In the recording below, Nyango explains how to sing and dance to the song.  Then she sings it for us! 

MP3 Recording of Dance Like a Butterfly

Dance Like a Butterfly

Verse 1

Lead: If you look at me, I will dance like a butterfly.

All: Dance like a butterfly, dance like a butterfly.

Verse 2

Lead: If you look at me, I will fly like an aeroplane.

All: Fly like an aeroplane, fly like an aeroplane.

Song Instructions: The lead singer sings the first line of the verse.  Then the group sings the second line of the verse while doing the action (i.e. put arms out and dance like a butterfly or fly like an airplane).

Many thanks to Nyango M. Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association (MAWA) for contributing and singing this song for us!  MAWA is an organization that promotes the health and well-being of African women and their families.

Check out MAWA’s Etsy store where you can buy African dolls, pillows, aprons & bags and more!

Enjoy!

Mama Lisa

Most people will greet you in pidgin with "How na?" which is actually "How now?" and actually means: "How are you?" "What’s up?". A lot more will say: "Good morning" or what ever the time of day is. Most people do go around saying "Hi" and "Hello" these days even if they speak only Pidgin English. By the way, the response to "How na?" is "Ah fine" or "Ah dey" which is I am well, or I am okay. They will probably tell you if they are not well if they are familiar with you.

"Hi" is becoming a common greeting due to the influence of American television programs and Nollywood (Nigerian) movies.

I also asked Nyango if Cameroonian Pidgin English is called Kamtok (which I read online).  Here’s what she replied:

If there is something like "Kamtok" then it is a new coinage. "Kam tok" is pidgin English for "Come and Talk" or "come and say it", come and tell (us, me, etc).

Thanks for sharing Nyango!

Nyango M. Nambangi works with the Minnesota African Women’s Association. She’s kindly sent us many songs from Cameroon to share on Mama Lisa’s World.

This song is called “Marry Me” or “A Little Sailor Boy”. It’s about men in different professions coming to ask a young lady for her hand in marriage. Here are the lyrics, followed by an mp3 recording and the link to the video…

A Little Sailor Boy

Boy:
I’m a little sailor, who comes from the sea,
Who comes from the sea just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a little sailor, who comes from the sea,
Who comes from the sea just to marry me,
Oh, I won’t marry, marry, marry,
I won’t marry you.

2nd Boy:
I’m a simple farmer, who comes from the farm,
Who comes from the farm just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a simple farmer, who comes from the farm,
Who comes from the farm just to marry me,
Oh, I won’t marry, marry, marry,
I won’t marry you.

3rd Boy:
I’m a humble preacher, who comes from the church,
Who comes from the church just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a humble preacher, who comes from the church,
Who comes from the church just to marry me,
Oh, I won’t marry, marry, marry,
I won’t marry you.

4th Boy:
I’m a simple banker, who comes from the bank,
Who comes from the bank just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a simple banker who comes from the bank,
Who comes from the bank just to marry me,
Yes, I will marry; I will be your honey,
I will marry you.

MP3 of I’m a Little Sailor Boy

Nyango sent us this song with the note, “You can see Nigerian actor/musician, Nkem Owoh (aka Osuofia) and Maureen Solomon doing a souped up version of this one on youtube.” On the video, they call this song, “Marry Me”.

You can easily imagine a man who grew up with this song singing it to a lady in real life to ask her to marry him.

Check out our song page for A Little Sailor Boy, for French and Spanish translations, a midi and score.

Many thanks to Nyango M. Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association for contributing this song and for singing it for us!

Mama Lisa

Nyango sent me this song from Cameroon, Africa that’s about the shape of Italy. Here’s what she wrote: “…wondering if I had given you this song we learn as children in Cameroon during Geography. It goes;

The shape of Italy is admittedly
Often described as the shape of a boot
The shape of Italy is admittedly
Often described as the shape of a boot
See, see.
See, see.*
Italy is in the shape of a boot
Italy, Italy
Is a remarkable boot!

Lovely song! I’m not sure if other countries sing it and/or use the same tune.”

*Nyango and I think “see” has a double meaning in the song, with the Italian word for yes, spelled “sì”.

Recording of Nyango singing The Shape of Italy song.

Many thanks to Nyango M. Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association for contributing this song and for singing it for us!

If anyone knows any other tune for this song or other songs about geography, please let us know in the comments below. Thanks!

Mama Lisa

Here you can see people playing a Thread the Needle Game.

Here are the lyrics to some British Thread the Needle songs…

I. Thread my grandmother’s needle!
Thread my grandmother’s needle!
Thread my grandmother’s needle!
Open your gates as wide as high,
And let King George and me go by.
It is so dark I cannot see
To thread my grandmother’s needle!
Who stole the money-box?

