Pluto Shervington - Ram Goat Liver

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a sound file of and lyrics for the Jamaican Reggae song "Ram Goat Liver" written & performed by Leighton "Pluto" Shervington. Selected comments about this song from the featured YouTube sound file's viewer comment thread and other information about this song also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "RAM GOAT LIVER"
From http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090301/ent/ent3.html
"In 1974, while Ernie Smith was on his way to the Federal Records (now Tuff Gong) on Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston, he saw an accident. When he got to the studio he told Pluto Shervington about it. By the end of the week, Shervington had recorded a song based on the story. That song took off immediately and, 35 years later, is one of the enduring classics of Jamaican music.

Pluto Shervington puts his Ram Goat Liver into the canons of folk music.

"I think that song has got into the category of songs like Evening Time and Linstead Market. I think Ram Goat Liver is past a hit," he told The Sunday Gleaner."...
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_Shervington for biographical information about Pluto Shervington.

The story this song tells is as follows:
"Man boards a bus. Bus hits a ram goat. News of the accident quickly spreads to the surrounding community, but no one knows who owns the goat. They decide to make mannish water. They get a pot and cooking supplies from a Rasta, who witnessed the accident. Soon the pots boils, other ingredients are added. The pot cooks, our narrator gets his share of the food and eats."

As he is waiting down the street to bum a ride he starts feeling such abdominal discomfort that he wants to die and is forced to relief himself then and there to the laughter of passersby. The moral of the story is that crime does not pay. The chorus: Ram goat is good to make mannish water (a soup made of goat that encourages stamina), its teeth can be made into earrings for your daughter and it makes a good curry goat lunch. It will make your daughter walk and talk."
-Shannon Richardson, 2013 [two comments from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGtStkmZv8A
"Pluto Shervington Ram Goat Liver with Lyrics HD"]

****
FEATURED EXAMPLE

Pluto Shervington - Ram Goat Liver



ZIONHIGHER, Uploaded on Jun 27, 2008

A tune that was a hit in 1974. the version is next.

****
LYRICS FOR "RAM GOAT LIVER"
(Pluto Shervington)

Sunday gone I jump on a mini bus
I really late but it's not my fault
And when we nearly reach by the terminus
I feel de bus come to a halt

Ee lick a ram goat down a de round-about
but just as if that could not suffice
A bredda run through the bus and start to shout
You shoulda dead mek we buy a pound a rice

Ram goat liver good fi mek mannish water
Billy goat teeth mek the earring for you daughter
Curried goat lunch put de bite in your bark
It mek you daughter ... It mek you daughter walk and talk

Well the news spread fast like a telegram
Nobody know whey de goat come from
We raise a pot and a pan from a nya man*+
Who sit down dey all along

Two twos++ and the pot a boil
A hit* a yam and banana tip
"meanwhile a little waters a gwan*+++
Lick me goat and a meeeh tek me sip

Ram goat liver good fi mek mannish water
Billy goat teeth mek the earring for you daughter
you daughter ... It mek you daughter walk and talk

Well I pop two belch and never sighed
I tek a walk go outta street
But while I waitin down de road fi bum a ride
I feel a gripe and start I feel very weak

Before too long you no ha fi ask
A runny belly like a judgement day
A everybody in the road a dead wid laugh
Its then I know that crime will never pay

Ram goat liver good fi mek mannish water
Billy goat teeth mek the earring for you daughter
Curried goat lunch put de bite in your bark
It mek you daughter ... It mek you daughter walk and talk

<--interlude-->

Ram goat liver good fi mek mannish water
Billy goat teeth mek the earring for you daughter
Curried goat lunch put de bite in your bark
It mek you daughter ... It mek you daughter walk and talk

Ram goat liver good fi mek mannish water
Billy goat teeth mek the earring for you daughter
Curried goat lunch put de bite in your bark
It mek you daughter ... It mek you daughter walk and talk

*Lyrics differ than those found at http://www.smartlyrics.com/Song616257-Pluto-Shervington-Ram-Goat-Liver-lyrics.aspx

These corrections were posted by YouTube commenters on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGtStkmZv8A Hat tip to Shannon Richardson, liveAliveShow, and chimaera01, and any who others I omitted for those corrections.

+ CliveAliveShow, 2013
"Good but translation is a bit off. Eg, nya-man = nyabinghi man..."

++ chimaera01, 2013
"two twos...meaning in no time."

++ Shannon Richardson, 2013
"Please note that mannish water never cooks in two twos (quickly), it is a 4 to 5 hour cook on a wood fire. The meal was probably undercooked and resulted in this poor guy having "judgment day" diarrhea."

+++ Shannon Richardson, 2013
"meanwhile quarters a gwan" should be "meanwhile a little waters a gwan" i.e. they were drinking overproof white rum."

****
OTHER SELECTED COMMENTS
(These comments are presented in chronological order with the oldest comments posted first.)

From the viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kca32orFys

Kwekwe, 2010
..."terminus is the place where all the buses stop and take another set of passenger beginning a new journey"

MsTkhan, 2010
"i just read that mannish water is considered an aphrodisiac and hence what this song is talking about in the chorus. once again, there goes my childhood innocence"

blakbeltjonez, 2012
..."but the tune is all in fun, many of Pluto's best songs are slightly outrageous although maybe not impossible, especially in JA."...
-snip-
JA=Jamaica

****
Thanks to the musical legacy of Pluto Shervington.

Thanks also to the publisher of this featured sound file and thanks to all those whose comments are quoted in this post.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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Lord Nelson - King Liar (Calypso sound file, lyrics, comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a sound file of and lyrics for the Calypso song "King Liar". Selected comments about this song from the featured YouTube sound file's viewer comment thread are also included in this post.

