Looking for a French Creole Song from Trinidad

Susan wrote:

Hi Mama Lisa,

I remember a song from my childhood in Trinidad that translated in English to “Just give me a kiss, just a kiss do do”. Do you have the complete lyrics in English and French Creole to this song?

The term “do do” in Trinidad means darling. I only recall some of the patois phonetically so it may not make any sense, “Bwen whey a ti bo, a ti bo do do y bwen bwen ba yer do do” and I am not sure whether it is a child’s or a folk song. I did meet someone from Mauritius who knew the exact same song. Thanks for all your help.

Thanks,
Susan

If anyone can help, please comment below or email me. Thanks in advance!

-Mama Lisa

This article was posted on Monday, July 16th, 2007 at 12:31 pm and is filed under Canada, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Creole, Folk Songs, France, French, Languages, Mama Lisa, Mauritius, Music, Questions, Readers Questions, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidadian Children's Songs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

22 Responses to “Looking for a French Creole Song from Trinidad”

  1. Monique Says:

    I’d skipped this one. Here is the version I have.

    To, to to to, qu’est-ce qui frappe à ma porte
    Cé moin l’anmou, cé moin pain doux sucré
    Depuis longtemps la pli ka mouillé moin
    Par pitié, par humanité, ouvre la pot’ ban moin.

    Refrain
    Ban moin on ti bo, deux ti bo, trois ti bo, Doudou
    Ban moin on ti bo, deux ti bo, trois ti bo, L’anmou
    Ban moin on ti bo, deux ti bo, trois ti bo
    Ban moin tou sa ou pè pou soulagé cœur moin

    Moin fait un charme pour te chamé, fillette
    Moin réfléchi, moyen de forc’ pas bon
    Moin prend charme-là, moin jeté i en la mer
    Si fille a aimé moin, y a ma’ché derriè moin.

    Moin ka travail six jours dans la semaine
    Trois jou pou moin, trois jou pour Doudou moin
    Samdi rivé béké pa vlé péyé moin
    Nomm la prend poignard a ti pou i poignardé moin.

    The general meaning is:
    “Give me a little kiss, two little kisses, three little kisses darling… give me all that to soothe my heart.

    Knock knock, who’s knocking at my door? It’s me, love, it’s me sweetest sweet bread, the rain soaked me down, please open the door.

    I made a charm to cast a spell on you girl,
    I thought it over, this is no good way
    I took this charm and threw it in the sea
    If you’ll love me you’ll follow me.

    I worked six days in a week
    Three days for me, three days for my darling
    But on the Saturday, the boss didn’t pay me
    This man took your dagger to kill me (some versions say “The girl took his dagger to kill me)

    This song was sung by a group called La Compagnie Créole and you can find the lyrics to their version here
    http://www.paroles.net/chansons/11242.htm or some other sites by typing the title. I found it spelled different ways “Ba moin en ti bo” “Ba moin an tibo”…

  2. Lisa Says:

    Monique was nice enough to make a midi of Ba moin en ti bo for us to listen to the tune – click the link to hear it.

    Thanks Monique!

    -Mama Lisa

  3. Susan Says:

    Thanks for the lyrics, Monique. When I first read the words I was not sure if the song was the one I remembered, but when I listened to the midi file I heard the same tune from my childhood. I had almost given up hope. Thanks again.

  4. M. Says:

    i from Louisiana and met older people who speak creole like me but the young people who raise here in nyc say i am lying about trini who speak creole french thank you

  5. Timamaydife Says:

    Almost all of the Trinidarians that I met in my childhood spoke Creole. It is too bad that now it is almost a dead language over there, pretty much as it is here in Venezuela.

  6. doreen Says:

    looking for madam tout la vie madam serenee

  7. T*A*J Says:

    looking for a song called “the crawfish song” i’m supposed to sing a solo about it and write a little bit about it..the problem is i can’t find it!! it’s not by elvis or anybody like that. it says Creole Folk Song setting by John Edmunds on my music. please help me!! it’s due by saturday and it’s monday…thanx in advance.

