CHI LIL LI LI
For several years, I have had the pleasure of working with the AL State Arts Council as an artist-in-residence in some fairly remote rural areas. On playgrounds and in school halls during recess, I heard (and participated in), some wonderful clapping games. The clapping patterns can be highly complex, or as simple as clapping twice then slapping your knees. Familiarity with the piece, a responsive partner and a great sense of rhythm allow you to go at lightening speed. This one was taught to me by two 4th graders in Marengo County, AL 1996. No doubt it was derived somewhere along the way from the 1950's hit song, "Rockin' Robin."

I COME A ZIMBA
The Zulus, an important tribe from South Africa, were known at one time, for their fierce fighting skills. During World War II, they defeated several European forces before losing their land to the British. This chant was very popular in schools during the 40's. It is a traditional American chant with my own adaptations.

JOHN DOUGAL
The catchy chant repeated as a refrain in this very old folk song stuck in my head the minute I heard it. I am not a linguist, and the recording I found was so old, the lyric was often difficult to hear. I was also unable to locate ANY historical information! Consequently, any errors in the explanations below are due to my own feeble attempts at interpretation.

I believe this piece to be Scottish in origin. The composer may have been friends wi Dth a man named John Dougal, who may also be the "couper" or shepherd in the song. A "couper" is someone who raises or keeps sheep in order to "coup" (French word??) or cut their wool.

Horrifically, the song seems to imply that "lazy" women who didn't bake, brew, cart wool or spin it, were actually thrashed or beaten by their husbands!!

The singer of this song tells us he would never beat anyone. Instead, he'd beat his own ('ein) sheepskin!

There was a wee couper (shepherd)
while lived (who lived) in
Fief (a village)
Nickity nackity nu nu nu (nonsense dialect)?
He had gotten a gentle (lazy)
wife ("had gotten" may mean marriages were arranged)?
Hey, willy wallicky! Hey, John Dougal, a layme gwa'r roo shutty ru ru ru (dialect or nonsense)?

She wouldn't a-bake - she wouldn't a-brew
Nickity nackity nu nu nu
For the spoil in all her comb made dew
(Because there was dirt in her carding comb, it smelled badly and might ruin the new wool)?
Hey, willy wallicky! Hey, John Dougal, a layme gwa'r roo shutty ru ru ru

She wouldn't a-carte and she wouldn't a-spin
Nickity nackity nu nu nu
For the shame an' all her gentle kin
(Even her lazy family was ashamed)
Hey, willy wallicky! Hey, John Dougal, a layme gwa'r roo shutty ru ru ru

The couper is gone to his own shack
Nickity nackity nu nu nu
And put a sheep skin across his wife's back
(Whacked his own wife with a sheepskin)!
Hey, willy wallicky! Hey, John Dougal, a layme gwa'r roo shutty ru ru ru

I would en'aht (would not)
thrash ee' (hit you)
for your gentle kin
(because of a lazy family),
Nickity nackity nu nu nu
But I would thrash my 'ein sheep skin
(But I would hit my own sheepskin)
Hey, willy wallicky! Hey, John Dougal, a layme gwa'r roo shutty ru ru ru

Now ye who'ave gotten a gentle wife
(Any man who has problems with a lazy wife)
Nickity nackity nu nu nu
Just send ye for the wee couper of Fief!
(Should send for the couper of Fief)
Hey, willy wallicky! Hey, John Dougal, a layme gwa'r roo shutty ru ru ru

FAN FEEDBACK: Here is another version of John Dougal provided by Barry McNeill of Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is a version that Barry's grandfather taught him.

Oh she churned the butter
in her mother's old boot
Nickity knackity now-now-now
and for a dash she used her foot
Ristlety rastlety, hey John Gabety,
wilitee-walatee rustlekel quality
Nickity knackity now-now-now

Oh she combed her hair
but once a year
Ristlety rastlety now-now-now
and when she did it brought a tear
Ristlety rastlety, hey John Gabety,
wilitee-walatee rustlekel quality
Nickity knackity now-now-now

Oh, she married him in the month of June
Nickity Knackity Now Now Now
She married him by the light of the moon
Nickiyt Knackity, hey John Gabety,
wilitee-walatee rustlekel quality
Nickity knackity now-now-now

OH AFRIKA. EACHEE YAY ZU!
The origin of this chant is unknown.

TRANSLATION: "Oh á Africa. I love you."

FUSILI
This traditional chant from Turkey, is about beans, a very significant food item. Children learn about numbers as they count beans, and also how to appreciate the value of a single bean, when it comes to feeding hungry mouths.

TRANSLATION: "One by one we count the beans."

FAN FEEDBACK: Recently a Turkish woman (Zerrin Kaya Cevlik) who teaches English in Turkey, contacted me about "Fusili." She was kind enough to question the chant, its meaning and spelling and to research its authenticity. Here is what she discovered:The word "Fusili" along with the chant and it's meaning cannot be found in any Turkish dictionary! Her colleagues thought it might possibly be Kurdish or from a very old dialect found in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, which I think is REALLY interesting. But she did not want her native tongue to be interpreted incorrectly, and I certainly do not blame her.

