I've searched the internet for some time but surprisingly I couldn't find its lyrics. It's an old Kadazan song so maybe it's not popular. So, I turned to my sister back in Sabah for help. In about a week's time, she emailed the lyrics which she got from a lyrics book back home. I printed a copy and my son happily started singing:) It was so funny hearing him sing in his mother tongue, though he only understands a few words. I became his translator of course.
This song reminds me of my mom (well, any Kadazan songs reminds me of her), she was a fan of the local Sabah radio and she would listen to all those Kadazan songs every evening without fail. My mom recorded a song too when she was young (it could be sometime in the 50's or 60's), but I think we lost the tape:( I still know the tune though.
So all you Sabahans out there, let's search for our kalabau, shall we:D
MOGIUM KALABAU
Sung by: Justin Stimol
Lyrics: Benjamin Matanjing
Lyrics: Benjamin Matanjing
Tu au ku okitoKalabau ku nombo konoPoingusuk koh nangku
Duhia miidu-idu
Id timbang do nontoukon
Tu ogumu himbukon
Iho kalabau ku
Hapikan ku do gumi
Koosi zou do pui
Angatan ku muhi
Osodop noh iho tadau
Abau kanoh muhi
Tikid tadau ovizau
Pokogoson toh abau
Id puun biabas
Ha ha...I remember this song...but I didn't know the lyrics, so I'd just sing repetitively like this, "Nombo noh dih kalabau ku, Hiti tadau mansau"...he he he...
ReplyDeleteI like Justin Stimol's song! My parents would turn on the Kadazan radio every evening, and this song would be played frequently by the DJ.
ReplyDeleteBest lah! Hahaha!
PS: I can only sing the first rangkap saja tu. LOL
Ooooh I can't understand the lyrics at all, where's the translator? ;)
ReplyDeleteCrystal - Yeah, everyone seems to remember the first verse only:)
ReplyDeleteNow you know the whole thing, get singing girl and surprise your hubby! LOL
Cindy - I didn't really like this song when I was young, you know la preferred to listen to English and Malay songs back then...
ReplyDeleteBut now that I'm oredi tua, I feel melancholic whenever I hear Kadazan songs:(
Marzie - Ooops! Sori:)
ReplyDeleteBasically, it's about a guy looking for his wandering buffalo, so he went looking for it. Eventually he found him tengah berkubang!
He wanted to ride his buffalo home but he needed to cover its back or else he'd get itchy skin...
The buffalo is fat cos its well fed. He tied it under the guava tree so that it won't go wandering again:)
That's the rough translation for you Marzie:D
Nessa - sounds like it's a popular song huh? :) I'm sure it's gonna sound great even though I have no inkling to what it means :)
ReplyDeleteOh Justin Stimol! Haha! you remember our sis R used to tease me with Justin Stimol! i get so mad and cried. LOL
ReplyDeleteMD - It was popular back then... in the 70's or 80's perhaps:)
ReplyDeleteYou can check out the simple translation for Marzie above.
Ann - She did? Urmmm, let me think... it was the hairstyle kan? Cute what:D Hehehe
ReplyDeleteI know the song!oldies song for the veteran..hehe..nice song..
ReplyDeleteMarmalade - Ya, it popularized the buffaloes... hehehe. I love oldies songs too, but they make me feel sad:(
ReplyDeleteLove this song. Me and Cindy will 'endure' this song once a while back home but it's all cool!
ReplyDeleteKay Stanford Jr Kastum ~ What a name :) Hi! Welcome to my humble blog, Cindy's bro!
ReplyDeleteYeah, these oldies songs never fail to bring out the Sabahan in me every time I hear it. Brings back memories, guaranteed :)
Dear Nessa and friends,
ReplyDeletePerhaps some correction.
This song was recorded and popularised at RTM Kadazan Section by Benjamin Matanjing who has long retired from LLS (now SESB).
He may still sing this song during Harvest Festival as Karabau is linked with padi planting.
The lyrics was co-written by the famed Justin Stimol as these two guys were friends and lived around Penampang.
Once a while around Kaamatan Festival, this song may get aired again in the Kadazan section radio.
I know both these guys very well, played kampung music with Justin himself, even wrote a brief of his autobiography.
ROS- Penampang (a writer and forummer at Daily Express)
Hi Ros! Thanks for the update :)
ReplyDeleteI actually got the info (lyrics & singer) from a Kadazan song book published sometime in the 90's.
I don't get to listen to Kadazandusun songs now as I can't tune to the channel here in KL but if I happen to think of a song, this song never fails to bring memories of my childhood esp. my late mom. She was a great fan of the Kadazan section radio.
Of course, some songbooks have a little inaccuracy. Thats common with our local publications.
ReplyDeleteAnyway Nessa, are you living permanent in KL or one day return to your roots in Penampang?
I live just a km from Donggongon in an old kg house but spent most of my time surfing the net at wifi centres.
That night i stumbled across your 2007 blog, i was just practising google search and was surprise to find lots of links on the famed singer, considering he dont even know how to use a PC. But his kids are IT savy. Still I was surprise all the info about him was inserted into cyberspace by others, not his family members.
ROS
ROS ~ Yeah, true. They should be more accurate next time. I mean I wouldn't want to be sued for giving out false info.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently working in KL with my family but I do return home once a year. Perhaps when I'm old and grey, I'd return and spend my remaining lives on my tanah, tempat tumpah darah ku... so to speak :)
I'm glad you stumbled across my blog, that was quite a long time ago ya.
I think Mr Justin Stimol should have his own website. After all he's sort of like an icon for Sabah. I know he has other songs but the Karabau song pops up whenever I hear his name or reminded of old Kadazan songs.
Thanks again for dropping by, do leave your comments on other topics in my blog if you like :)
Kotohuadan!
Ok, but I just dont know what to say about other topics.
ReplyDeleteI will suggest to Justin's kid to open a blogsite for him. The man is getting weak these days, so cant expect him to learn how to use a pc.
I planned to compiled all his lyrics but sadly he told me all his manuscripts were lost in the biggest Hilda flood, and he cant remember his own lyrics esp when he had written nearly 100 song lyrics.
THe last one he wrote was for me and still in my song album, all about eating at Donggongon. We never get to record it due to us old geezers without resources, but only performed it at family weddings. And i dont have a voice either so the song may just be forgotten.
Bah, kosoomo id penampang tiinu kio.
ROS
ROS ~ I'm sad to hear of his condition. But we all get old ya... even my dad is weak these days. Lucky I have 3 sisters back home looking after him :)
ReplyDeleteThat is very unfortunate, to lose all those valuable lyrics. It's too bad you didn't get to record your song, it would be such a loss if it's just forgotten.
Perhaps the newer Kadus singers would like to sing and record it?