  8. Debe-Ann Chen Says:

    I would love to get the words for “Do do petit po po” My grandmother used to sing it to me as a child.

  9. MILHOMME Says:

    sa ka rive, mon fre mo reste Baton Roug, Louisiane

  10. Lisa Says:

    Is that Cajun meaning: ça qu’arrive (?), mon frère, moi, je reste à Bâton Rouge?

  11. Doudoula Says:

    I am a Trinidadian who speaks Creole and French fluently, the song that was posted above comes from Martinique and the Trinidadian version is a little different but I understood every word. there are many French and Creole songs that survive to modern times; songs like do do piti popo, Kongo Bara mò, Marie o, ou cho kon difé and many other bèlè songs, the languaguage is being revived by people like myself.

  12. Doudoula Says:

    for susan the word is doudou more commonly written doux-doux it means darling or sweetheart, dodo is babytalk for sleep.

  13. Lisa Says:

    Hi Doudoula,

    Would you like to post any songs? We’d love to learn more! (Preferably with English translations).

    -Mama Lisa

  14. Louis-Robert Says:

    to gain raizon si mo te ekri ca pou le moune cajun, mo t’ape ekri zot mots

    se pa cajien sa se (couri vini) ou byen kreyol,moune-ye parle com ca toupatou, ca ka rive, ki ca ca di,comment to ye, ca t’ap fe, m’ap vini plita…………Cecile,Louisiane (USA)

  15. Eugene Says:

    To Lisa ,You right that how you say it in cajun

  16. Pierre Says:

    I am shcok to know this! I am of Haitian back ground and mainly understood the creol written in this web page. Wow, I can’t believe this!!!! The creol language is currently a dead language in Trinidad? If so the government should encourage other and the young ones in schools to learn the language and revive this great language.

  17. Dr. M-J Says:

    Mama Lisa, We share the concern about the language which is practicall dead in Grenada (just north of Trinidad and Tobago). Grenada Creole Society is trying to share some knowledge of the language with interested Grenadians. We have even made a song to encourage Grenadians to palé patwa anko. Dr.M-J

  18. Betty Says:

    I would like you to post the lyrics for the Tobago folk song Tim Bam, the first verse goes like thys , Do you know Mr. John Bull tim bam. That man from Charlotte Ville tim bam, he owe me for something tim bam, he owe me one dollar bill tim bam.

  19. Lisa Says:

    Hi Betty! Would you like to email the lyrics for me to post? Otherwise, feel free to post them here and I’ll add them to Mama Lisa’s World. -Mama Lisa

  20. JK Says:

    Do you know Mr. Jean Boulé? (Tim Bam)
    That man from Charlotteville? (Tim bam)
    He owe me a dollar bill
    He owe me for something
    Never see such a thing before
    Never see such a thing before
    He jump on d jackass back
    Throw over he left foot
    Throw over he right foot
    And he shake he neck (regga regga regga tim bam)
    He shake he waist (regga regga regga tim bam)
    He shake he back (regga regga regga tim bam)
    He shake he tail (regga regga regga tim bam)
    He shake he shake (regga regga regga sigga regga regga regga sigga regga regga regga tom bam)
    (regga regga regga sigga regga regga regga sigga regga regga regga tom bam)

  21. Lionel Says:

    Does anyone know the French Caribbean Patios folk song “La Porrinden”? I’d love to hire a native speaker who can translate in English and Coach me in patios.

  22. Kath Says:

    Hi, I know this is a long shot, but I am a trinidadian and as a child I remember a song, not too sure if it is folk or calypso and would love to know the name.

    “Doux doux darlin’ my princess charmin’ lemme hold yuh hand gyal, lemme hold yuh hand”

    If anyone knows this song please let me know!!

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