Bwatue [SEP] record label
by A&M Records. The B-side of the single, "Niko Mchumba Ngombe", also by Ochs, Dijiba, and Bukasa, was written in Swahili. Both songs were recorded by Ochs with the Pan-African Ngembo Rumba Band. The record was a commercial failure.
"Bwatue" and "Niko Mchumba Ngombe" have been described as early examples of blending Western popular music with world music, and critics note that they predate Paul Simon's "Graceland" by more than ten years. Still, one
Bwatue
"Bwatue" is a song by Phil Ochs, a U.S. singer-songwriter best known for the protest songs he wrote in the 1960s. He co-wrote the song with two African musicians named Dijiba and Bukasa. "Bwatue" was written and recorded in 1973.
"Bwatue" was written while Ochs was visiting Kenya. Its lyrics are in Lingala. The title means "canoe"; the lyrics develop the river as a metaphor for life. "Bwatue" was released as a single in Africa