Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents the words to & performance instructions, for the Caribbean children's game song "Congotay". This post also includes a comparison of this game with other British, Caribbean, American children's games and my comments about the possible early meaning of that game.
This serves as a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-one-day-congotay-congote-means.html. That post provides information and comments about the meanings of the proverb "One day one day Congotay (Congote)".
This also serves as a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-love-circle-one-day-congote.html The Love Circle - "One Day Congote (Congotay)" sound file & lyrics
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
UPDATE: December 20, 2015
Thanks to Jeremy Peretz for this link to a YouTube video of "Congotay" from Surinam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrZCFL-uwQ4 (at around 1:15:41 minutes in this video until around 1:16:23. Unfortunately, that portion of the video which was filmed at night is very difficult to see.
[Description: Added May 13, 2017]
Children are standing in single file with both hands holding on to the hips of the child in front of them them. The first person in that vertical line is taller (probably an adult). Someone is heard saying "Congotay!" and another voice says a short response that I can't decipher. On the word "Congotay!" the line moves (with the children holding on to each other) as if to avoid some action. You can hear the children's laughter while playing this game.
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OVERVIEW OF THE WORD "CONGOTAY"
I have found three online uses for the word "Congotay" ("Congo-tay", "Congote", "Congo-te"). Given in the order of the most often found meaning and the least often found meaning online:
1. "Congotay" refers to the "old" proverb (saying) "One day Congotay". Old" here probably refers to the 19th century, but I can't substantiate this guess.
Most online sites associate this proverb with Trinidad & Tobago and with Grenada.
This sub-category also includes the use of "Congotay" in songs such as The Love Circle's record which is showcased in the previous pancocojams post whose link is given above.
2. "Congotay" is the name of a Caribbean* children's game as well as the refrain used in the chant for that game.
*Online and off-line sources that I've found associate this game with Tobago, but it may have also been played in Trinidad and in other Caribbean nations. I used past tense, but this game may still be played in the Caribbean and, by dissemination, elsewhere.
3."Congotay" refers to a Caribbean* prepared food.
*Caribbean here also means "Tobago" but may also mean Trinidad and other West Indian nations.
-snip-
This post focuses on the use of "Congotay" as the title of and the refrain in a specific Caribbean children's game.
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OVERVIEW OF THE CHILDREN'S GAME
"Congotay" is a children's chasing game that begins as a line game.* My guess is that the "One day Congotay" proverb was created before the singing game (which also includes the words "one day". According to Candice Goucher, author of Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food, this game was first recorded by J.D. Elder in 1936. A description from J. D. Elder about the performance activity associated with this game is given below.
*Congotay & other line games & dances is the name of a 1996 book by David G Woods (Publisher: Chicago, Ill. GIA Publications, ©1996.). A summary of that book reads:
"A collection of traditional line games and dances for use as a supplemental resource in a comprehensive elementary music curriculum.
-snip-
Note that this book refers to "Congotay" and the other featured games as "traditional". However, although this book is cited numerous times online, I haven’t been able to find a listing online or any of the words to any of its featured games (as they are found in that book). Also "traditional" isn't defined in any of the citations for this book ("Traditional" in which cultures? When were these examples first collected which would make them traditional?)
****
TEXT (WORD ONLY) EXAMPLES
Here are two text examples of that game. Unfortunately, to date, I've not been able to find any YouTube sound files or videos of this game.
Here are two examples of this rhyme. My guess is that example #1 is older than example #2:
Example #1:
One day, one day
Congotay!
I meet an ol' lady,
Congotay!
With a box of chickens,
Congotay!
I ask her for one,
Congotay!
She did not give me,
Congotay!
She’s a greedy mama
Congotay!
-as given by Candice Goucher in the chapter "The Enslaved Africans Kitchen" (p. 67) of her 2014 book Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food books.google.com/books?isbn=0765642174
Here's the preface that Candice Goucher wrote about this game song:
“On the island of Tobago Congotay is a simple tag-and-capture team game in which half the children are chickens and half are attackers. The attackers try to get past the female leader , “the greedy mama:, to capture her chickens for their side. First recorded by J.D. Elder in 1936, the Congotay song and dance is still remembered in various parts of the Caribbean, where the children’s laughter punctuates the lines of the song."