In addition, this post presents information about Lord Nelson, the performer of this song, as well as information about "lying contests".

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT LORD NELSON
From http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lord-nelson-mn0000234788/biography
Artist Biography by Chris Nickson
"Like many calypsonians from Tobago, Lord Nelson (born Robert Nelson) had to seek his fame and fortune in America. And he found it -- although not in the U.S., but back home, where he remains one of the acknowledged stars of soca, the mix of soul and calypso that has been the island's musical mainstay since the mid-'70s. Born and raised in Tobago, Nelson left his homeland after graduating high school, hoping for a better life in Brooklyn. However, he'd hardly had a chance to unpack before he was drafted and sent off with the U.S. forces to Korea, which was where he first showed his talents as a singer and comedian, performing in Army shows. Later, back on American shores, he began singing with West Indian steel bands in Brooklyn, mostly covering calypso hits in his unique fashion, which went over strongly with the Caribbean community. Still, he never considered writing his own material until he became friendly with another calypsonian, Mighty Duke, who mentored him. Nelson's own style took from calypso, but also from the American music he heard every day, adding more than an ounce of funk to the proceedings on songs like "La La" and "King Liar," which became Caribbean hits. While not the first to make soca music, he found a great deal of popularity, to the extent that in 1989 he won the title of Uncrowned King in a competition for off-island artists at Trinidad's annual Carnival. In 1990 he signed with Shanachie, which ensured good distribution for his music -- certainly more than his brethren in the West Indies -- and he was able to go global with his sound, even if he had become part of the digital sound rather than relying on 'real' instruments; his label debut, When the World Turns Around, offered a digital remake of his earlier album Love You Forever, which had originally appeared on the tiny Joker label. The uncle of another young soca/rapso artist, Mojah, Nelson continues to record and perform."
-snip-
Notice that Lord Nelson's name, like the names of other old school Calypsonians emulates the names of British royalty (for instance, Lord Kitchener, Lord Invader, Mighty Duke, and Sir Lancelot).

****
COMMENTS ABOUT LYING CONTESTS
"Lying contests" are informal or formal competitions in which people try to tell the best tall tale. A tall tale is a folkloric form which consist of highly exaggerated stories. Those stories are humorous because their exaggerations are told as though theey were truth [The fanciful stories are told with "a straight face"].

In 2013 Jay Weekes, a commenter in the YouTube comment thread for this featured song wrote that "these kinda competition does go on all now still....who lie last lie de best"

To date, I've only found slight mentions of the Afro-Caribbean custom of lying contests (telling tall tales). However, the 1935 book Mules To Men in which Zora Neale Hurston provides examples of that custom among rural African Americans in Florida from the late 1920s or earlier can serve to illustrate this custom. From http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/grand-jean/hurston/chapters/siteintroduction.html
"In her hometown of Eatonville, [Zora Neale] Hurston was brought up in a culture in which lying, i.e. folk tale telling, was an artform. Hurston celebrated this culture of lying when she published a collection of "them big ole lies" told "on the store porch" by the working class African Americans of her hometown of of Eatonville [Florida] (Mules and Men)."
-snip-
If you are aware of any online articles about Caribbean "lying contests", please post that information in the comment section of this post. Thanks!

****
FEATURED EXAMPLE
Lord Nelson - King Liar



charsukaifan, Uploaded on Jan 11, 2009

Yuh hear lie
-anip-
Another YouTube sound file of this song indicated that it was first recorded in 1977.

****
LYRICS FOR "KING LIAR"
(performed by Lord Nelson)

[verse 1]
I know some of you wouldn't believe me
But if I lie, ask meh good friend Marky
It was a big lying competition
To see who they would crown as lying champion
Liars from all parts of the West Indies
Big shot liars from all dem foreign countries
From a field about a thousand or so entry
In two days it boil down and leave just 3
I had meh eye on "Liar de Lion"
Cause I know he does come with some good ones
But they had a younger fella named Devo
Come from some village there in Tobago
He same he father is Tobago's best fisherman
Catch a fish a mile wide, 80 feet in span
He had to tie it on de boat and swim back to land
To get he brother Eric to give him a hand

[chorus]
Yuh hear lie, Dat is lie
Lie , yuh hear lie
Teacher Percy say if yuh tell ah lie
You going to hell as soon as yuh die

[verse 2]
Liar de Lion, he laugh till he sweat
He say Mr Devo eh say nothin yet
If you really want to hear bout fishin
Let me blow you mind, now listen to something
When you talking bout fish, yuh just hit de spot
I was hoping you did believe it or not
The fish yuh father caught, fuh you it was great
But is dem small fish meh father does use fuh bait
Lion went ahead on points in de show
Completely eliminated Mr Devo
De next man to beat was "Wil The Outrageous"
He ask de judges if he could lie first
The judges asked Lion, the Lion agreed
He said any topic Wil pick is alright with me
He outrageous, I strong, let we meet head on
And when we done see who head fit to wear de crown

[chorus]
Yuh hear lie, Dat is lie
Lie , yuh hear lie
Teacher Percy say if yuh tell ah lie
You going to hell as soon as yuh die

