Comments on: Fua Fua

By: Ocho

Ocho — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:10:14 +0000

“Fua Fua Yilal doju” was sang 61 years ago.We the baby boomers sang it too. Anything else is a much later adaptation.

By: Pengar

Pengar — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:06:22 +0000

Hello. Great text and a awesome blog

By: Injera-bewot

Injera-bewot — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:49:28 +0000

Yonas I think the original son is “gash Jenbere” by Menilik Wesnachew… I’m not too sure though…
However, what great Job by Nolawi.. many thanks

By: Russell Blatteau

Russell Blatteau — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:13:26 +0000

You all make a wonderful argument against leaving a comment, but it is so funny because everyone has a reason for not leaving a comment,

By: QoQisha

QoQisha — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:20:52 +0000

Ethio Jazz wrote:

soj–definitely not Menelik as it’s a woman who sang it first.

Ej,

Not sure if Menelik was the original, but he sang this song decades before Netsanet M. did. The lyrics of course were different in that the subject of his song was a female.

By: Tsega Igwebe

Tsega Igwebe — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:52:51 +0000

I love this song… it brought back a flood of memories… Thanks Nolawi.

By: nolawi

nolawi — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:22:01 +0000

TG, I will see what I can do about getting you the songs. Am glad you found us too!

By: Tigist

Tigist — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:12:21 +0000

So very happy to I have found this site!!! Could someone put up Habtemichael Demisse’s music? If I am not mistaken, he sang many songs from Me’egar and traditional wedding songs ( there was a cassate where his songs were on one side and another female singer’s was on the other side-have no idea what her name is). Almost every weedding in the late 60′s E.C played this tape.

Please help!!! this man had a great voice, was very traditional…deep voice which can not be fortotten.

Ethios; PLEASE help; when I was was 5 or 6, he sang ” Happy Birthday” to the late Ababa Jan’yohe…Tweled Hamele 16… most likelk his 82nd” this is the way I remember that HIM Haile Selassie was born on Hamele 16.

By: mamitu

mamitu — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:47:59 +0000

used to love this song…memories! i was listening to “min allu” the other day..is that new or old?

By: MindWithOutC

MindWithOutC — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:12:48 +0000

[quote comment="32648"]just to make sure, what I hear her saying is:
which brings us back to the Q: what was hot about chauffeurs at the time?[/quote]”

ShalomShalom:
time has Neither then nor now changed the perception of us humans about possession. it is part of us, humans.

it is the man with his Dodge not the man with that particular profession that she was attracted to.

If you study, observe us humans, material govern us, since the world is wheeled by it.

What is a profession w/o the Buck$$!? $$$ brings convenience, and allow us a life-style that we crave and choose.

So, the singer was reflecting just that. Obviously, Alive-man-walking can’t fulfill that feeling that she craves for unless she were to be in that fua-fua Dodge, understandably, if that is what she shoots for.

So, I say it is the car. the chaeffuer can be a pilot or a doctor, or a lawyer by profession owning/driving a Dodge. I doubt if she cares what he does, But, behind the wheel he is the Chaueffeur with the dodge, and that is what matters.

Besides, having a man with a car in that part of world, has also other benefits:
-joining the Halves-class, good for ego, image, pride
-Avoiding/inviting intruder eyes, ears, and tongues at the same time.

so, she has echoed everything in one bag.

-For now.

By: Mengedegna

Mengedegna — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:06:26 +0000

Nice song! Thanx for sharin it, Nol. It’s funny how i never appreciated some songs until much later, and this particular song used to put me to sleep, when i was very little lol…but i’ve come to love it now.
I find the lyrics kinda funny tho.