****
Example #2:
One day, one day
Congotay
I went down to the bay.
Congotay
I meet an ol' lady,
Congotay
With a bag of chickens,
Congotay
I ask her for one,
Congotay
But she wouldn't give me,
Congotay
She's a greedy Mama,
Congotay
So I took it anyway.*
" 'Congotay' is an alternating chant game in which two lines of children stand facing each other with the leader (Mama) of one side protecting the children (chickens) behind her."
- from the 1996 book Down By The River: Afro-Caribbean Rhymes, Games, And Songs For Children
compiled by Grace Hallworth and illustrated by Caroline Binch. (New York: Scholastic Inc, 1996)
-snip-
Given the two acknowledgements/dedications in that book are for two people from Tobago, it appears that these examples in that book come from the Caribbean nation of Tobago.
*I believe that this line is a later addition to the words of this song, but that's just my guess.
****
OTHER PLAY INSTRUCTIONS
From http://books.google.com/books?id=nL1aAAAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=congotay
Jacob D. Elder
American Folklore Society, Jun 1, 1965 - Social Science – 119 [Google books]page 54
"Movements: captured “chickens” are then added to the attackers’ side
The attackers chant “one day one day”, and the “chickens” reply “Congotay”
From time to time the leader of the attackers attempts to get past the greedy “Mama”."
-snip-
In his essay "Recall....Growing Up In Tobago" that is included in the 1997 book Brown Girl In The Ring: An Anthology Of Song Games From the Eastern Caribbean collected & documented by Alan Lomax, J. D. Elder, and Bess Lomax Hawes, J.D. Elders recalls both boys and girls in Tobago playing chasing games. However, the game "Congotay" isn't among the 68 games that are included in that book.
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COMPARISON OF "CONGOTAY" WITH OTHER CHASING GAMES
Several children's chasing games involve children in the role of "chickens" being protected by their mother from attackers. Among those games are "Bull Inna Penn" (original source location: Jamaica), “Chicamy" (original source location: The United Kingdom); and "Chicka Ma Chicka Ma Craney Crow" (African American version of "Chicamy", given as "Hawk and Chickens" in Thomas W. Talley's 1922 book Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise and Otherwise.
Other closely related children's chasing games in the United States are "What's the time, Mr. Wolf", "What time is it Mrs. Witch", "What's The Time, Mr Fox", and "I'm going downtown to smoke my pipe".
To serve as an example, here is a description of "Bull Inna Penn" from Xavier Murphy; "Games played by children in Jamaica" http://www.jamaicans.com/culture/intro/childgames.shtml, Published May 1, 2002, retrieved October 29, 2010:
"[Bull Inna Penn] is a tense, rough and super exciting game, much loved by every child (and adults) in Jamaica.
This game is basically a story of a mother hen and her chicken, a bull in the pen and a hawk.
The mother hen is protecting her brood who are tightly lined up behind her, each little chick clutching tightly onto each other and in step with every move that mother hen does.
The Bull is standing a couple feet in front of mother hen, taunting and jeering, making noise, and trying everything to reach behind Mother Hen to grab one of her precious chicks. The game has a song and little play..."
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MY SPECULATION ABOUT THE EARLY MEANING OF THE CHILDREN'S GAME "CONGOTAY"
My folkloric approach to children’s rhymes, cheers, and game songs starts with the premise that the words to many of those compositions have meanings that may have been forgotten and/or changed over time. With regard to Afro-Caribbean and African American children's games and rhymes, like dance songs and work songs, the words to these compositions may have had coded meanings to shield people from the negative consequences that would occur if their criticism, protest, and/or revolutionary intentions were recognized and understood. These folk songs are ways of “hiding in plain sight” anti-systems criticisms, protests, if not revolutionary intents.
To clarify, a game can have English (United Kingdom) sources, or other Anglo sources and mean something else or some thing more when that game is adapted by Black people in the Caribbean, in the United States, or elsewhere. Also to clarify, if the game "Congotay" is still played now or even when it was played in the mid 1960s, I doubt if the children playing that game gave it that same meaning as the speculative meaning that I've shared here.