[verse 3]
De outrageous say that he knew a tailor
Comes to making suit, de man is a master
If you show him a man coming round a corner
He could make him a suit and don't even measure
Ah talking bout suit sitting down correct
Expertly made and fitting perfect
He used to sew for Shakepeare, make suit for Hamlet
And up to this day he eh make a mistake yet
You know de crowd went wild, they couldn't cool down
Ah say Liar de Lion losing he crown
De judges brought de crowd back to order
And ask de Lion to lie bout a tailor
He said my man is de best, Rolfy is his name
Cutting cloth, making suit is his game
Doh show him de man, my tailor is class
Just show him de corner whey de fella pass
And he go make a suit, dat is tailor

[chorus]
Yuh hear lie, King liar
Teacher Percy say if yuh tell ah lie
You going to hell as soon as yuh die

Teacher Percy say if yuh tell ah lie
You going to hell as soon as yuh die

·http://www.lyrics59.com/lyrics-478520/king-liar.html
-snip-
For some reason, this transcription doesn't include the words
"Chock it up/Let it up/move it up" which Lord Nelson sings in one form or another after the group sings the words "Teacher Percy say if yuh tell ah lie/You going to hell as soon as yuh die".

Here's an explanation about the meaning of the phrase "chock it up"
From http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/chock.html
Chock it up/Chalk it up"
" “Chalk it up” is a very old expression that goes back to the custom of writing a customer’s outstanding charges on a chalkboard, especially in a bar. Today it means to give credit in a more general sense, as in the expression “chalk it up to experience” (credit it to experience, add it to your account of experiences).” A successful team may chalk up another win."
-snip-
Given that explanation, the phrase "chock it up" is important in the "King Liar" song. That phrase is important because it shows the singer "bigging up" himself (praising himself, patting himself on the back) for besting his competitor in the lying contest.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS [from the viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYkqMT6HKD0

Posted in 2010

"You hear tune? Dat is tune!!!!"
-VIProfessor

**
"As a young boy, I kind of remember the chorus. I visited Trinidad recently and was liming with old friends in a rum shop in mayaro. I laughed until my jaws were hurting. The LIES and stories they were telling could rival that of the great Lord Nelson.. King Liar. Great kaiso!"
-TnT4Play

**
"Chune of chunes. Love this one."
-David Smith

Posted in 2011
"This is the most hilarious kaiso of all time.

"If you tell a lie, you goin' to Hell as soon as you die." As a child, I actually heard this from teachers."
-AlmightyDreadlock

Posted in 2012

"yess sir lol you can find it here on youtube and yess it was nelson he sang that song in response to being opposed to enter Dimanche Gras that year, as he does not reside in trinidad. but he ah tobago child eh! boom! lol"
- Rip Mowt
-snip-
"Dimanche Gras" (Fat Sunday" is the Sunday before Mardi Gras.
Fromhttp://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_Dimanche_Gras_mean
"It's feast day in Trinidad. Dimanche Gras takes place on the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday. Here the Calypso Monarch is chosen (after competition)."

**
"Calypso in trouble. You think any one of them singing calypso these days could sing a tune like this?"
-Sham9909

**
"BIG BIG BIG Chune, Kaiso boy. One of the best ever recorded kaiso."
-therookiemusic

Posted in 2013

"Goodness, talk about master story telling and humour, The Mighty Duke who wrote this song, is a first class writer."
-Kaisokid7
-snip-
I've posted this comment for the record [no pun intended]. I'm not sure if The Mighty Duke actually wrote this song or if it was written by Lord Nelson.

**
"Teacher Percy from Patience Hill was both school master and anglican lay minister what a giant.
-Andy Moore

****
Thanks to the musical legacy of Lord Nelson.

Thanks also to the publishers of these videos, and thanks to all those whose comments are quoted in this post.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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Sundaygar Dearboy - Ma Ellen Give Them Pressure (video, comments, partial lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases videos and comments about the 2011 Liberian song "Ma Ellen Give Them Pressure" ("Ellen Pressure"). "Ma Ellen Give Them Pressure" serves as an example of the role of music in contemporary African political campaigns as it was sung in support for a second term of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Another example of a Liberian political campaign song "Monkey Come Down" which was sung by Sirleaf's opposition is also referenced in this post.

Partial lyrics of "Ma Ellen Give Them Pressure" are included in this post along with information about Liberian President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF
From http://www.biography.com/people/ellen-johnson-sirleaf-201269
"Born in Liberia in 1938, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was schooled in the United States before serving in the government of her native Liberia. A military coup in 1980 sent her into exile, but she returned in 1985 to speak out against the military regime. She was forced to briefly leave the country again. When she won the 2005 election, Johnson Sirleaf became the first female elected head of state in Africa. In 2011, she was one of a trio of women to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

After supporting Charles Taylor's bloody rebellion against President Samuel Doe in 1990, Johnson Sirleaf ran unsuccessfully against Taylor in the 1997 presidential election. Taylor subsequently charged Johnson Sirleaf with treason. In 2005, after campaigning for the removal of President Taylor, Johnson Sirleaf took over as leader of the Unity Party. That year, promising economic development and an end to corruption and civil war, she was elected to the Liberian presidency. When she was inaugurated in 2006, Johnson Sirleaf, or the "Iron Lady," as she was also known, became the world's first elected black female president and Africa's first elected female head of state.

Despite Charles Taylor's large number of followers in Liberian government, including his son-in-law and estranged wife, President Johnson Sirleaf submitted an official request to Nigeria for Taylor's extradition in 2006. Five years later, she shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman, awarded "for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work."...

****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Sundaygar--ELLEN PRESSURE -liberian music 2011



DESTEER1, Uploaded on Oct 5, 2011
shouts goes to rabcarter
-snip-
At the beginning of this video, the text under the picture of the Liberian flag is the name rab carter and the words “promote your roots”.

