Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases four Haitian renditions of the nineteenth century Haitian folk song "Choucoune" (also known as "Ti zwazo" and "Yellow Bird"). Information and comments about this song are also featured in this post along with an English translation of "Choucoune" by Dady Chery and a link to that song's original Haitian Creole lyrics.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the Michel Mauléart Monton and Oswald Durand for creating this song. Thanks also to all those who are featured in the examples which are featured in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT "CHOUCOUNE" ("TI ZWAZO", "YELLOW BIRD")
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choucoune_(song)
"Choucoune (Haitian Creole: Choukoun) is a 19th-century Haitian song composed by Michel Mauléart Monton with lyrics from a poem by Oswald Durand. It was rewritten with English lyrics in the 20th century as Yellow Bird.
One of Oswald Durand's most famous works, the 1883 Choucoune is a lyrical poem that praises the beauty of a Haitian woman of that nickname. Michel Mauléart Monton, an American-born pianist with a Haitian father and American mother composed music for the poem in 1893, appropriating some French and Caribbean fragments to create his tune. The song Choucoune was first performed in Port-au-Prince on 14 May 14, 1893. It became a popular méringue lente (slow méringue) in Haiti, and was played prominently during the bicentennial celebrations in Port-au-Prince in 1949. Choucoune was recorded by "Katherine Dunham and her Ensemble" for the Decca album "Afro-Caribbean Songs and Rhythms" released in 1946 (with the title spelled as Choucounne), and was first recorded in Haiti by Emerante (Emy) de Pradines for her "Voodoo - Authentic Music of Haiti" album (Remington R-199-151) released in the USA in 1953.
The song also appeared in the 1957 Calypso-exploitation film Calypso Heat Wave, performed by The Tarriers, sung by the group's lead singer, Alan Arkin.
The English rendering of Choucoune: Yellow Bird, first appeared on the album Calypso Holiday, a 1957 release by the Norman Luboff Choir, Norman Luboff having arranged the song in the calypso style that become popular in the English-speaking world in the mid-1950s. The lyrics for Yellow Bird, by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, have no connection with the narrative of the Durand poem—other than the poem features the words "ti zwazo" (little birds) in its refrain, and so the original Haitian song is sometimes called Ti Zwazo or Ti Zwezo. The song became a minor hit at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the Mills Brothers in 1959. Its most successful incarnation came in the summer of 1961 when the Arthur Lyman Group reached #4 on the Hot 100 and #2 on the newly formed Easy Listening chart with their Hawaiian flavored instrumental version,[1] which bested a rival instrumental single release by Lawrence Welk (#61)."...
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More information and comments about "Choucoune" are found in the selected comments from the discussion threads of some of this post's featured examples.
Note that in this song "yellow bird" doesn't refer to a bird, but is a woman's nickname.
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LYRICS: CHOUCOUNE
(composer Michel Mauléart Monton, with lyrics from a poem by Oswald Durand)
Translated from the Creole by Dady Chery.
Copyright © 2011-2013 by Dady Chery. All Rights Reserved
1. Behind a thick cactus grove
Yesterday I found my Choucoune
Oh! That smile when she saw me
I said “Heaven, what beauty!”
I said “Heaven, what beauty!”
She said, “Dear, do you think so?”
(Chorus:) Little bird, who listened deep in these woods (2X)
When I think of this
It brings me such pain
Ever since that day
Both my feet in chains
When I think of this
It brings me such pain
Both my feet in chains
2. Choucoune is a marabout,
Eyes as bright as candlelight
Her breasts ever so perky
Ah! If Choucoune had been true!
Ah! If Choucoune had been true!
We stayed and talked a long while
(Chorus:) All the birds looked so happy in these woods (2X)
Better forget this
The pain is too great
Ever since that day
Both my feet in chains
Better forget this
The pain is too great
Both my feet in chains
3. Choucoune’s teeth are white as milk
Her lips pink as caimite
She’s not fat but well padded
Women like this send me fast
Women like this send me fast
Though yesterday’s not today
(Chorus:) Little bird, who heard every word she said (2X)
If you think of this
It will make you sad
Ever since that day
Both my feet in chains
If you think of this
It will make you sad
Both my feet in chains
4. We went to her mother’s house
A straight-talking old woman
Soon as she saw me she said
Ah! This one I like the best!
