lines of what Afam said since the guy said "O wu sa gi, i ga amara ife".

I Here's one that I need help comprehending. If you could skip to 3:35 of this album and listen to "Feriserima". Amazingly, I understand none of the words in it. I think it's because they aren't signing clearly.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikzPf8gI6qg

I thought I was the only one who was unfamiliar with that expression. Any idea where it comes from though?

ChinenyeN: I thought I was the only one who was unfamiliar with that expression. Any idea where it comes from though?

I want to believe it originates from Ika, where the artist(WIZBOY) hails from.

afam4eva: I want to believe it originates from Ika, where the artist(WIZBOY) hails from.

Oh. I see. Thank you.

odumchi: I think it's because they aren't signing clearly.

haha I know exactly what you mean. As for "feriserima", I have no idea.

ChinenyeN:
Oh. I see. Thank you.


haha I know exactly what you mean. As for "feriserima", I have no idea.

Lol , thanks.

Owu sa gi------When you are too broke. It is a slang in used mostly in the south east towns. Origin is Abiriba.

odumchi: I Here's one that I need help comprehending. If you could skip to 3:35 of this album and listen to "Feriserima". Amazingly, I understand none of the words in it. I think it's because they aren't signing clearly.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikzPf8gI6qg

This arist is very familiar with Ghana and Ghanian artists. Even one of his songs-Eddie Quasah was about a Ghanian.Probably, that song is from one of the Akan groups in Ghana. Peacocks speaks many dialects and I can remember he sang in Ikwerre dialect in one of his songs.

Owu isa mmadu is a very popular slang, well in my hood, I'm surprised to know that its "strange" to some of us.
I don't know about its origin but its a very very common slang in onitsha axis.
Owu na apam or owu na asam =im broke.
In the context which its used now ie the song, the singer is trying to say that "one gets financially wiser after courting poverty or difficult days"
Lol

Andre Uweh:
This arist is very familiar with Ghana and Ghanian artists. Even one of his songs-Eddie Quasah was about a Ghanian.Probably, that song is from one of the Akan groups in Ghana. Peacocks speaks many dialects and I can remember he sang in Ikwerre dialect in one of his songs.

ooh. Is that so...

No wonder. I was beginning to wonder why I didn't understand anything. Thanks a lot, Andre.

Kai, Igbo language don leave some people behind oo!
Owu is a very common word in Igboland. It's either "owu" or "owu ite" (poverty).

Owu sa gi ... = If you suffer poverty ...

Obiagu1: Kai, Igbo language don leave some people behind oo!
Owu is a very common word in Igboland. It's either "owu" or "owu ite" (poverty).

Owu sa gi ... = If you suffer poverty ...

Alright, so then what about it's origins? I've heard Ika from Afam and Abiriba from Andre, and maybe (due to its very common/popular usage in the area) Onitsha.

I've never once heard that expression until I heard that song at a wake keeping.

ChinenyeN:
Alright, so then what about it's origins? I've heard Ika from Afam and Abiriba from Andre, and maybe (due to its very common/popular usage in the area) Onitsha.

I don't know the origin but I know the word when I was still a kid in Enugu.

This isn't anybody's fault. Rather, it's a perfect example of the dialectal variation in the Igbo language. In my own dialect, poverty is 'mgbei' and we don't have anything like 'owu'.

Prior to you guys' explanations, I knew that that saying (owu as gi, i ga amalu ife) had something to do with hardship/poverty but I didn't exactly know what 'owu' meant.

odumchi: This isn't anybody's fault. Rather, it's a perfect example of the dialectal difference in Igbo. In my own dialect poverty is 'mgbei' and we don't have anything like 'owu'.

Prior to you guys' explanations, I knew that that saying (owu as gi, i ga amalu ife) had something to do with hardship/poverty but I didn't exactly know what 'owu' meant.

I really doubt "owu ite" is anyone's dialect as far as I know, it's just a word that evolved.

Obiagu1:

I really doubt "owu ite" is anyone's dialect as far as I know, it's just a word that evolved.

Oh okay.

Anyway, here's another song I need help interpreting. The song is in Owere and the particular verses that I need help interpreting are: "shim ma shimalama o rii ihe m mere gi o, onye ripkoma chi ya adomara ya" (0:50) and "awa shiri umunna, a na shima onye ebebe emele m o, kajia achukwala nwa nihi na ofo eji egbu egbu ka e ji egbu nma mana m merenini na egbu ofo" (0:25 to 0:40).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBHs9KkEe2U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Lol, I know this one will be very difficult.

I'm preparing and having ofe owerri tonight so i'll translate this tomorrow. . . With enough owerri-ness flowing through my obara and akwara.

ifyalways: I'm preparing and having ofe owerri tonight so i'll translate this tomorrow. . . With enough owerri-ness flowing through my obara and akwara.

Lol. Take your time.

Feriserima is of Kalabari language. The song is about Owu Miri, Mamiwata worshiping, which is/was ubiquitous in Kalabari culture

ChinenyeN:
Oh. I see. Thank you.


haha I know exactly what you mean. As for "feriserima", I have no idea.