****
Example #2: Ma Ellen Give Them Pressure

.

t2, Uploaded on Oct 8, 2011

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PARTIAL LYRICS FOR "MA ELLEN GIVE THEM PRESSURE"
I am a LIBE RIAN
that means I got to give my vote to
Madam Ellen

So everybody come and join me
so that we are one.

Mama, give them pressure
make them surrender
Mama we are tired
We cannot defeat you.

Come on Mama*
Give them pressure
Make them surrender
Mama* we are tired
We cannot defeat you.

Come on Ma Ellen
Give them pressure
Make them surrender
Make them scream and say
Mama we are tired
We cannot defeat you.

Pressure, pressure, pressure
Pressure, pressure, pressure
Pressure, pressure, pressure
Pressure, pressure, pressure
Pressure, pressure, pressure
Pressure, pressure, pressure

Vote for UP
*I'm not sure about this word. "Mama" might have been "Madam" or Ma Ellen".
-snip-
Transcribed by Azizi Powell in part from text on screen in the beginning of the video of Example #2, and in part from listing to those videos. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to fully transcribe this song. I haven't been able to find the lyrics on the internet. I also heard the following words:
"we don’t want no bloodshead...
Let them see your UP banner
Don’t forget your UP flags"

Please help by correcting this transcription and posting the full lyrics of this song. Thank you.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS
From the viewer comment thread of Example #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbBKWOEaMl0

Note: The dates given for these comments are "1 year ago" which would make that date "2012". However, these comments read as though they were posted before that October 11th election day.

"Geeesss......this one here da pure fiya from UP for dey Oct 11 election...good way to go Sundaygar......becuz we na going to sit and allow anyone come take LIB back to dey stone age. UP for relection and Case Closed!"
-marck224
-snip-
"LIB" is a colloquial referent for Liberia, West Africa.

**
"I like the way he mixed it. This Bassa boy can sing."
-minitwink1
-snip-
"Bassa" is an ethnic group in Liberia. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassa_people_(Liberia) for information about Bassa [Liberia].

**
"great song bro.. i love diz song so muchhhh ma ellen will sure win her second term.. thank sundaygar for a wonderful song."
-odij54

**
"Sundaygar, you are the man. I like your support for the oldma, you always drop a very nice jam right on time for elections."
-isaackarmue

**
"We need more strong educated president like Ellen Johnson Sireaf. Thats just the fact!"
-KingLiberia15
-snip-
This commenter wrote that this wasn't a campaign song as it wasn't paid for by Ellen's campaign. Various comments were posted in response to that first comment, including these:

"Oh and i'm guessing every song that been made for Ellen is her campaign song. THe must "Iron Lady" by Jodi and "Letter to the President" by 2c is also her campaign song huh? wow. i didn't know she has all these campaign song. i thought it was just music people sing for her. but i guess i was wrong."
-KingLiberia15

**
"Greetings LIB, KingLiberia15 got a point although he/she sound piste-off, but its true music is business and entrainment... lots of our people are not educated or exposed these aspects of life so we usually say things before we process them. If a president/leader has high popularity of course he/she can easily becomes a marketing target; making songs of them don't necessarily mean a campaign... just another business and pleasure. I love the sound. "Sundygha ni zuo, uh numonge cha gayu"!! "
-Mombassa

**
"Honey, it's a campaign song sung during the campaign by Ellen supporters. It was as popular as Monkey Come Down. So, i beg, don't even tell me about Ellen, you hater.
-minitwink16 [2013]
-snip-
This commenter quoted above mentioned another Liberian political campaign song "Monkey Come Down". That song was sung by the party in opposition to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's party.

Here's a link to a video of "Monkey Come Down" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ29Dsec54A. That is another uptempo, highly danceable song. The publisher's summary statement says "New Liberian music tittle "Monkey Come Down" by George's CDC Party

The monkey in the song is suppose to be President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her Unit Party. and the monkey suppose to be George weah and his CDC Party".

I wonder if the second use of that word "monkey" is a typographical error as a commenter wrote on the comment thread on another video of "Monkey Come Down" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvbL6lH-YyA that "the liberian president is the monkey and the baboo is the other guy."

Another commenter wrote that the full statement for "Monkey come down" was "come down from the tree". Presumably, in this case, that meant "fall down from a high position", in other words, lose the election.

I'm curious. Is referring to Black people as either monkeys or baboons not considered as insulting in Liberia as it is in the United States and in other nations?

I would appreciate some clarification about this from Liberians or others familiar with that song. Thank you.

****
Thanks to the role model of Liberian President/Nobel Prize winner

Thanks to the composer/peformer of this song -and also the composer/performer of the song "Monkey Come Down" that is also noted in this post.

Thanks also to the publishers of these videos, and all those whose comments are quoted in this post.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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Down In The Canebrake (Lyrics, Sound File, & Comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides examples of and comments about the song "Down In The Canebrake" (also known as "Down In The Canebreak", "Nancy Dill", "Nancy Till", and "Come My Love, Come". The words "canebrake" and "canebreak" are also spelled as two words.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and historical purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owner.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "DOWN BY THE CANEBRAKE"
"Down By The Canebrake" is an American minstrel song. The earliest version of this song is attributed to White Serenaders, an White American vocalist group, in 1851. The earliest recording of that song was by Frank Crummit, a White American, in 1928. A sound file of that recording & the words to that recording are found below.

