I find nothing more sexy than a man who can sing in a foreign tongue, there is just something so cool about it. My favorite gospel singer from Ghana is Soni Badu, I like him because he sings in Shona quite a lot, so on a spiritual level he connects with me.
So I always found it rather sad that my very own Boaz who is a singer and sings in 7 foreign tongues, had never even attempted to sing a single song in shona, my birth tongue. I almost asked him once. I so wanted him to sing me one of my favorite shona songs. He has that voice that makes one emotional and weak in the knees, literally.
But I didn’t want to ask him coz I thought if I ask he would do it out of duty and it wouldn’t be as romantic and sentimental or from the heart. So because I couldn’t see it ever happening, it then became my ultimate fantasy.
When I was cooking I would just be imagining Boaz singing me a beautiful shona song in that sexy voice, whilst I will be walking down some sort of romantic path with flowers, kinda like the Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade scene, but for her it wasn’t even that good because it was John Legend singing not her own Boaz. In my fantasy, no one could sing for me except my own Boaz. When I was jogging I would literally hear him singing me a sweet shona melody. Something deep and emotional.
So a few days ago, something totally awesome happened. I think I have a man who can read my deepest fantasies, because he made my fantasy into a reality.
When I was at home doing my thing, he sent me a voice note, and to my surprise, he had sang me my favorite shona song of all time, the classic Neria by Oliver Mtukudzi.
No offense to the legend Oliver Mtukudzi, but my Boaz’s version of Neria was more intimate, more sexy and more sentimental.
It moved me to tears, because Neria is my song. I have always taken ownership of that song. I see myself in the character Neria. I was oppressed and abused by the culture of Zimbabwe. In my own way I chose to stand up for my rights as a woman. So Neria resonates a lot with me.
Years ago I once told someone how I was being ill-treated by my now ex-in-laws, and they responded by telling me that I was like Neria, I had to stand up and fight for my rights.
So over the years, when I was going through abuse under the hands of the family I was married to, I used to play Neria to encourage myself. There were some moments I would listen to the song and just get all emotional and sad.
So when Boaz sang me the song in that deep, but sexy and reassuring voice, I melted. God was reminding me that my tears where never in vain and they had finally been dried.
As the song says, ‘don’t lose heart Neria, the lord is with you. Women are treated as outcasts and orphans. But you have to be strong.’
So Boaz told me that he was going to record the song and dedicate it to me. Because I am Neria to him. He said I am a girl child abused by her culture, but I rose up and overcame.
When he came home he sang Neria to me.
Listening to my Boaz singing Neria to me was even more beautiful than my fantasy. The way he pronounced the deep shona, it was emotional and perfect. Like he had been born speaking shona.
I think there is nothing more romantic than your man fulfilling your fantasy in a meaningful way that heals your soul but still very sexy.
Oh my beloved is mine, and I am his, he fulfills my uttermost deepest fantasies.
The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle, there he stands behind our wall.
Gazing through the windows.
My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
Watch Neria performed by Oliver Mtukudzi and Joss Stone
jeangasho.com 