WHATS IN A NAME?

So whats in a name?

Being the first born for my parents there was an avalanche of sorts as relates to naming me and I am now 'stuck' with the names Brian, Prince, Allan, Ian, Zagwa-zatha .......and with each name comes a different beautiful memory.

'Kapito' (my surname) means a small whistle in Malawi but I wonder what it means in Mozambique where my paternal grandfather came from, I remember walking through the streets of Sicily on a day excursion from Malta and getting curious but warm looks from the locals as I walked, it is only later that an Italian friend advised that 'Kapito' in Italian means 'understand' - now that clearly explained the curiosity (which had puzzled me) for what I was wearing in Sicily was a Manchester United football shirt with 'KAPITO' emblazoned in bold on my back. Whooh! Lucky it wasnt a swear word or I'd be burned on a stake!

Through the distance of years I hear my grandad Donald Paulus Chirwa Esq. calling out 'Zagwa' and that name I hold dear to his memory, may his soul rest in eternal peace, if I were only 25% of what he was I would be a great man, I am proud to be of his lineage.

'Allan' reminds me of my baptism and first 'sacrament' at Saint Pius Church near the Kudya Entertainment Centre between Nkolokosa and Soche East overlooking the Naperi cemeteries.

'Brian' must be my Dads (Frank Barry Kapito Esq.- Bless his soul), only he could pronounce my name the way it was meant to be called........ it is a name of Celtic origin that means ' the strong one' and Frank is a German name that means ' a free man'

Mwandida, Zagwazatha, Tichitenji, Walimba, Trouble ..........

I don't know about you, but there seems a SMITE negativity in those names, or is it just conjecture I am reduced to? Pity the old mans not around to clear this one out, but mine (Zagwa-zatha) has a ring of 'well, he is here at last and we cannot change that' and that's what its all about now Zagwa-zatha- Like Marvin Gaye would say 'Lets get it on!'

After all is said and done African names communicate the prevailing mood at the time a child is born and the general or precise feelings of the person giving the name. In all the 'positivity' of today therefore, is it true to say we have lost the old African objectivity of name giving?

We seem to have adopted the extensive use of foreign names (with a slant and bias towards the colonialists- Brian! Ho!) with no precise meaning except either sounding nice to the ear, having an expensive 'exotic' feel or reminding us of one that did something nice, worthy and that sort of thing. Does that make us a people that are easily agreeable to change? perhaps! Is it the irreversible 'Global' effect impacting all the social aspects of our lives? seek solace in the Oliver Mtukudzi song words sung in that inimitable Zimbabwe accent:

"You can take me out of the ghetto and never bring me back again,

but you will never take the ghetto out of me...

I was born in the ghetto...

My heart is in the ghetto....

They call me the ghetto boy"

I am well and truly proud of my African heritage and of the few remaining african strands that connect me with my ancestors; my name, genes, skin colour ...............

So whats in a name???

I guess its all personal, one of the last true freedoms, we are all entitled to adopt, pick, use any (Can you believe that? any!) name we like, at least so far as there are no name copyrights in place and as long as we get to retain our surnames! ...speaking that is, only of male human species, un-married women (??!!!??) and double barrel 'surnamed' ladies.

I love my names, without them.................who and what would I be?...........nameless!