DOWN IN DE CANE BRAKE by Frank Crumit 1928



cdbpdx, Uploaded on Feb 22, 2012
-snip-
Lyrics: Down In De Canebrake
(As sung by Frank Crummit)

Down in the cane break close by the mill,
There lived a colored gal. Her name was Nancy Dill.
I told her that I loved her. I loved her very long.
And when I serenade her, this will be my song:

CHO: Come, my love, come. My boat lies low.
She lies high and dry on the Ohio.
Come, my love, come. Won't you come along with me,
And I'll take you down to Tennessee.

Down in the cane break, there's where I'll go,
Down where the yella moon is hangin' mighty low,
I know that she'll be waitin' beside the cabin door,
And she'll be mighty happy when I tell her once more,

Down in the cane break some happy day,
You'll hear the weddin' bells a-ringin' mighty gay,
There's goin' to be a cabin and in the trundle bed,
There'll be a piccaninny and all because I said,

Down in the cane break there's where I'll stay,
'Long side of Nancy dill till we are laid away,
And when we get to heaven and peter lets us in,
I'll start my wings a-flappin' and sing to her again,

[Several versions exist. Sometimes called "Nancy Till,"
"Nancy Gill," "Come Love Come." FM]

Quoted from http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Down_in_the_Cane_Break.htm
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickaninny
"Pickaninny (also picaninny or piccaninny) is a term in English which refers to children of black descent or a racial caricature thereof. It is a pidgin word form, which may be derived from the Portuguese pequenino[1] (an affectionate term derived from pequeno, "little"). In the Creole English of Surinam the word for a child is pikin ningre (li. "small negro"). The term pickaninny has also been used in the past to describe aboriginal Australians.[2] ...At one time the word may have been used as a term of affection, but it is now considered derogatory.[4]
-snip-
I want to emphasize the fact that the word "piccaninny" is no longer publically used in the United States as it is considered to be offensive. Furthermore, spelling the word "Negro" with a lower case "n" is also considered to be offensive.

****
COMMENTS ABOUT THE SONG "DOWN IN THE CANEBRAKE"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canebrake
"A Canebrake is a thick, dense growth of cane or sugarcane.

Canebrake may also refer to:
Places in the North America
[A list is provided of several towns in the Southern region of the United States with the name "Canebreak", including Cape Caneveral, Florida "translated from the original Spanish Cañaveral"; also lists a few towns in California with the name "Canebrake"."]

****
From http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=1995&messages=47 Lyr Req: Down in the Cane Break [Hereafter given as "Mudcat Down In The Canebrake"

From:GUEST,John Hall jhall@bama.ua.edu
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 12:12 PM

I am researching canebrakes for a book, and would point out that the spelling of "canebrake" (a patch of cane) is a convention - correct only because the dictionary spells it that way. I suspect that the people in the South spelled it however they wanted... it is the same word, spelled "canebrake" or "canebreak", one word or two.

Point two is the implication of Nancy living down by the canebrake. Canebrakes grew in moist lowlands near the river. They were traditionally the home of fierce animals, escaped slaves, renegade Indians, outlaws and marginalized people. The singer of the song isn't courting a fine lady, he is begging a poor colored girl to get on the boat and run away with him.

**
Joan from Wigan
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 04:43 AM

For comparison, masato's link above [http://www.pdmusic.org/1800s.html Music 1800-1860] gives these words from 1851 (attribution: anon). The tune on the midi is altogether more ponderous than Crumit's light, fast-moving version. And while there are similarities, I don't think the melodies are the same.
"Nancy Till" (1851)

Written for and Sung by White's Serenaders.

[Source: pages 88-89 of
"Minstrel Songs, Old and New" (1883)]

1.
Down in the canebrake close by the mill,
There liv'd a yellow girl, her name was Nancy Till;
She knew that I lov'd her, she knew it long,
I'm going to serenade her and I'll sing this song.

CHORUS
Come, love, come, the boat lies low,
She lies high and dry on the Ohio;
Come, love, come, won't you go along with me?
I'll take you down to Tennessee.

2.
Open the window, love, O do,
And listen to the music I'm playing for you,
The whisp'rings of love, so soft and so low,
Harmonise my voice with the old banjo.

(CHORUS)

3.
Softly the casement begins for to rise--
The stars are a shining above the skies;
The moon is declining behind yonder hill
Reflecting uts rays on you, my Nancy Till.

(CHORUS)

4.
Farewell love, I must now away,
I've a long way to travel before the break of day,
But the next time I come, be ready to go,
A sailing on the banks of the Ohio.

(CHORUS)

**
Azizi
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 07:32 PM

[regarding the earliest adjective used for Nancy Dill-or the named woman in the song "Down In The Canebrake]
"I bet the earliest adjective was 'yella' or 'yellow' {referring to an African American woman with light skin color}. "Colored" was probably a later 'politically correct' substitution. "Pretty girl" removes any racial referent and is probably an even later substitution for 'yella girl'."

[When the words "yella girl" or "colored girl" are sung, if the singer is White, he is pretending to be Black. This definitely wasn't supposed to be a song about interracial love.]

...the "Come Love Come" version posted by Lorraine on 28 Jun 97 - 09:40 AM [http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=1995&messages=47#7650 seems to follow the African American dance song tradition of mixing & matching verses that don't need to follow the same story line but serve to extend the length of the song."


**
From:Q
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 10:42 PM

" "De Boatmen Dance" is an old minstrel song by Dan Emmett ('Emmit') of the Virginia Minstrels, 1843. Nancy Till is 1851, also minstrel (she was yaller in the sheet music).