My guess is that the early meaning of the word "Congotay" in this game song from Tobago is the same as the meaning of that word in the Caribbean proverb: "You might get away with doing wrong today but one day it will catch up with you." As I presented in http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-one-day-congotay-congote-means.html, the word "Congotay" (Congote) probably originally meant "Congo Day" with "Congo" being a referent for Black people and White people were those who were getting away with doing wrong.
What confused me about the game "Congotay" is that the mama who is protecting her chicks from being captured is presented as “the bad guy” (since the Mama is described as being “greedy”.) Presumably, that means that the attackers are “the good guys”. You would think that those good/bad roles would be reversed.
Since chickens are food that people eat, I wonder if the attackers felt justified for stealing the chickens in order to supplement their meager diet. Perhaps the word “congotay” and its promise that one day justice will prevail alludes to the end of systems that caused people to be in such dire conditions that they felt they had to attempt to steal had to steal from those who had plenty in order to get adequate food.
-snip-
"Stealing chickens" is a theme in several antebellum African American social songs that are included in Thomas W. Talley's Negro Folk Songs: Wise And Otherwise. Click http://www.cocojams.com/content/food-beverages-mentioned-thomas-w-talley%E2%80%99s-negro-folk-rhymes for those examples.
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Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label Congotay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congotay. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
What The Caribbean Saying "One Day Congotay (Congote)" Means
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents information and online comments about the meaning of the Caribbean proverb "One day, one day Congotay (Congote).
This serves as a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-love-circle-one-day-congote.html The Love Circle - "One Day Congote (Congotay)" sound file & lyrics
This also serves as companion to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/congotay-childrens-game-words-play.html which feature examples of and comments about the Caribbean children's game song "Congotay".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and sociological purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
OVERVIEW
I have found three online uses for the word "Congotay" ("Congo-tay", "Congote", "Congo-te")
Given in the order of the most often found meaning and the least often found meaning online:
1. "Congotay" refers to the "old" proverb (saying) "One day Congotay". "Old" here probably refers to the 19th century, but I can't substantiate that guess.
Most online sites associate this proverb with Trinidad & Tobago and with Grenada.
This sub-category also includes the use of "Congotay" in songs such as The Love Circle's record which is showcased in the previous pancocojams post whose link is given above.
2. "Congotay" is the name of a Caribbean* children's game and is the refrain used in the chant for that game.
*Online and off-line sources that I've found associate this game with Tobago, but it may have also been played in Trinidad and in other Caribbean nations. I used past tense, but this game may still be played in the Caribbean and, by dissemination, elsewhere."Congotay" refers to a Caribbean* children's game and the chant that is used in that game.
Update March 10, 2014: I had initially written that I had found an example of "Congotay" children's game in a published book on Caribbean children's rhymes& games, but that book didn't indicate which nation or nations the examples came from. I was referring to the 1996 book Down By The River: Afro-Caribbean Rhymes, Games, and Songs For Children by "Grace Hallworth, Illustrated by Caroline Binch. On further examination, *as per the two acknowledgements/dedications in that book, it appears that these examples come from the Caribbean nation of Tobago.
3."Congotay" refers to a Caribbean* prepared food. According to Candice Goucher in the chapter "The Enslaved Africans Kitchen" (p. 67) of her book Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (Google eBook) "Congotay" is a thick, pasty gruel made out of cassava (manioc).
*"Caribbean" here means "Trinidad & Tobago", But this dish might also be found in other West Indian nations.
-snip-
This post focuses on the use of "Congotay" in proverbs.
****
EXAMPLES & MEANINGS OF "CONGOTAY" USED IN PROVERBS
These entries are given in no particular order and are numbered for references purposes only.
1. From Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles [Google Books]
A portion of the entry for the word "congotay" in Lise Winer's book Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles [Google Books] suggests that "congotay" came from the words "Congo's Day". "Congo" here is a referent for all people of Black African ancestry and not just people of Bakongo ancestry. My sense is that Lise Winer's conclusion is that "One day Congo's Day" is a shorthand way of saying that one day justice will prevail for all the wrong that has been done to Black people. The proverb "one day one day congotay" extends that core meaning to apply to individuals who do wrong and who will one day (also) have to pay for their misdeeds.
