Annayé Woy Woy Woy
A Bele Dance Song
A bélé is a type of Caribbean Creole dance of African origin. The bélé was traditionally performed on full moon nights. There's a aspect of this type of song being a mating ritual, and as such it's usually danced by a man and woman. The song has a leader and a chorus - it's a call and response song. The music revolves around the playing of a drum called the tambour bélé.
Nowadays the bélé is mostly performed for holidays like Easter, Independence Day and Christmas and at festivals and special occasions.
Annayé Woy Woy Woy
Bèlè Double Take
Dance Song
Dance Song
(Dominican Creole)
(English)
(Refren)
Annayé, woy, woy, woy
Annayé, éti la-la-la-la
Annayé, woy, woy, woy
Nou vini èvè bon tjè,
Nou ka viwé èvè bon tjè, woy.
(Refren)
Kiyé tanbouyè, pou woulé tan-la ba mwen
Kiyé matant-mwen,
Pou dansé bèlè ba mwen.
Kiyé'y byen bonnè,
Pou hélé bèlè ba mwen,
Vini èvè bon tjè,
Nou ka viwé èvè bon tjè, woy.
(Refren)
Gadé Tradibèl, ka voyé bèlè alé,
Pou fè sèten
Bèlè-a pa ké tonbé
Andépandans, sé yon tan pou annafè,
Nou vini èvè bon tjè,
Nou ka viwé èvè bon tjè, woy.
(Refren x3)
Sété an Gwanbé
Bèlè-a té koumansé,
Sété Ariyan, oti Man Toutou
Alé Djiniva,
Kongo Ré èvè Bala
Nou vini èvè bon tjè,
Nou ka viwé èvè bon tjè, woy.
(Refren x3)
Annou tout hélé
Sé tan pou èlévé Gwanbé,
Donmnitjen chonjé
Sé la gwan bèlè-a akouché
Yo ké éséyé,
Mé sé nou ka kouté,
Nou vini èvè bon tjè,
Nou ka viwé èvè bon tjè, woy.
(Refren x3)
Sété an Gwanbé
Bèlè-a té koumansé,
Sété Ariyan, oti Man Toutou
Alé Djiniva,
Kongo Ré èvè Bala
Nou vini èvè bon tjè,
Nou ka viwé èvè bon tjè, woy.
(Refren x7)
Nou vini dansé bèlè,
Donmnitjen nou amizé
Twant twa nanné ka konté
Donmnik ki andépandan.
Celebrating 33,
Joining Hands in unity,
Nou vini dansè bèlè,
Donmnitjen, nou anmizé,
Twant twa nanné ka konté
Donmnik ki andépandan
Celebrating 33
Joining hands in unity,
Nou vini dansé bèlè, Donmnitjen.
(Chorus)
Annayé, woy, woy, woy,
Annayé, where is la-la-la-la
Annayé, woy, woy, woy,
We came with good hearts
We are returning with good hearts, "yes".
(Chorus)
Call the drummer, to roll the beats for me
Call my auntie,
To dance bèlè for me,
Call her very early,
To shout bèlè for me
Come with good hearts,
We are returning with good hearts, "yes".
(Chorus)
Look at Tradibèl, sending bèlè …
To ensure that
The bèlè will not fall
Independence is a time to get involved
We came with good hearts,
We will return with good hearts, "yes".
(Chorus x3)
It was in Grand Bay
The bèlè started,
It was Arianne, at Mrs Toutou's
Went to Geneva,
Congo Ray and Bala
We came with good hearts,
We are leaving with good hearts, "yes".
(Chorus x3)
Let us all shout,
It is time to raise Grand Bay,
Dominicans remember,
That's where the bèlè was born
They will try,
But it's us listening,
We came with good hearts,
We are returning with good hearts, "yes".
(Chorus x3)
It was in Grand Bay
The bèlè started,
It was Arianne, at Mrs Toutou's
Went to Geneva,
Congo Ray and Bala
We came with good hearts,
We are leaving with good hearts, "yes".
(Chorus x7)
We've come to dance bèlè,
Dominicans, we are amused (happy)
33 years counting,
Dominica that's independent.
Celebrating 33,
Joining hands in unity,
We came to dance the bèlè
Dominicans, we are amused (happy)
33 years counting.
Dominica that's independent,
Celebrating 33,
Joining hands in unity,
We came to dance bèlè, Dominicans.
I call it 'Bele Double-Take' because I've fused 2 couples dancing on the same song, the Bele classic 'Anayé'.
The activity... was the start of activities commemorating Dominica's 33rd Anniversary of INDEPENDENCE."
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Sylvia from Kwéyòl-nou (a site about the Dominican Creole language) for helping us with the lyrics and translation of this song!
Sung and danced by Tradibelle in Dominica.
Sylvia wrote:
"The songs are quite often 'improvisations' and just made up whilst the musicians are playing, although nowadays, I would say that a lot more organisation and rehearsal goes into these routines. Since this song and dance was performed at the opening ceremony of Dominica's 33rd Anniversary of Independence Celebrations, I think it would be safe to say that there would have been a songwriter (or maybe the whole Tradibelle group collaborated). I don't know for sure who wrote the song. The routine would most certainly have been rehearsed in order to perfect it for such a special occasion."
Image of the Tambour Bélé: Fabrication artisanale du Tambour par Jean-Michel Lisima
Mèsi!