Midi for this version of Thread My Grandmother’s Needle

2) Thread my grandmother’s needle,
Thread my grandmother’s needle;
It is too dark we cannot see
To thread my grandmother’s needle.

Midi for this version of Thread the Needle

3) Come thread a long needle, come thread,
The eye is too little, the needle’s too big.

4) Thread the needle thro’ the skin,
Sometimes out and sometimes in.

In some places in Great Britain they played a Thread the Needle game for Shrove Tuesday. (Shrove Tuesday is the day before the start of the fasting season of Lent for Christians. Sometimes, there’s a party before the fasting – like Mardi Gras.) Here’s a song they would sing while playing Thread the Needle for Shrove Tuesday:

Shrove Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, when Jack went to plough,
His mother made pancakes, she didn’t know how;
She tipped them, she tossed them, she made them so black,
She put so much pepper she poisoned poor Jack.

Pancakes are eaten in England for Shrove Tuesday.

There’s also a Thread the Needle game that’s play in Cameroon, Africa. Check out the link to see the song.

Feel free to share any Thread the Needle songs you know from around the world in the comments below. I’d be curious if any Brits out there are familiar with any of the songs above or if they’re no longer sung.

Thanks to Monique Palomares of the French version of Mama Lisa’s World for the midis!

Enjoy!

Mama Lisa

I posted the poem My Mother in the past for Mother’s Day. So it seemed fitting to post this song now, given that it’s so close to Mothers Day all around the world. It’s usually celebrated in May.

Here are the lyrics that are sung in Cameroon:

My Mother

Who sat and watched my infant head
When sleeping on my cradle bed
And tears of sweet affection shed
My mother!

When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.

MP3 of the 1st Verse of Who Sat and Watched My Infant Head

Nyango M. Nambangi sent me this song with the following comments:

Who sat and watched my infant head, when sleeping on my cradle bed, etc. is from a poem titled: “My Mother”. I do remember that we used the “Oxford English Reader” growing up and that is why many of the nursery rhymes and poems I remember are so British and some with African tunes. I think the version (of My Mother) in our Oxford/Longman’s readers/primers had fewer verses and these two were the ones we all remembered and sang.

Children sing all the time (in Cameroon), while playing, while fetching water or washing dishes, baby-sitting their younger siblings, etc. As children, we are encouraged to sing by our parents, teachers, etc. Children are also adept at making up songs to suit the situation, such as the victory songs I sent you about winning games – some of those are distinct children compositions.

And the “Three Gypsies” song, we sang it because the English Primers we used in Primary and Secondary schools in the English-speaking part of Cameroon, had these as poems in them. These were British/Oxford Printing Press primers and poems like “The Keeper did a-shooting go, and under his cloak he carried a bow…” became songs we sang as children.

I asked Nyango if this song is sung for Mothers Day or as a lullaby. Here’s what she replied:

Yes, by all means, it is appropriate for Mother’s Day. Seeing that it is a Victorian poem, I guess… we sometimes use it as a lullaby.

Thanks for sharing this with us Nyango and for singing the song for us! Nyango Melissa Nambangi works for the Minnesota African Women’s Association and grew up in Cameroon.

Check out Mama Lisa’s World’s Cameroon Song Pages for more songs from Cameroon!

Enjoy and Happy Mothers Day!

Mama Lisa

Hi, all:

You can listen to some samples from African Harmony and watch them at rehearsal. Just scroll down the home page.

African Harmony is the choral group of the Minnesota African Women’s Association, MAWA’s cultural program. African Harmony is made up of members from various African countries and sings in… various African languages, including African songs composed in English, French or other “adopted” African languages. Songs range from choral to the traditional and contemporary. The group performs true to African tradition with a lot of movement, dancing, drumming and other forms of expression.

Thanks.

Ms. M. N. Nambangi
Minnesota African Women’s Association – MAWA

Check it out! There are some nice recordings of African Music!

Mama Lisa

Just thought of these the other day. The clock/time songs sound a lot like they’re of British origin:

MP3 of Tick Tock Songs

1) Tick, says the clock, tick, tick,
What you have to do, do quick,
Tick, says the clock,
Tick, says the clock, tick, tick,
What you have to do, do quick.

This one is usually sung at the end of the school day :-)

2) Tick, Tock, says the clock
Time is passing, go away
Tick, Tock, says the clock
It’s time for us to go away.

Tick, Tock, says the clock
Time is passing, go away
Tick, Tock, says the clock
It’s time for us to go away.

(Or the last line of each verse can be “It’s time for us to go and play.”)

So rushed, I just took a quick break to send these songs since they are running in my mind :-)

Nyango

Check out our Cameroonian Pages for more songs from Cameroon. Many thanks to Nyango Melissa Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association for contributing and singing these songs for us!

