Sweet Banana is the song of the #Rhodesian African Rifles ( RAR ). It dates from about 1942. Their singing is rather good. They were a good outfit too. The comments on YouTube say it. I believe it.
The words may well be be in a Shona language. The other likely candidate is Northern Ndebele language The picture shows men boarding a Dakota with parachutes and rifles ready to jump into action.
See for yourself at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnu2lMunSPY&t=10s It is also in an ARRSE thread at Page 32 of Tales of a Colonial Policeman RIP. Your Tale Is Finished. That is an interesting read but best started at Page 1.
You can also listen to RHODESIAN SELOUS SCOUTS SONG SELOUSI SHUMBI @
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDzJ0c6INFw, the song of the Selous Scouts in the Rhodesian Army. The Wiki write up is hostile but does include facts as well as the fairy stories.
The words?
QUOTE
330,101 views Jun 20, 2014Sweet Banana
A, B, C, D, E Headquarters I will buy you a sweet banana
A, B, C, D, E Headquarters I will buy you a sweet banana
Banana, Banana, Banana, I will buy you a sweet banana
Shield spear and knobkerrie, soldiers in war and peace
In war she fights with bravery, I will buy you a sweet banana
One Two and the Depot RAR-O, I will buy you a sweet banana
One Two and the Depot RAR-O, I will buy you a sweet banana
Banana, Banana, Banana, I will buy you a sweet banana
Shield spear and knobkerrie, soldiers in war and peace
In war she fights with bravery, I will buy you a sweet banana
Rhodesia, Burma, Egypt ne Malaya takarwa tika kunda
Rhodesia, Burma, Egypt ne Malaya takarwa tika kunda
Muhondo, Muhondo, Muhondo Inorwa no kushinga
Nhowo pfumo netsvimbo ndiyo RAR-O
Muhondo ne runyararo ndichakutengera sweet banana
A, B, C, D Support Headquarters ndidzo ndichapedza hondo dzoze
A, B, C, D Support Headquarters ndidzo ndichapedza hondo dzoze
Banana, Banana, Banana ndichakutengera sweet banana
Nhowo pfomo netsvimbo ndiyo RAR-O
Muhondo ne runyararo ndichakutengera sweet banana
Translation:
Nhowo, pfumo, ne tsvimbo
Shield, spear and knobkerrie
Ndiyo RAR, muhondo ne runyararo
That's RAR, in war and peace
Ndichakutengera sweet banana
I will buy you a sweet banana
Burma, Egypt ne Malaya
Burma, Egypt and Malaya
Takarwa tikakunda
We fought and we conquered
Federation ne Rhodesia
The Federation and Rhodesia
Takarwa tikakunda
We fought and we conquered
Muhondo, muhondo, muhondo
In war, in war, in war
Muhondo RAR, inorwa nokushinga
In war, she fights with bravery
UNQUOTE
African languages are very different from the European sort.
Rhodesian African Rifles ex Wiki
QUOTE
The Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR) was a regiment of the Rhodesian Army. The ranks of the RAR were recruited from the black African population, although officers were generally from the white population. The regiment was formed in May 1940 in the British colony of Southern Rhodesia.The RAR were officially declared the successor to the Rhodesia Native Regiment (RNR) which had existed in World War I from 1916 to 1918, and was granted the RNR's battle honours earned fighting in the East African Campaign.[5] The RAR were the second-oldest regiment of the Rhodesian Army, after the Rhodesia Regiment which was raised in 1899.
The RAR used the "greens" uniform and wore slouch hats as headgear.[6]
History
After disbandment, selected members of the RNR formed the Askari Platoon of the British South Africa Police (BSAP) at Government House in Salisbury. Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) from this platoon provided the instructors when the RAR was formed in 1940 to fight in World War 2.[7]
From 1940 to 1944, the RAR recruited and trained to battalion strength and developed its camp at Borrowdale near Salisbury. From 1944 to 1945, the battalion fought against the Japanese as part of Field Marshall William Slim's 14th Army in Burma, after which the regiment returned to Southern Rhodesia.[8]
They were deployed overseas twice more, to Egypt (1951 to 1952) in response to the Suez Crisis[9] and to Malaya (1956 to 1958) during the Malayan Emergency.
UNQUOTE
They were part of the 'Rhodesian Bush War' until the Ceasefire of February 1980. All of the men were volunteers.