**
2. http://www.trinizagada.com/2010/08/one-day-one-day-congotayyuh-is-ah-trini.html
Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #63
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Posted by Santiwah
"Yuh is ah Trini|"One day, one day congotay"…
"This is one saying that a mischievous youth or a bully in the neighborhood would hear from an elder in the community….,
One day, one day congotay simply means that the time will come when one will have to pay for ones misdeeds....
So as the Trinidadian would say, "who cyar hear will have to feel" and "one day, one day congotay!" "
-snip-
Comment:
Anonymous said...
July 23, 2013 at 7:41 PM
Why "Congo-tay" ? What is it about that word(s) in particular means I'll have my day soon and that evildoers will pay. I have my own theory about that.
**
3.From Islands of Trinidad and Tobago | Facebook [Google link access cloaked]
"One day, one day, congotay"- Sooner or later the day of reckoning will arrive and then you will know!"
**
4. https://www.facebook.com/digicelgrenada/posts/10151832995346131
Digicel Grenada; September 4, 2013
“Post” your favourite old time saying below. Here are a few to begin with.
'One day, one day Congo te."
**
5. http://rogueaphrodisiac.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/one-day-one-day-congotay.pdf
"Date :Monday 29 March 2004.
'One day, one day congotay,'.
Dem family does say.
'One day, one day congotay,'.
Every body have to pay"
-snip-
In this excerpt from a book or some other literary composition the person saying this proverb is commenting about a girl's "tomboyish” ways. The saying “one day one day congotay” expresses the hope that that girl will eventually outgrow that behavior.
**
6. http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/2008/12/trini-sayings.html#axzz2vR4GHs9C
"One day one day congo tay – Time will catch up with you. One day you will meet your justice.
**
7.http://bigdrumnation.org/notes/deriggsInterview.htm Big Drum Nation (Grenada) Interview with Grenadian author Anthony "Wendell" De Riggs ; May - August, 2006
"BDN: A language is a conveyor of values. What are some of the values conveyed in the Grenadian nation language?
Response:
To answer that question I go straight to my Mother and Grandmother. I can still hear them telling me sternly “Respect yourself.” Yes, our language is filled with words and expressions that convey cherished values. I carried the word “Respect your self” throughout my life and I am mindful of the fact that if I can’t respect myself, I can’t respect others. The words filled us with pride. “One hand cyan clap” tells us of the need for unity. “Learning is better than silver and gold” my grandma used to say and that emphasized the importance gaining acquiring knowledge. And there were other words and expressions like “One day for watchman , one day for tief” or “One day one day one day congote” which presses the point that you might get away with doing wrong today but one day it will catch up with you. It will be good if our young people are familiarized with those valuable words."
**
8. http://www.newsday.co.tt/commentary/0,115038.html [Trinidad and Tobago Newsday]
The old people say
Freddie Kissom, Saturday, January 30 2010
"Yes, the old people used to say lots of things like, “One day, one day congotay.” This meant that the time will come when you will pay for your misdeeds – a sort of day of reckoning. Closely related to that expression is, “Monkey say, “Cool breeze.” meaning, “You have it nice an easy now, but you will suffer for it in the end.” Both declare retribution for your actions..."
**
9. [corrected May 13, 2017]
From {Google Book] Congotay! Congotay!; A Global History of Caribbean Food by Candice Goucher (Dec 18, 2014; page II
“congotay [1 n Usu] In the expression "One day, one day congotay", indicating that the oppressed will one day be freed, that one day justice will prevail. probab One day one day Congo's day
2. n A children's song game, along line of chickens protected by a "mother" from an individual who says "I must have a chick".
concontay...congotay n A thick paste like meal made from casava...Congotay was traditionally used as a ritual food of ceremonial dances where it was served with a goat's head sacrificed for the ancestors.
From Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles by Lise Winer (Montreal, McGill-Queens University Press 2008)
-snip-
Here's another excerpt from that book about this children's game:
Example #1:
One day, one day
Congotay!
I meet an ol' lady,
Congotay!
