Swahili and Swahili Poetry in Lubumbashi

The Language and Lyrics of Sando Marteau

Abstract

This article introduces the singer and poet from Lubumbashi known under the artistic name of Sando Marteau, and presents some of the poet’s lyrics. These texts serve as the basis for an exposition of the variety of Swahili spoken in Katanga, “Lubumbashi Swahili” or “Katanga/Shaba Swahili.” The article presents several songs with translations into English and lists the linguistic features they contain that are common in or even specific to “Lubumbashi Swahili.” Sando Marteau’s songs show the broad spectrum of the linguistic continuum of “Lubumbashi Swahili.” While many songs remain close to “Swahili bora,” a variety of Congolese Swahili close to the East African “Standard Swahili,” other songs freely employ “Lubumbashi Swahili.” This distinction reflects the artist’s conscious choice; indeed, he opts for “Lubumbashi Swahili” especially in songs expressive of local cultural contexts. A further interesting feature of Sando Marteau’s Swahili is his idiosyncratic disjunctive orthography, which differs from the standard orthographies found in East Africa and in the DRC. In terms of lexicon, Sando Marteau’s Swahili avoids the practice of code-switching that is otherwise exceedingly common in the Katanga region. A proper understanding of Sando Marteau’s language facilitates an appreciation of the beauty and power of his poetry.