I Wahha Puthanga [English translation]

This is an out-and-out love song.

Only, you need to take into account the fact that it’s about a love which was born, has worn out, has ended in a certain way, a long distance from here, among people whose customs are totally different from ours, and partially unknown.

It is a song about Africa; rather, about that which I believe is the center-most region of the equatorial-most Africa.

In a forest in Central Katanga,

there was the tribe of the VacaPutangas.1

It was a tribe of darn black people,

big and dopes and muttonheads.

«O VacaPutanga! O VacaPutanga!

Look at that race of darn black people!»;2

the great Bantu chief LongNut3

always used to yell like this.

The great Bantu chief LongNut

liked oblong women.

He had a round woman,

who was this tall!4

«O VacaPutanga! O VacaPutanga!

Look at that darn woman!

One of the two alternatives: either she gets longer [taller],

or I don’t want her anymore.»

The great Bantu chief LongNut

built a wicked slingshot;

he placed it in Central Katanga,

then he said: «Now look what I’m gonna do!»

He called his round woman,

he placed her at the bottom of the slingshot,

then he hit her with a powerful kick:

she sent her all the way to Cantù.5

O VacaPutanga! O VacaPutanga!

While flying, this freaky woman6

cast a terrible spell:

«From today on, all VacaPutangas

will be limp-dicks.»7

In a forest in Central Katanga,

there was the tribe of the VacaPutangas.

It was a tribe of darn black people:

now it’s a tribe of faggots!8

O VacaPutanga! O VacaPutanga!

O VacaPutanga! O VacaPutanga!

1. Centro Katanga is a fictitious region with an African-sounding name.

VacaPutanga sounds like a swear: ‟vacca puttana” {cow whore; something like ‟goddamit”}.2. guarda che razza = look at such a race.

guarda che razza di X is used to say ‟look at that X” implying a negative opinion or a complaint about X.3. Bantu is an ethnic group in Africa.4. Meaning she was short.5. Cantù is a city in the province of Como, near Milan, northern Italy.6. balengo = bizarre; fool.7. The dumbed-down version goes like:

From today on, VacaPutangas

will be powerless with women.

gli tira {it pulls (at) him} = he has an erection / he is able to have erections.8. (pejorative) culo {ass}, culattone = homosexual.

• Artist:Walter Valdi