With a box of chickens,
Congotay!
I ask her for one,
Congotay!
She did not give me,
Congotay!
She’s a greedy mama
Congotay!
-as given by Candice Goucher in the chapter "The Enslaved Africans Kitchen" (p. 67) of her 2014 book Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food books.google.com/books?isbn=0765642174
Here's the preface that Candice Goucher wrote about this game song:
“On the island of Tobago Congotay is a simple tag-and-capture team game in which half the children are chickens and half are attackers. The attackers try to get past the female leader , “the greedy mama:, to capture her chickens for their side. First recorded by J.D. Elder in 1936, the Congotay song and dance is still remembered in various parts of the Caribbean, where the children’s laughter punctuates the lines of the song."
****
MY OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THIS PROVERB
"Congotay" is usually spelled with a capital (upper case) first letter. That spelling supports the belief that "Congo" in this proverb refers to a nation or region or a group of people.
**
I haven't found any examples of the word "Congo" spelled with a "k" as in the kingdom of the "Kongo".
**
"One day Congotay" is considered an old saying and it is described as a proverb that the elders say. (quotes #7, #8, #9)
**
I think that it's very possible that "One day Congotay" proverb was used and still can be used to express criticism and protest about the system which or people who unjustly treated/treat Black people as a whole. Because of the negative consequences that could have resulted from such criticism and protest, particularly in the past, it seems to me that the use of this proverb may have been an example of coded language, or "hiding in plain sight".
I also wonder if the naming the prepared dish "Congotay"* and naming that children's game "Congotay" also could have been examples of hiding in plain sight criticisms/protests or, if not protests, then reminders that the time would come when misdeeds would have a reckoning.
* Read the description about the congotay dish in Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (Google eBook) by Candice Goucher in the chapter "The Enslaved Africans Kitchen", p. 67. If I correctly understand what she wrote, Goucher believes that the name of this dish and that children's song are tied to the unjust treatment that Black people received and the day of reckoning that was destined to come, according to that proverb.
****
A LITERARY EXAMPLE THAT INCLUDES THIS PROVERB
[Google Book]
The True History of Paradise: A Novel
By Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Random House LLC, May 12, 2010
Excerpt from chapter 62, Page 299
...."When you add- up an’ subtract- down all ‘dem people
You ha fe wonder when Africa go’stop wail
One day, one day, Congotay
For dem no know say we tuff it out here an’ mek it, dem no know say we survive-o
I want to tell me muma-Look ya, me no dead-o.
One day, one day, Congotay....
Dem carry Israel Pickney go Egypt. Dem carry
Africa pickney come ya. So much people
cross the water, cyaan be God mistake.
God cyaan shut him eye fe four hundred years
Four hundred years mus’ mek sense.
One day, one day, Congotay
Listen Jean-eleye, no matter wha’ you do
survive-o. Go back a Ife, go tell muma.
Hush now. Tell dem we did mek it cross de water.
Mek dem know. Mek dem know we is here.
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ife
"Ife (Yoruba: Ifè, also Ilé-Ifẹ̀) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria...
The meaning of the word "ife" in Yoruba is "expansion"; "Ile-Ife" is therefore in reference to the myth of origin "The Land of Expansion". Due to this fact, the city is commonly regarded as the cradle of not just the Yoruba culture, but all of humanity as well, especially by the followers of the Yoruba faith."...
Origin of the regional states: Dispersal from the holy city, Ife[edit]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post presents information and online comments about the meaning of the Caribbean proverb "One day, one day Congotay (Congote).
This serves as a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-love-circle-one-day-congote.html The Love Circle - "One Day Congote (Congotay)" sound file & lyrics
This also serves as companion to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/congotay-childrens-game-words-play.html which feature examples of and comments about the Caribbean children's game song "Congotay".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and sociological purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
OVERVIEW
I have found three online uses for the word "Congotay" ("Congo-tay", "Congote", "Congo-te")
Given in the order of the most often found meaning and the least often found meaning online:
1. "Congotay" refers to the "old" proverb (saying) "One day Congotay". "Old" here probably refers to the 19th century, but I can't substantiate that guess.