By: ShalomShalom

ShalomShalom — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 22:23:28 +0000

just to make sure, what I hear her saying is:

yilal dodgu, fua fua yilal dodgu
des yemileGN chauffeur, melke melkam liju
ines ihitoo neGN, yiblaGN lewedajoo
fua fua yilal dodgu

and then:

lik indemekina, iyashkerekere
chauffeur new yenen fkr, liben yabererew

and at some point:

bete kemenged lay, k’awra godanaw
betooroomba Terteh, ney bitleGN minew
benay altejemerem, sewn sew mewded
fua fua bileh TiraGN, limTa kemenged

So, she can hear the fua fua sound of his car before she gets out of her place, no? Therefore, I am assuming it is not just not the look of the dodge. The dodge SAYS fua fua while the arenciata saith shua shua.

which brings us back to the Q: what was hot about chauffeurs at the time?

By: Bed_ford

Bed_ford — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 21:02:39 +0000

I thought she is singing about the Dodge owner; who could be using a chauffeur to go around. Fua Fua; the look of the car after waxed and buffed; like Fua yaLe; it shines and reflects like a mirror.

By: MolahsMolash

MolahsMolash — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:23:39 +0000

Nol I don’t think U understood what Shalom try to say in her post. I don’t see complainingin it. Anway… good choice of music. Keep up what you doing.

AdnaQi

By: ShalomShalom

ShalomShalom — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:47:10 +0000

eeeasy Nolawi P!!! no one complained. i only asked.

and there are no fua fua shoe shining skills. Shoe shining MAY sound like shua shua, may be. but not a fua fua.

Dinich, again if she claims to be his “good friend” then wy dream of not-so-good-friendly things?

Side point: Netsanet and Kuku (with her beaded hair) used to be the hot brats of the music industry then. MolQeQ yaloo but dess yemilooo. Their sound is classic for the time.

By: Nolawi

Nolawi — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:20:37 +0000

I don't think it matters what he does… he could be a listro and she would sing about his fua fua shoe shining skills.. my god I can't believe you are complaining about her singing about a chauffeur!

By: dinich

dinich — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:24:19 +0000

[quote comment="32425"] if netsanet is saying,

ines ihtoo neGN, yiblaGN lewedajoo

then why is she dreaming of dating him and him buying her cheeekola ta, wearing souf kapor ta? and is the dude a chauffeur? If so, why a chauffeur, of all professions?[/quote] Shalomshalom, Haha!!!! First of all if memory serves right she says "enaes alawkewm yiblagn lewedadju" on the original one. Besides in this version, ehit can be translated as a good friend and as you know from all these other discussions we had "platonic friendship" of the opposite sexes is always questionable. Yes, the dude may be chauffeur, but in those days (40-50-60 years ago) being a chauffeur meant a lot.

By: Oldies but Goddies III ::BERNOS.ORG :: Ethiopian T-Shirts

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By: Maven

Maven — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:04:23 +0000

I thought fua fua is the sound of the drink( fizz) that makes when u open it up like when you open any soda drink due to carbonate.

By: ShalomShalom

ShalomShalom — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:21:52 +0000

now the million dollar question is: if netsanet is saying,

ines ihtoo neGN, yiblaGN lewedajoo

then why is she dreaming of dating him and him buying her cheeekola ta, wearing souf kapor ta? and is the dude a chauffeur? If so, why a chauffeur, of all professions?

By: meron

meron — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:04:17 +0000

i have never heard this song…but it was really nice to disect and try to figure out the meaning. i love any ET songs period. they create this feeling inside me… a sadness yet happiness all at the same time.

By: yonas

yonas — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:50:04 +0000

thanks ej!

By: Ethio Jazz

Ethio Jazz — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 21:41:25 +0000

Sorry Yonas–Original recording–could be live recording-est. late 50′s early 60′s.

The original Netsanet Melesse recording around 1985 plus or minus 1 year.

By: yonas

yonas — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 21:03:38 +0000

nol, thanks. itunes rocks

EJ! Ere bakeh … enlighten us … estimates on when the original recording was made?

By: Ethio Jazz

Ethio Jazz — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:21:27 +0000

soj–definitely not Menelik as it’s a woman who sang it first.