Mama Lisa

*****

Minnesota African Women’s Association has products available that were stitched by their sewing group. They’re available for purchase online at Etsy. They have beautiful pillows, dolls dressed in traditional and contemporary African fashions, tote bags, hats and more!

The recording was done by recording a phone call over the internet. Thanks to Nyango Melissa for calling and singing this morning! She made my day! Now you can enjoy her singing too! Just click the mp3 link below and read along with the lyrics. Enjoy!

MP3 of Good Morning to You

Good Morning to You
(In English, French, Hausa, Mbonge & Swahili)

Good morning to you,
Good morning to you,
In English, I speak
In English, I speak
Good morning to you,
Good morning to you,
In English, in English I speak.

Bonjour Mesdames,
Bonjour Messieurs,
En français, je parle
En français, je parle
Bonjour mesdames, bonjour messieurs
In French, in French I speak.

Salam alekum
Alekum sala
In Hausa, I speak
In Hausa, I speak
Salam alekum
alekum sala
In Hausa, in Hausa I speak.

O-we-li-ni-e
O we li ni e
In Mbonge, I speak
In Mbonge, I speak
O we li ni e
O we li ni e
In Mbonge, in Mbonge I speak.

Hujambo bwana,
Hujambo bibi
In Swahili, I speak
In Swahili, I speak
Hujambo bwana
Hujambo bibi
In Swahili, in Swahili I speak!

It’s the 2nd time we were able to easily use this technology of recording a phone call. If anyone else would like to sing a traditional (non-copyrighted) song for us, or recite a rhyme, please email me at lisa@mamalisa.com for directions.

Nyango has sent us many songs from Cameroon over the past couple of years. It’s great for everyone to finally hear her voice! She recorded 6 songs today. You can find them on the Cameroon Pages at the link just above. They’re the ones with the MP3’s.

Many thanks to Nyango Melissa Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association for contributing and singing these songs for us!

Mama Lisa

*****

Minnesota African Women’s Association has products available that were stitched by their sewing group. They’re available for purchase online at Etsy. They have beautiful pillows, dolls dressed in traditional and contemporary African fashions, tote bags, hats and more!

Nyango wrote: “Here’s a song our mother taught us and her Middle School students. The tune is very British, in my opinion, but I have not been able to find the lyrics or tune or any reference to it anywhere. The end actually gets the listeners laughing!”

MP3 Recording of Laughing is Contagious

Laughing is Contagious

Ha, ha, ha!
Laughing is contagious.
Ha, ha, ha!
And sometimes advantageous.
Ha, ha, ha!
And very careful be
And laugh with caution now.
Ha, ha!

Ha, ha, ha!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha!
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha ha!

This recording is extra special to us because it was done by recording a phone call! It’s the first time we were able to easily use this technology of having someone call and recording them. Also, Nyango have sent us many songs from Cameroon over the past couple of years. It’s great for everyone to finally hear her voice!

If anyone would like to sing a traditional (non-copyrighted) song for us, please email me at lisa@mamalisa.com for directions.

Many thanks to Nyango M. Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association for contributing and singing this song for us!

Mama Lisa

*****

Minnesota African Women’s Association has products available that were stitched by their sewing group. They’re available for purchase online at Etsy. They have beautiful pillows, dolls dressed in traditional and contemporary African fashions, tote bags, hats and more!

Click on the icon below to access the group. If you have a Facebook account already, you just need to click on “Join the Group” to join. If you’re not a member, you simply have to sign up for free to become a member and then you can join the Mama Lisa Group…

Looking forward to seeing you in Facebook!

Mama Lisa

Yep! Cameroonian adults sing all the time. We sing while working – hunting, farming, cooking, cleaning around the home, etc. We actually whistle in the dark or while walking through the forest/farm, sometimes to let others who are nearby but out of sight to know that there is another human being nearby. And this helps, seeing as how dense our forests/grass can be and how dark our nights get to be in the tropics, so that anybody hearing movement in the dark or in the forest knows it is a human being not an animal. It also prevents accidental shooting for hunters hunting, and lets any other human being know that there is another person out there. Our farms can be very large and far apart but a singing voice carries, so you don’t feel alone. Singing also helps us work faster and/or gives us the momentum to work longer hours than we would if we just worked silently.

We have songs for almost all occasions. I spent my childhood in several parts of Cameroon and I can remember one song of encouragement to women working on the farm or returning from the harvest carrying bundles of food or wood on their heads. Any passer-by seeing them will call out, and if the women were farming they actually stopped for a minute to sing out in response:

Passerby:
“Miyaka weh”

Women working:
“O-na-o!
O-na-o!
O na, o na, o-na o!
O-na-o!”

The song is in the Metta language. “Miyaka” actually means “thank you” and also suggests “well done”, “good job” or something like that. I find it hard to find an exact English equivalent.