The song posted by Lorraine (--97) is cobbled together from several minstrel songs- the minstrels often mixed and matched so the song is 'in character.'"

**
From:Q
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 02:31 PM

"Picking up on Azizi's post, cobbling together of verses from different songs also is a characteristic of African-American songs. Revitalization of existing material seems to be a universal human characteristic.

Were the songs by minstrel composers? The performed and printed versions were, but Emmett, Foster and others noted that some of their ideas were picked up from the singing of slaves and freedmen.
Conversely, minstrel songs were picked up by African-Americans. Lacking evidence, it is not easy to determine where particular ideas came from."

**
From:Goose Gander
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 03:35 PM

The "cobbling together of verses" seems common in American folksong, both black and white. See Pretty Little Pink for example, also Charming Betsy and Alabama Bound and so many others.

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Thanks to the featured performer and the publisher of this soundfile. My thanks to all those commenters who I have quoted in this post. I re-post comments from other online sources to increase the opportunities for those comments & other commentary on those pages to be read.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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Four Examples Of "Senzeni Na?"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases examples and lyrics of the anti-apartheid song "Senzeni Na?".

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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INFORMATION ABOUT SENZENI NA
From 3Fhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senzeni_Na%3F
"“Senzeni Na?” (also spelled Senzenina, English: What Have We Done?)[1] is a South African anti‐apartheid folk song. The Xhosa/Zulu language song is commonly sung at funerals, demonstrations and in churches.[1][2] Activist Duma Ndlovu compared the influence of “Senzeni Na?” to that of the American protest song, “We Shall Overcome.”[3]

The song has been around at least since the 1950s, and it reached the height of its popularity during the 1980s.[1] The origins of the song are unclear. Zimbabwean poet Albert Nyathi claims to have written “Senzeni Na?” on the day that activist Chris Hani died.[4] However, Nyathi’s “Senzeni Na?” uses a different melody and altered lyrics. Either way, Hani was assassinated on April 10, 1993, by which time the song had already been sung for decades."

****
LYRICS: SENZENI NA?
"There doesn’t seem to be one universally agreed on set of lyrics"...

Xhosa/Zulu original
Senzeni na?
Sono sethu, ubumnyama?
Sono sethu yinyaniso?
Sibulawayo Mayibuye i Africa

English translation
What have we done?
Our sin is that we are black?
Our sin is the truth
They are killing us
Let Africa return
-snip-
Here's another set of lyrics/translations for this song from http://www.omniglot.com/songs/african/zulu.php

"This is a protest song from the days of Apartheid in South Africa."

Senzeni na?
What have we done?

Sono sethu, ubumyama?
Our sin is that we are black?

Sono sethu yinyaniso?
Our sin is the truth

Sibulawayo
They are killing us

Mayibuye i Africa
Let Africa return
-snip-
This page contains a link to a recording of this song which is "combined with the traditional Welsh hymn, Trig gyda mi, which has almost the same tune (Bangor Community Choir)"

Other lyrics for this song are given in comments to the videos found below.

****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their posting, with the oldest dated example given first.)

Example #1: Albert Nyathi - Senzeni Na?



ShayaFM, Uploaded on Nov 11, 2007
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread. The comment was written in response to the question "What is the complete English translation of the song? I want to know what she is crying about."

"Ndebele: Senzeni na? (What did we do?)

Ndebele: Soneni na? (What sin have we commited?)

Shona: Tatadzeyi ko? (What have we done wrong?)

Girl (Ndebele): Bang'thathel' ubaba wam' (They took my father from me)

Girl (Ndebele): Ngilahlekelwe mina (*this literally means* I've lost someone *meaning they died*

Watching this video as a child always made me cry cause it upset me to see other people cry --> now i kno the meaning behind it...I still want to cry :'(
-"Zee Zamar Mabuza, 2010

****
Example #2: Senzenina -South Africa



Brian Chimhepo, Uploaded on Aug 16, 2009

Apartheid is still live and well in Suid Afrika
-snip-
This video is made up of scenes from the movie "The Power Of One".
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_One_(film)
"The Power of One is a 1992 dramatic [American] film based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Bryce Courtenay. Set in South Africa during the '30s and '40s, the film centers on the life of Peter Philip 'Peekay or PK' Kenneth-Keith (Guy Witcher), a young English boy raised during the apartheid era, and his relationship with a German pianist, a black prisoner who is a boxing coach, and a romantic interest, who is of Afrikaner descent."

****
Example #3: "Senzenina" by Cape Town Youth Choir (formerly Pro Cantu Youth Choir) / soloist : Monde Mdingi



Guillaume Muller, Uploaded on Aug 14, 2010

Festival du Cap 2010

"Senzenina" by Cape Town Youth Choir (formerly Pro Cantu Youth Choir) / Cape Town / soloist : Monde Mdingi
Lyrics: " Senzenina /Sohlangana ezulwini"
Translation: "What have we done / we shall meet in heaven"
-snip-
Comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
[regarding the first two verses that are found above]

"This is not the lyrics sung in this video. Those lyrics are "Senzenina /Sohlangana ezulwini"

Translation: "What have we done / we shall meet in heaven " .
-Guillaume Muller, 2012

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Example #4: The Power of One - Funeral Scene (Senzenina)



elyusai1,·Published on Mar 10, 2012

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Thanks to the composer of this song and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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Various African Funeral Customs Including South African After Tears Parties

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents information about funeral customs in various African nations. An addendum to this post includes information & commentary about the South African [nation] custom of after tears parties after the funeral.

