Carol wrote to me:
I am from Trinidad, but live in Canada. There is a lullaby that is sung to babies that goes “dodo petit popo”. Those are the only words I remember and now that I have a grandchild, I sing only those words, but I don’t remember the rest. Would you know it, and if not where could I find the words and the music?
If anyone can help with this lullaby, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
This article was posted on Monday, March 26th, 2007 at 4:42 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Creole, France, French, French Lullabies, Grenada, Languages, Lullabies, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidadian Lullabies. 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.
55 Responses to “Would You Know a Lullaby from Trinidad with the line “Dodo petit popo”?”
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March 4th, 2019 at 2:41 pm
Thanks for sharing Sidney. Would you or your brothers and sisters like to sing it for us?
April 9th, 2020 at 6:11 pm
Of interest is the chorus and title of the song, “Doh Doh Sundar Popo” by pioneering Trinidad chutney singer Lakhan Kariah.
Doh doh Sundar Popo, you’ mammy gone to town;
When mammy come’ back, she go gi’u sugar plum (x 2, Chorus).
HEAR FULL SONG:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-khlbtq9Q74&list=RD-khlbtq9Q74&start_radio=1
The title and chorus of the song is an adaptation of a traditional Trinidad patois lullaby: “Dodo petit popo/ Mama gone to town/ To buy sugar plum/ And give popo some” (Mama Lisa, 2007; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDwRYqOanWA). It worked well for Lakhan who used the lyrics – not the melody – as a weapon to attack his singing rival, Sundar Popo.
October 10th, 2020 at 7:05 am
Amazing, i googled to find the original west indian version and like everything else it’s been corrupted by other’s! Even a version with the N word in it. I hope these thing’s make you look at yourselves! Even the One Grenadian has got the lyrics wrong! Just wow
January 22nd, 2021 at 9:53 pm
The words to the song as sung my my Grandma:
Do Do Petit Po Po
Mama Parler Do do
Got to sleep little baby
Mama says go to sleep
November 9th, 2021 at 3:43 am
My mom sang a modified version of this song to us. We are also white so I have no idea where we got this song. Kathy is my sister’s name so that’s why she said sister Kathy is making cornbread.
Go to sleep my little sugar baby
Lay your curly head on mammy’s arm
Don’t you dare to wink or blink or snicker
If you do it’s gonna bring ya harm.
Little baby close your eyes up tight
Momma’s in the hen house busy with the chickens
Daddy’s on the outside helping with the pickens
Sister Kathy’s making cornbread
Honey don’t you cry
Mammy’s gonna make her child good ole chicken pie
Lay right still like any little possum
hanging from the branches of the tree
just as cute as any little tater
Cutest Georgia Coon’s ever seen.
Little baby close your eyes up tight.