Malaika
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Malaika is also a spider genus (Phyxelididae) found in South Africa.
- Malaika is also the name of a best selling music group in South Africa.
Malaika, which means "angel" in Swahili, was a song first recorded by Kenyan musician Fadhili William and his band Jambo Boys in 1960. Authorship of the song is often attributed to Fadhili William, but that is somewhat disputed.
It was later re-recorded at Equator Sound Studios by the British-born Kenyan music promoter Charles Worrod, who marketed the ballad to eventually becoming an internationally acclaimed song. The song went on to be popularised by international artists such as Helmut Lottie, Hep Stars, Rocco Granata, Miriam Makeba, Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, Boney M and Angélique Kidjo.
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[edit] Malaika (Boney M. version)
| “Malaika / Consuela Biaz” | |||||
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.jpg/200px-Boney_M._-_Malaika_(1981).jpg) |
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| Single by Boney M. from the album Boonoonoonoos |
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| Released | June 1981 | ||||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | ||||
| Recorded | 1981 | ||||
| Genre | Pop, Disco | ||||
| Label |  Hansa Records |
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| Producer | Frank Farian | ||||
| Boney M. singles chronology | |||||
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"Malaika" / "Consuela Biaz" is a double A-side single by German band Boney M. and the first single taken from their fifth album Boonoonoonoos (1981). It peaked at #13 in the German charts, their lowest placing so far after their commercial breakthrough. Boney M. would use the double A-side format in this period, typically with the A1 being the song intended for radio and A2 being more squarely aimed at discos. "Consuela Biaz" was first promoted as the A-side in Germany where the group performed it in pop show Musikladen. After a promotional visit to Spain where the group found "Malaika" had become a Top 10 hit, the title was remixed and then promoted as the A-side. It was the second Boney M. single not to be released in the UK, neither did Atlantic (Japan).
[edit] Malaika
The original German and Spanish 4:30 single mix featured no percussion ad-libs and most notably, after the second verse it has a key-change to a drum / handclaps / acapella chant before the song quickly fades. When producer Frank Farian remixed the song for the 12" single and a new 7" edit, he added more percussion and synth and deleted this key-change part and replaced with an outro with himself singing "Wimoweh, wimoweh" (deliberately borrowed from another African tune The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
Lead Vocal: Liz Mitchell. Backing Vocals: Liz Mitchell, Marcia Barrett, Frank Farian, La Mama (Cathy Bartney, Patricia Shockley, Madeleine Davis).
[edit] Consuela Biaz
A ballad story of a fictional character. A slightly different mix appeared on the original pressings, most notably including the line Tell me, is our dream about to end, sung by Frank Farian just before the second verse. The full remixed second version (5:20) appeared only on the Hungarian 7" single and the French 12" single until it was finally issued on The Collection in 2008. A 4:57 edit appeared on most single versions.
Lead Vocal: Liz Mitchell. Backing Vocals: Liz Mitchell, Marcia Barrett, Frank Farian.
[edit] Releases
7" Single
- "Malaika" (Original single mix) - 4:30 / "Consuela Biaz" (Early version) - 5:05 (Hansa 103 350-100, Germany)
- "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 103 350-100, Germany)
- "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Unedited single remix) - 5:20 (Pepita SPSK 70518, Hungary)
12" Single
- "Malaika" (Long Version) - 5:42 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 600 400-213, Germany)
| “Malaika (Lambada Remix)” | |||||
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_(1989_Single).jpg/200px-Boney_M._-_Malaika_(Lambada_Remix)_(1989_Single).jpg) |
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| Single by Boney M. from the album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II |
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| Released | October, 1989 | ||||
| Format | 7" single, 12" single, CD-single | ||||
| Genre | Pop, Disco | ||||
| Label | Hansa Records (FRG) |
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| Producer | Frank Farian | ||||
| Boney M. singles chronology | |||||
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[edit] 1989 Remix
"Malaika (Lambada Remix)" is a 1989 single by German band Boney M., the only single taken from their remix album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II. Although sampling bits of the original 1981 recording, it was more a re-recording than a remix since lead singer Liz Mitchell recorded new vocals for it, being the only member present on this recording since the other three original members Marcia Barrett, Bobby Farrell, Maizie Williams who had teamed up with singer Madeleine Davis had been fired by Farian.
Germany
7"
- "Malaika" (Lambada Remix) - 2:59 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:35 (Hansa 112 809-100, 1989)
12"
- "Malaika (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809-213, 1989)
CD
- "Malaika (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809-213, 1989)