My thanks to all persons who are quoted in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT VARIOUS AFRICAN FUNERAL CUSTOMS
From http://www.tvsa.co.za/default.asp?blogname=bbmotherland2&ArticleID=15117

Biggie Motherland
BBAS: Uti's Case And Nigerian Funerals
Wednesday, September 01, 2010 by Segololo

Editor's Note: That blog post was written by Segololo, a contestant in Big Brother Africa. The post provides information about funeral customs in Nigeria, in large measure in response to discussion among the contestants about the decision by contestant Uti not to leave the competition to return home to Nigeria for his [or her]* father's funeral. Information about funeral customs in other African nations besides Nigeria is provided in the comments to that blog.

*My apologies. I don't know the gender of Segololo, Uti, or any of the other contestants who commented about this column. Nor did I know anything about Big Brother Africa until I happened upon this column in my online search for information about African funeral customs. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(South_Africa) for information about Big Brother Africa.

Excerpts from Segololo's post on Nigerian funeral customs
"With the Islam faith – when someone dies; they are “buried within 24 hours (all things being equal) -irrespective of the age, status or wealth of the deceased. It does not matter where the children of the deceased resides (USA, Russian, China, Jericho, end of the earth, etc); the corpse will not be kept for their arrival; it must be buried with the Islamic prescribed time in the Koran of within 24 hours.

"All things being equal" means that the circumstances 0f the death are not a murder case or any other foul play that may require the corpse to be kept for further investigation. But the celebration is the same especially if the person is older than 70 years”

“In Christianity, there is no time frame for burying the dead, thus this can take up to a year or more (in some cases) to bury the deceased; and people can truly go to town on this.

Here tribe, tradition and culture does play critical roles. The length of the burial time depends on the following:

[Lists different determinants for Christain funerals including tribe, status, gender, number of wives, number of children, "and And "a multitude of other determinations that are too numerous to list.”]

When the deceased is older than 70; has grown children, prominent and wealthy. The children will not wear black; they will wear bright colors (preferable the deceased favorite colors) and wear white to the church service. The party is to celebrate the life and achievements of the deceased.

This is where the children will show off all their achievements which would all be attributed to the good upbringing of the deceased. Congratulatory obituaries (full pages) will be taken out in the newspapers - obituaries are very big business."...

The actual funeral activity in each of the cases described above (except Muslim) is four days as follows:

Thursday for the coming together of all family members and finalizing on who does what;
Friday for the wake-keeping which is an all night affair of singing dancing, crying, drinking and all out merriment (if deceased is old);
Saturday for the actual funeral; then an all night party afterwards; and
Sunday for church service to close the funeral/burial celebration; then another partying after church..

Several streets are usually closed for these celebrations (off course with written permission from the municipality).

If it a king dies, the whole community will be involved in the preparations and if Uti was from a Royal family (a Prince), there would have no discussion of leaving; he would have had to leave the show and go home.”...
-snip-
Selected Comments To This Post:
Reply from: Fluffy Head Wednesday, September 01, 2010 12:24 PM
“Thanl you Sego... Really interesting stuff... Especially the clothing part. You know in my culture (Xhosa-Gcaleka) you wear something bright at a funeral they consider that a sign of disrespect!!! While elsewhere its expected of you. So reall this whole thing boils down cultural differences.”

**
Reply from: Segololo Wednesday, September 01, 2010 12:33 PM
"@Fluff …I also think my culture* would look down on people wearing white to a funeral... because it is considered disrespectful and like the person in bright colours is set to gain something from the death"...
-snip-
From a subsequent comment I learned that Segololo's culture is Batswana/Basotho

**
Reply from: Segololo Thursday, September 02, 2010 08:21 AM
"@Makgotso - I also still can't get used to after tears - simply because people say it is "bojalwa ba digarawe" but in contrast "bojalwa ba digarawe" is such a quite event. there is no noise and excessive celebration like the "after tears".
-snip-
“quite” typo for “quiet”
"After tears party" is a [nation of] South Africa custom in which a party is held the same day after the internment. More information about "after tears parties" is provided in the Addendum section below.

**
Segololo Thursday, September 02, 2010 08:21 AM
"...A small sample of my "family" tradition with regards to funerals as I have no idea if this is a general way the Batswana or Basotho do it...

My family traditions are explicit about being respectful to the deceased that life stops for the 3 days or so required for the burial. In my family/tradition, as soon as someone passes, regardless of age - your life ceases to exist until the funeral. So within a week or less the funeral takes place; those who can make it come, those who cannot due to being in other countries and the like are excused BUT EXPECTED to come pay their respects as soon as they can. That's it!

The 4 day breakdown is very similar to the Nigerian breakdown on the article except that after the funeral there is no after party, There is what is called "bojalwa ba digarawe" loosely translated "shovel alcohol". LOL!

The traditional beer is quitely served to the men who dug and closed up the grave. BUT some people that come to mourn with the family will have an after-tears celebration not in the family compound - very far because noise is considered disrespectful to the dead.

On the day after the funeral, the deceased clothes are taken out, washed in water with aloe leaves and distributed to the family. The immediate family (parents, wife, husband, children, brothers and sisters) will have to cut their hair or a piece of it and get washed in water with aloe leaves as cleansing of the death.

A black cloth is bought as soon as the death is announced and each member of the immediate family is given a piece to wear on them (after the funeral) as a sign that they are in a period of mourning. The family elders will determine how long the period is however it ranges from a month to a year and a half.

