Kindly translated by a friend of a friend who both chose to remain anonymous, but to each of whom I owe a debt of gratitude (AS):I resolved to transcribe and translate Franco\'s \"Likambo ya ngana\" (Other people\'s affairs/business). By the way, do you know that Franco was famous for the insults in his lyrics? Whenever I fought with my mom, she\'d throw at me some characters from one of Franco\'s songs. A very nasty beloved man, this Franco. It also turns into a very tough challenge, this translation, as I can\'t really capture the substance and the beauty of the lyrics in English. Take for example the word \"likambo.\" It has multiple meanings: palaver, affairs (business, not a commercial venture though), stuff, event, etc.An example of the use of the word: \"zuzi akati likambo\" (the judge settled the matter)... Another example, \"likambo lia suka\" which could mean, \"the last word\" or \"the last judgment\" (biblically)... LOL... so bear with me, and improve my translation with appropriate English idioms... Another word that recurs in the song is \"bandeko\" (singular = \"ndeko\")... Its first meaning refers to kinship bond and translates as \"brothers and sisters\" (there is no gender difference) ... But it also a word of address to a gathering of people as in the biblical \"brethren\" (though here once again, there\'s no gender difference).... Mobutu used to start his speeches with \"batata, bamama, bandeko,\" which I\'d translate as \"messieurs, mesdames, freres et soeurs\"... By the way, I just realized that at about the time this song came out (1971-1972), there had been \"plots\" against Mobutu that unraveled because a snitch ratted on someone... and people got executed! And the lyrics of this song, though seemingly benign, is very nasty to snitches! ...[Chorus (by women):]\n\nBomba makambo eee (Hide stuff)\n \n1.\nLikambo ya ngana (Some other people\'s stuff)\n\nSoki omoni (If you happen to see [them])\n\nBombaka na motema (Hide [them] in your heart)\n\nEkoluka ndongo (It could fetch serious trouble)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n2.\n\nLikambo eboma mboka(Stuff that destroy a place (city, country, etc))\n\nBilobaloba (Chatter)\n\nLikambo eboma mboka (Stuff that destroy a place)\n\nSongisongi (Calumny)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n3.\n\nZala na mayele (Be wise/intelligent)\n\nSoki oyoki likambo (If you hear stuff)\n\nZala na mayele (Be wise)\n\nTango bakotunayo (When they ask you about it)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n4.\n\nObimi (You go out)\n\nYo na moninga (You and a friend)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\nBosali ndoki (You do \"sorcery\" (bad stuff))\n\nBombaka na motema (Hide it in your heart)\n\nEkoluka matata (It could fetch trouble)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n5.\n\nOkei mboka ya bato (You go on foreign land)\n\nOkuti likambo (You find an event)\n\nSoki ozongi (If you get back home)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\nBombaka na motema (Hide it in your heard)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n[Spoken by Franco:]\n\nAh (Ah)\n\nLikambo eboma mboka (Stuffthat destroys a place)\n\nBilobaloba (Chattering)\n\nSongisongi (Calumny)\n\nBikumbakumba (Carrying [stuff] to and fro)\n\nBimemamema (Carrying [stuff] to and fro)\n\nBikundolakundola (Digging here and there)\n\nLikambo bakundaki (Stuff that was buried)\n\nYo oke kokundola (You go and dig it up)\n\nAh (Ah)\n\nSoki oke na ndako ya moninga (If you go to a friend\'s home)\n\nSoki okendeki kolia (If you went to eat)\n\nLia (Eat)\n\nSoki okendeki kosenga (If you went to beg)\n\nSenga (Beg)\n\nSoki okendaki po ozangi (If you went there because you got nothing)\n\nVanda (Sit down)\n\nTala (Look around)\n\nTika kokumba makambo ya ngana(Don\'t carry someone\'s stuff)\n\n[Chorus resumes]\n\n6.\n\nLikambo eboma mboka (Stuff that destroys a place)\n\nBilobaloba (Chatter)\n\nLikambo eboma mboka (Stuff that destroys a place)\n\nSongisongi (Calumny)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n7.\n\nZala na mayele (Be wise/intelligent)\n\nSoki oyoki likambo (If youhappen to hear stuff)\n\nZala na mayele (Be wise)\n\nTango okofunda moninga (When you rat on your friend)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n8.\n\nObimi yo na moninga (You go out with your friend)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\nBosali ndoki (You do \"sorcery\")\n\nBombaka na motema (Hide it in your heart)\n\nKoyebisaka te (Don\'t tell)\n\nBandeko (Brothers and sisters)\n\n\nCamille Feruzi - accordeon. Africa, Feruzi, Franco, OKJazz, Rumba, Zaire