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Where does the word "kwela" come from? It comes from Zulu khwela, and was adopted directly into English (1950s).
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Where does the word "kwela" come from? It comes from Zulu khwela, and was adopted directly into English (1950s).
Kwela’s story begins in Zulu: khwela meant “climb, get on board.” Shared with Xhosa, used as a call to climb aboard or join in. It reached English by 1950s as kwela. Named from the township slang 'kwela-kwela' for police vans, referenced in a hit 1956 recording. Today, kwela means a lively South African street music style featuring the pennywhistle, popular in the 1950s.
- Stage 1 · Zulu · 1800s khwela "climb, get on board", shared with Xhosa, used as a call to climb aboard or join in.
- Stage 2 · English · 1950s kwela "a South African pennywhistle jazz and dance style", named from the township slang 'kwela-kwela' for police vans, referenced in a hit 1956 recording.