Nairobi News

ChillaxWhat's Hot

US Navy band performs ‘Baba Yetu’ in Swahili and it’s astonishing

By HILARY KIMUYU January 20th, 2016 1 min read

The United States Navy Band performed and recorded live a rendition of a Swahili translation of the Lord’s Prayer at the United States Navy Memorial in August.

A video clip of the United States Navy Band performing the song has been taking the local social media by storm.

According to a post on the Navy’s website, “Baba Yetu” was composed in 2005 by Chinese American composer Christopher Tin for the video game “Civilization IV.”

In 2010, the piece was nominated for a Grammy award in the “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)” category.

It went on to be named the winner of that category in February 2011, making it the first piece of music composed for a video game to be nominated and win a Grammy award.

The US Navy band has full time musicians. Its members can be put in the brig (a jail or prison on board a US Navy or Coast Guard vessel) for not practicing or performing up to standard.

Most military musicians do not engage in combat. Some will rarely leave the United States (although they’ll probably travel much of it all the same), depending on their post.

Watch the video here.