Here are several good Turkish language resources she shared:
www.seslisozluk.com
www.tdk.gov.tr
web.netbul.com/cocuk/mp3.asp

Since chants, like stories, are often passed down through oral tradition and may be many generations old, their meanings are apt to change, and the words spelled in many ways-- often phonetically and according to local dialects.During the original research for the album, (six years ago), a woman told me she had learned "Fusili" (as it appears here) from a Turkish family when she was living in Istanbul. I never thought to question her, the source or even the spelling!It just so happens that the word "fasulye" IS Turkish and does mean "beans," so perhaps this chant if correctly spelled, would actually mean what I was told it did! However, I cannot tell now where this chant is from, other than to tell you it is definitely NOT Turkish!

My personal thanks go to Zerrin Kaya Cevlik and her colleagues for their help in this matter. (Katherine Dines, Dec. 2006)

FIVE LITTLE MONKIES
Traditional. Original last verse by Katherine Dines

PLANTING RICE
In the Philippines people in rice paddies chant songs like this as they work. This traditional chant is very popular in the Philippines, and is known today by many Filipino Americans. It is sung by children in the Philippines in both Tagalog and English. Bonnie Lockhart told me she learned the song from several Filipinas who came to one of her teacher workshops. It's also published in Esther L. Nelson's HOLIDAY SINGING & DANCING GAMES, a fine resource for international folk materials.

TRANSLATION:
Planting rice is never fun,
Bent from morn 'til set of sun
Cannot stand and cannot sit
Cannot rest for a little bit

Planting rice is no fun
Bent from morn til set of sun
Cannot sit, cannot stand
Plant the seedlings all by hand

ZUM GALI GALI GALI
Years ago, this traditional chant was sung by people while work-ing together in Israel. The tempo lends itself well to digging or any other task requiring rhythm.

TRANSLATION: "The pioneer is meant for work; work is meant for the pioneer."

FAN FEEDBACK: Traditional pieces that are passed on through many generations, often have many interpretations. Judy Ginsburgh, a specialist in Hebrew and Jewish song, offers these comments about, "Zum Gali Gali."

The Hebrew language varies depending upon whether it is Azkenazic (Biblical) or Sephardic (Modern) Hebrew, and mostly it is the vowel sounds that change. I would interpret Zum Gali this way:

"The word "zum" is pronounced with the "u" having an "oo" sound like the word "zoom". By the same token, the "u" in "lutz" has an "oo" sound. The "e" in "he" is pronounced with a short e like "eh". The "ch" sound is constant no matter what, and "ch" is pronounced like a gutteral German "ch" - in the throat. (The teeth and mouth are not forward as in the "ch" as in "church" sound. Also the literal translation for this chant is: "The pioneer (chalutz) is made for work (avodah) - Work (avodah) is for the pioneer (chalutz)."

The chalutzim (pioneers) were the settlers of the modern land of Israel.

For more information or to contact Judy, her address is: judy@jewishentertainment.net

ANANA-O
During the 1960's, Alan Lomax recorded a group of women from La Resource, Carriacou. It was then released on a Rounder Records project called Brown Girl in the Ring Caribbean Voyage, an excellent compilation.

The song is about a poor washer woman who left Carri Bacou expecting to find fortune and comfort in the more populated cities in Trinidad. However, she returned with no money at all-- only a scrubbing (jooking) board and a tub to hold the water. So the rest of her life, she continued to work hard, and scrub or "jook" clothes clean.

SRI LANKA FISHERMEN'S CHANT
In 1982, Michael Stanwood recorded a version of this chant while he was performing in Sri Lanka, Indonesia. According to Michael and the gentleman who sung it, "the chant was sung by fishermen as they hauled in their nets. Soon others joined in adding bass notes and some harmonies." Michael is a wonderful musician/songwriter, with several albums available. Contact him at #303-740-6033.

BULLY IN THE ALLEY
Sea shanties were originally sung by men working on the decks of ships in time to many of their tasks. The earliest chanties were sung by ship captains to keep oarsmen in time with one anothers' strokes. SPECIAL NOTE: According to David HB Drake, the original song wording is "Bully in the alley" as opposed to "A bully in the alley" since "bully" actually refers to a staggering drunk sailor asking for help returning to his ship. "Bully" did not originally refer to an abusive person or threatening individual.

In the late 1800's, Shinbone was a party town for wayfaring seamen. These lyrics may relate to Shinbone, Alabama, but no one seems to know. I found this on an excellent collection of sea songs recorded by Tom Lewis. He can be contacted at: P.O. Box 1095; Salmo, BC V0G 1Z0; Canada.

A SACRED CHANT
This is one of many different chants sung by practitioners of Yoga at the Kripalu Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. An intensely defined discipline for the body, mind and spirit, the practice of Yoga includes meditation, chanting, dietary changes and routines, and incredible physical stamina and flexibility. Yoga is well over 4,000 years old, and is practiced in many different ways by people throughout the world.

Yogic sacred chanting is done for the purpose of creating harmony, focus and peace, and releasing positive energies into the universe.

One or two main vocalists perform the first two phrases, and the participants then sing the lines back. Usually an instrumentalist accompanies the chanting. Each phrase repeats over and over again for 10 to 30 minutes or more, and tempos usually increase about midway through each piece.

In the in terest of time, the true length of this chant has been shortened substantially.

EARLY CHRISTIAN CHANT
From the 300 to 800 AD, the human voice was the only musical instrument allowed in churches. Early chanting was done by a soloist or a group. The words were repeated over and over, but there were an endless number of small variations made by the singers. As you listen to the recording, see if you can identify the variations.