"Makidada" is a song featured in the 1985 film The Color Purple, based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The song is composed by Quincy Jones and written by Jones, Menno Meyjes, and Rod Temperton.
Background[]
The word "makidada" is a coined term by Walker, combining the Swahili word "dada" (sister) with the element "maki" (which has another meaning in Swahili). The song is a hand-clap rhyme sung by the sisters Celie and Nettie, who vow never to part or be separated from one another. It represents their bond and love, as well as their resistance to the oppression and abuse they face in their lives. The song is performed three times in the film: once when they are children, once when their father separates them, and once when they are reunited after many years.
Lyrics[]
One makidada
Two makidada
Three makidada
Four, five makidada
Six makidada
Seven makidada More
Makidada, makidada
You and me, us never part
Makidada, makidada
You and me, us have one heart
Makidada, makidada
Ain't no ocean, ain't no sea
Makidada, makidada
Keep my sister away from me