I Am (Ndinonzi)

Lyrics: Vimbai Mango/Barney Whittaker Music: Barney Whittaker/Vimbai Mango Kwanga kune murume Zita rake Chaminuka Haigare paChitungwiza Kunyika yedu ye Zimbabawe

I am a first generation heartbeat I am the bridge between two worlds A heartbeat echoing through centuries Carrying whispers of the past With eyes on the horizon

I am the echo of my ancestors dreams A melody sung with threads of hope I am the voice of a thousand stories

I am the rhythm of the mbira In this cold train

I am the warmth of the mbira In this cold rain

I am the warmth of the African Sun I am the joy in my parents voices I am the pride in my father’s eyes But so many questions in my own I hear the silencing of the ancestors In the noises of these bustling streets I am sometimes the solitude on a crowded train In this beautiful duality Finding harmony in the inbetween Though a mission to bare With roots deep in the soil of our souls We have branches reaching to all the skies I am what I am