The song was such a delight to us that as children, we always sang out to the women just to hear them answer back. And then sometimes we just sat around and sang it. So, I really am not sure if this qualifies as a children’s song or an adult song.

Children also sing all the time, while playing, while fetching water or washing dishes, baby-sitting their younger siblings, etc. As children, we are encouraged to sing by our parents, teachers, etc. Children are also adept at making up songs to suit the situation, such as the victory songs I sent you about winning games – some of those are distinct children compositions.

Nyango Melissa sent me many songs that you can discover on my Cameroonian Song Pages – many with stories or explanations she has provided.

I’d like to thank Nyango Melissa for sharing so much about Cameroonian musical culture.

Nyango Melissa works with the Minnesota African Women’s Association to promote the health and well-being of African refugee and immigrant women and their families in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Matt, a music teacher from Rhode Island, wrote a question to me, the other day, about Mama Lisa’s World:

Hey Mama,

I love the concept of your site. It’s been exciting to watch it grow. My only frustration is not being able to find either written (preferably) or audio music to accompany the lyrics. How do I find the tunes for all these great lyrics?

Matt
Music Teacher, Rhode Island, USA

Here’s what I wrote back, I’m sharing it with you, in case it helps you too…

Hey Matt,

Thanks for writing!

We’ve just added basic sheet music to a lot of songs on the Germany, France, Hungary, Spain and Mexico pages – plus many others.

We’re now in the process of converting the whole site to a database. We’re halfway through. Hopefully by the summer we’ll have a feature that will let you do a search on songs that have sheet music, midis or mp3’s. Midis play the tune of a song. MP3’s are recordings – usually of someone singing the song.

But for now, the songs on the countries that are in the database are working on a simple system. On the country pages they have symbols next to the song if they have special features. Here’s the key…

KEY TO SYMBOLS
– this song has sheet music
Midi – this song has a Midi tune
MP3 – this song has an MP3 recording
– this song has a Video recording

If there’s anything in particular you’re looking for, you’re welcome to ask – in case I know if we have it or not – I may be able to guide you to the right place to find what you’re looking for.

And, of course, we’re always looking for more sheet music, midi’s and mp3’s, so if you’d like to contribute any from your culture, we’d be thrilled!

I hope this helps!

Mama Lisa

When you consider how many languages there are in those cultures – that’s a lot of information! In order to make it easier to access all of the songs, we are in the process of converting the sites to a database. The database allow our visitors to search for songs on the site by language, by songs with sheet music, recordings, etc.

While we’re putting the songs into the database, we’re trying to obtain as much information as possible about each song. So if we can find the tune, we’ll include a midi tune and sheet music. If we find a recording of the song on the internet, we’ll provide a link to the recording. Sometimes we’ll make a recording ourselves. Anything we can do to help you know everything possible about that song.

If you happen to see any songs on the site that are missing a tune or recording and you know it, we’d be very pleased if you could help us get the tune. We’re able to make midis from sheet music, if that’s what you can send. We’re also happy to post recordings if you’d like to sing the song, play it on an instrument, or even hum it. Really, anything to help others get an idea how to sing or play the song.

Once the database is complete Mama Lisa’s World will have 98 countries and cultures and over 850 songs. How great is that!

-Lisa

UPDATE: The Database is now complete! We have 100 countries and cultures. We’re now working on a Spanish version of Mama Lisa’s World which will feature children’s songs, folks songs and nursery rhymes from around the world with Spanish translations.

Here are links to the new pages, where you’ll find six new songs…

Children’s Songs from Cameroon &
Children’s Songs from Cameroon with French Translations

I particularly like Bring Back, which you can sing with children when they’ve lost something, like a teddy bear. I think my 4 year old daughter will enjoy it.

-Lisa

This is the version of Mr. cocoji from the north west province…

Mr. cocoji
(Pidgin English)

Mr. cocoji
ih begin di follow goat
ih nack ih oneside jiga
ih one side belle high

Here’s another version from the south west province…

Mr. cocoji
(Pidgin English)

Mr. cocoji
ih begin di follow goat
ih nack i foot for jiga
ih one side belle high

Many thanks to Ango Fomuso Ekellem for contributing this song.

If anyone could provide a translation into standard English, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

Come visit the new Mama Lisa’s World Cameroon Page for more songs from Cameroon.

The Bali tribe speaks Mungaka. But I’m not sure if they speak any other languages also.

Here are the lyrics in the original language…

Moni mbebela
(Mungaka?)

Moni mbebela mbebela mbeb
kwatu njenge njongo chaka
muni kwep
fofo mbeh mbeh
mohlu nyhani nyhani
tikhu mbeh
moli koli koli
tuh mgah mbeh
one muh buh

If anyone can help confirm the language of this song and/or provide an English or French translation, please comment below.

Thanks!

-Lisa