Gadé Nou Dansé
Bele Dance Song
A bélé is a type of Caribbean Creole dance of African origin. There's an aspect of this type of song being a mating ritual, and as such it's usually danced by a man and woman. The song is sung by 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.
"Some songs persist for generations, while others are topical and more short-lived... While anyone may join the chorus, 'good' lead singing requires a large repertoire and the ability to improvise lyrics in Creole, adjusting songs to current events or to the performance itself at it unfolds." -From Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 9
Gadé Nou Dansé
Look at Us Dance (Dance of Love)
Dance Song
Dance Song
(Dominican Creole)
(English)
Gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi nou byen enmen'y.
Tanbouyè fè woulé tan-la ba mwen.
Danm, soukwé jip ba mwen,
Kavalyé pitjé bèlè-a,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi, nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou chanté,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi, nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Woy, gadé nou pitjé'y,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou chanté,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi, nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Woy, gadé nou boujé,
Woy, gadé nou chanté,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi, nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou chanté,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi, nou byen enmen'y.
Tanbouyè fè woulé tan-la ba mwen,
Danm, soukwé jip ba mwen,
Kavalyé pitjé bèlè-a,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi, nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou chanté,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi, nou byen enmen'y.
Nou ka dansé,
Nou ka pitjé, pitjé bèlè,
Nou ka soté, soté bèlè,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
Nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Woy, gadé nou pitjé'y,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou chanté,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Woy, gadé nou pitjé'y,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, gadé nou dansé,
Woy, gadé nou chanté,
Woy, gadé nou woulé,
Sé bèlè Donmnitjen mézanmi nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
Nou byen enmen'y.
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy
Nou byen enmen'y.
Look at us dance,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Drummer roll the beat for me,
Lady, shake the skirt for me,
Cavalier, stoke the bèlè,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us sing,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
Woy, look at us stoking it,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us sing,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, Look at us gyrate,
Woy, Look at us move rhythmically,
Woy, look at us sing,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us sing,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Drummer roll the beat for me,
Lady, shake the skirt for me,
Cavalier, stoke the bèlè,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us sing,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
We are dancing,
We are stoking, stoking bèlè,
We are jumping, jumping bèlè,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy woy,
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
Woy, look at us stoke it,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us sing,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
Woy, look at us stoke it,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, look at us dance,
Woy, look at us sing,
Woy, look at us gyrate,
It's Dominican bèlè my friends, we really like it.
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
We really like it.
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,
Woy, woy, woy, woy, woy, woy,woy,
We really like it.
Comments
We welcome information about the origin of this song. Please email me with any info. Thanks! Mama Lisa
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!
Mèsi!