Ah! This one I like the best!
We drank up her hot cocoa
(Chorus:) Is all lost, dear little bird of these woods (2X)
Better forget this!
The pain is too great
Ever since that day
Both my feet in chains
Better forget this
The pain is too great
Both my feet in chains
5. Young white fellow came around
Trim red beard on his pink face
Pocket watch and hair of silk
My troubles, he brought them all
My troubles, he brought them when
He found my pretty Choucoune
(Chorus:) Spoke French words that made my Choucoune love him (2X)
Better forget this
The pain is too great
Choucoune left me here
Both my feet in chains
Better forget this
The pain is too great
Both my feet in chains
Source: http://www.dadychery.org/2011/09/24/choucoune-story-and-song/
The Haitian Creole words to this song are also found on that website.
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
These examples are given in chronological order according to their publishing dates on YouTube with the oldest dated example given first.
Example #1: Celia Cruz / Martha Jean-Claude & Sonora Matancera - Choucoune (©1952)
Angelusmemmv, Uploaded on Feb 14, 2009
o Autor: Oswald Durand / Michel Mauleart Monton
o Producción: Grandes Éxitos de Celia Cruz
o Serie: SCLP-9124
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Here's a comment from this example's discussion thread:
mihiva, 2011
"That was the HAITI of my great grandfathers :)
Choucoune was a very popular song in Haiti in the 1950's.Martha Jean Claude traveled the world to introduce our culture to the world.And she accomplished her mission.Thank you Martha.HAITI LOVES YOU.May you rest in peace :)"
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Example #2: Issa El Saieh - Choucoune
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgqq0Upqkx8&list=PL40835685592A6DFC
Embedding disabled by request
AboboPouLi, Uploaded on Feb 20, 2011
El Maestro Issa El Saieh performing "Choucoune" composed by Michel Mauleart Monton with lyrics from a poem by Oswald Durand. This song is also known as "Ti Zwazo." It was later translated into the english "Yellow Bird."
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Selected comments from this example's discussion thread:
Eric Oriol, 2011
"Both inspiring and sad .....This is a song written by a Haitian poet who fell in love with a girl named Choucoune.He wrote the words while locked up in jail for politics.An Haitian composer put music to the words and,like many other beautiful created in Haiti,the music was stolen and translated in English."
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410NormalGirl, 2013
in reply to Eric Oriol
"No actually he wasnt in prison. He was in love with Choucoune but she broke up to get with a french guy. The chains thing is a metaphor."
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Gabrisan, 2012
"MAJOR MISTAKE.....HERBY WIDMAIER IS THE LEAD VOCAL SINGER IN THIS VERSION OF Choucoune and the band is Issa El Saieh's band . He is Not mentioned here and if you listen carefully you can hear that it is Herby Widmaier's voice. It has been confirmed by the lengendary singer himself!
Please remove video and correct the information. Thank you."
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Example #3: Ti zwazo/Yellow bird Traditional Haitian song
Riva PrecilUploaded on Oct 25, 2011
Riva Nyri Precil and Mi-Hi playing Ti zwezo at Li, Li, Li benefit.
To learn more about Li, Li, Li! and how you can help, please visit http://www.lililiread.org/
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Here's some information from that website:
"Li, Li, Li! Reading Out Loud to Haiti's Displaced Children
Reading out loud program in Creole for Haiti's children who became displaced because of the January 12, 2010 earthquake."
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Example #4: CHOUCOUNE - JOCELYNE DORISME
OrionSound, Uploaded on Jan 23, 2012
The Haitien Songstress
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Selected comments from this example's discussion thread:
Onlyifitaint ornot, 2012
"When did this first release? Thanks for the post."
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OrionSound, 2012
in reply to Onlyifitaint ornot
"I'm not sure. I went to Brooklyn, NY in 2011 to visit my cousin Ti Frere and I found the cd in a bargin bin at a Haitian boutique on Flatbush and Nostrand. The best $3 I ever spent."
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Stanley Rodriguez, 2014
"OrionSound this is a treasure you found in that bin."
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