Lala, Lala, Mntanami
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Lala, Lala, Mntanami Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Xhosa cradle-song tradition of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, home to rolling green hills and the wild Indian Ocean coastline. Here you will find the lyrics, meaning, and chords.
Lyrics & chords
An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
Verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
What “Lala, Lala, Mntanami” Means
The Xhosa people of South Africa’s Eastern Cape are known for their rolling green hills, coastal traditions along the Wild Coast, and the isiXhosa language’s distinctive click consonants. “Lala” means “sleep” and “mntanami” means “my child” — words often heard in isiXhosa lullabies. This original song draws on the imagery of cattle, hills, and coastline central to Xhosa rural life.
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- An original lullaby by Relax In No Time, inspired by the musical traditions of its region. The words, melody, arrangement and recording are ours.
- Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
- Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
- Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.
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