Pick of the Week - Grandparent's Day (Malawi/South Africa/Kenya)

Two songs touching on the theme of grandparents and a contemporary Kenyan musician and his musician grandfather.

I remember back in the days when I was a young boy

I would come home from school and find grandpa under the tree

And he would say 'welcome home, son. How was school today?

There is food on the table.

Grandma will be back soon.'

Lawi - "The Whistling Song"

Today's Pick of the Week of is a little different. It's the first time I've presented picks that have appeared here before.

It has to do with Grandparent's Day. Which is observed in various countries on different dates, many of which fall in September or October. This year, in the United States, Grandparent's Day is September 8.

So let's look at a couple Pick of the Week songs that have to do with grandparents. Starting with Yvonne Chaka Chaka, from South Africa. Whose Facebook page calls her an "internationally renowned singer and humanitarian." "Letter To Grandmama" came out later in her lengthy career, on her 2017 album, Keep Looking at Me. It does a lot with a little - just few quiet guitars, handclaps, a bit of percussion, and vocals. Click here to listen to two versions of the song.

Lawi hails from Malawi and his performing name means "custodian of wisdom" in the Ngoni language. His music has also turned up twice in the Pick of the Week feature - for good reason. The video is here on the page and a snip from the lyrics. Be sure to watch the video to get the full effect.

Last up, there's Joseph Kamaru and Joseph Kamaru. Which is not a typo. Joseph, the younger, is a Kenyan musician transplanted to Germany. He's found some renown these days for his music, which falls into the electronic/ambient category. His grandfather - Joseph - was a musician of some renown in and around Kenya. He passed in 2018. These days, in addition to making his own mussic, his grandson is working to preserve his musical legacy. More here.