Performed by Tute Chigamba, from the album Yangu Ndega
“Chandide” (Favored one) is the song that we also call “Shanje.” The junior wife is the one called Chandide. Yes, she is the favored one. So when she “kills a wounded fowl,” the husband will no longer go to her. He will return to the senior wife, who is called Vakuzanga. That is when it is said, “She has killed a wounded chicken.” And she will say, “My fowl will mature, they are still just hatched.” So, that is when Vakuzanga will finally have the opportunity to have her husband, when he is coming over, knowing, “Over there, my wife has killed a wounded fowl.” Yes, meaning that she is on her days of the month, and they can’t sleep together.
So “Chandide” and “Nhema” are both songs about jealousy. Because if they annoy each other, the senior wife will fight with the younger one. But if they are people who get along, there will be no fighting. However, they will still be suffering from jealousy, in their hearts. One will say, “Oh, he is going to town, if only it were I who was going to town. Now, he is going with the junior wife. This is not good.” So it will still be paining her, inside her heart.