During this period, those that have the cloth on them are not allowed to attend functions - weddings, parties, funerals except family, baptism, etc. They are not allowed to be out of their homes after sunset or before sunrise.

The wife or husband has to wear an all black outfit that they have to wash each evening and they are not allowed to have any romantic relations during this period.

On the set date, a cleansing ceremony is held and the family come together to celebrate the life of the deceased and burn all those pieces of black cloth and clothes worn by the widow/er. BUT the celebration is still not a party - silence is very important when it comes to death and traditions related to it. so the family gets together a church service is held and the family talks a lot and kind of gets close together - like a bonding session.

**
Reply from: Ruby Red Saturday, September 04, 2010 10:34 AM
"now to comment on your article @segs
this was well researched, and thank you for that. because tradition are one topic which are difficult to write about, esp in Africa given the diversity and complexity our our tribes and the assiciated ethnicty.

within one tribe, you will find several ethnic tribes, which are further subdivided by languages, location and influence of geography and demographics.

you will find tswana people in SA and those in Zim or Bots follow different traditions in burying their dead.

so for anyone to bash anyone based on their tradition and cultures really is both baseless and tasteless. we are supposed to be accomodating and understanding like you so ritely said."

****
ADDENDUM: AFTER TEARS PARTIES (South Africa)
From http://tirisulayoga.com/blog/miscellaneous-after-tears-party/ http://tirisulayoga.com/blog/miscellaneous-after-tears-party/
MISCELLANEOUS- AFTER TEARS PARTY
“You are wondering what is the ”after tears party”! well let me enlighten you. In South Africa whenever there’s a funeral we have the whole community helping, so we have what we call society gathering and its done by men and women. Men have their own and so is women, they don”t mix unless its a family society . the procedure is, there will be meetings held and they collect money from each member and there ‘s a joining fee so they will meet once in a month, and it will be a sunday.

In case of a funeral among one of the members then the society is there to help the family with whatever they need, so for instance, during the week the women will help with the baking, organize big pots, the men will take care of making big fire place and a cooking spot. There society then hold a meeting to talk about how much they give to the bereaved family or they will buy grocery, a cow, organize tables and hire buses for the community.

The night before the funeral, there will be a night vigil, so there will church service, they slaughter the cow, women prepare the food for the funeral next day. Everything will be done by 5am , the society then leaves to go home and wash so they can attend the funeral and also the family to also prepare for the burial. The burial is normally done at 8 or 9 in the morning and after that everybody goes back home to the bereaved family for lunch, while that is happening the society then prepares for the after tears party. It will be done at the back opposite or next door neighbor’s house, music is prepared and change of clothes,from the formal to casual. We bring the cooler bags, call friends even if they didn’t attend the funeral or even know the person. The event will start small and by the evening its a party.

There’s nothing special about it really if we knew the person we will talk about him, have fun, others will say thank God he/she ‘s gone , its just an after tears party. Its not done by the youth only, the elders do it too but in a more subtle manner. I don’t know of any other country that does it but its a MZANSI’S culture meaning South African culture.”
-snip-
I changed the formatting of this article to enhance its readibility.

****
From
http://phathumusitha.blogspot.com/2011/01/after-tears-parties-to-have-or-not-to.html Wednesday, January 26, 2011
As I Reflect: After Tears parties: to have or not to have" by Phathu Musitha
"The party after the funeral provides attendants with an opportunity to catch up with old friends and family members who we see only at funerals and weddings. It’s also an excuse to drink…. Basically, it’s a social gathering with plenty of hugs accompanied with the cliché ‘long time, no chat’.
Mourning takes the backseat....

Generally speaking, people no longer observe customs as far as funerals are concerned. Not that I am advocating customs, not that I am not. The older generations mostly wore black to funerals, had a no-pants policy for women who were also prohibited from entering the burial site, should their heads not be covered. And you best believe they took these strict laws seriously. They were not funeral dressing guidelines, they were the ‘funeral dressing laws’. Men have more room to breathe, though to this day, in some cultures they are required to wear jerseys (or something akin to that). Though, as those who frequent funerals may have observed, nothing is set in stone. Nowadays there are exceptions with just about anything. It’s this thing they call freedom, neh?


After Tears parties are normally characterized by the presence of cases of alcohol and a beat to get down to...

Just like any other place which involves alcohol, it can get rather rowdy, causing attendants to forget the reason they gathered in the first instance.

A letter of the Kwazulu-Natal Christian Council dated October 2008 rightfully states that holding after tears parties is becoming customary after the burial. The Council goes on to say that not only is an after tears party an unnecessary expense but that it also disregards the family’s need to mourn."...
-snip-
Click https://www.facebook.com/ShiftonSABC1/posts/10150888111062782for differing opinions about the efficacy of “after tears” custom [in South Africa]

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RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/colors-associated-with-funerals-in.html Colors Associated With Funerals In Ghana, West Africa

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Visitor comments are welcome.

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Colors Associated With Funerals In Ghana, West Africa

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post features videos of funeral services in Ghana, West Africa.

The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes. No disrepest is intended by featuring these videos.

This post serves as a companion piece to the following pancocojams post:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/wearing-red-dresses-for-mourning-song.htmlhttp://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/wearing-red-dresses-for-mourning-song.htmlWearing Red Dresses For Mourning (Song Examples & Comments)

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/various-african-funeral-customs.html for a pancocojams post on other African funeral traditions including the nation of South African custom of "after tears parties".

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My condolences to all family members and friends of those persons whose funerals are shown in these videos.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these YouTube examples.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.


All copyrights eshowcasingeeeAll respect is given to those who

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