Most online sites associate this proverb with Trinidad & Tobago and with Grenada.
This sub-category also includes the use of "Congotay" in songs such as The Love Circle's record which is showcased in the previous pancocojams post whose link is given above.
2. "Congotay" is the name of a Caribbean* children's game and is the refrain used in the chant for that game.
*Online and off-line sources that I've found associate this game with Tobago, but it may have also been played in Trinidad and in other Caribbean nations. I used past tense, but this game may still be played in the Caribbean and, by dissemination, elsewhere."Congotay" refers to a Caribbean* children's game and the chant that is used in that game.
Update March 10, 2014: I had initially written that I had found an example of "Congotay" children's game in a published book on Caribbean children's rhymes& games, but that book didn't indicate which nation or nations the examples came from. I was referring to the 1996 book Down By The River: Afro-Caribbean Rhymes, Games, and Songs For Children by "Grace Hallworth, Illustrated by Caroline Binch. On further examination, *as per the two acknowledgements/dedications in that book, it appears that these examples come from the Caribbean nation of Tobago.
3."Congotay" refers to a Caribbean* prepared food. According to Candice Goucher in the chapter "The Enslaved Africans Kitchen" (p. 67) of her book Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (Google eBook) "Congotay" is a thick, pasty gruel made out of cassava (manioc).
*"Caribbean" here means "Trinidad & Tobago", But this dish might also be found in other West Indian nations.
-snip-
This post focuses on the use of "Congotay" in proverbs.
****
EXAMPLES & MEANINGS OF "CONGOTAY" USED IN PROVERBS
These entries are given in no particular order and are numbered for references purposes only.
1. From Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles [Google Books]
A portion of the entry for the word "congotay" in Lise Winer's book Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles [Google Books] suggests that "congotay" came from the words "Congo's Day". "Congo" here is a referent for all people of Black African ancestry and not just people of Bakongo ancestry. My sense is that Lise Winer's conclusion is that "One day Congo's Day" is a shorthand way of saying that one day justice will prevail for all the wrong that has been done to Black people. The proverb "one day one day congotay" extends that core meaning to apply to individuals who do wrong and who will one day (also) have to pay for their misdeeds.
**
2. http://www.trinizagada.com/2010/08/one-day-one-day-congotayyuh-is-ah-trini.html
Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #63
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Posted by Santiwah
"Yuh is ah Trini|"One day, one day congotay"…
"This is one saying that a mischievous youth or a bully in the neighborhood would hear from an elder in the community….,
One day, one day congotay simply means that the time will come when one will have to pay for ones misdeeds....
So as the Trinidadian would say, "who cyar hear will have to feel" and "one day, one day congotay!" "
-snip-
Comment:
Anonymous said...
July 23, 2013 at 7:41 PM
Why "Congo-tay" ? What is it about that word(s) in particular means I'll have my day soon and that evildoers will pay. I have my own theory about that.
**
3.From Islands of Trinidad and Tobago | Facebook [Google link access cloaked]
"One day, one day, congotay"- Sooner or later the day of reckoning will arrive and then you will know!"
**
4. https://www.facebook.com/digicelgrenada/posts/10151832995346131
Digicel Grenada; September 4, 2013
“Post” your favourite old time saying below. Here are a few to begin with.
'One day, one day Congo te."
**
5. http://rogueaphrodisiac.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/one-day-one-day-congotay.pdf
"Date :Monday 29 March 2004.
'One day, one day congotay,'.
Dem family does say.
'One day, one day congotay,'.
Every body have to pay"
-snip-
In this excerpt from a book or some other literary composition the person saying this proverb is commenting about a girl's "tomboyish” ways. The saying “one day one day congotay” expresses the hope that that girl will eventually outgrow that behavior.
**
6. http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/2008/12/trini-sayings.html#axzz2vR4GHs9C
"One day one day congo tay – Time will catch up with you. One day you will meet your justice.
**
7.http://bigdrumnation.org/notes/deriggsInterview.htm Big Drum Nation (Grenada) Interview with Grenadian author Anthony "Wendell" De Riggs ; May - August, 2006
"BDN: A language is a conveyor of values. What are some of the values conveyed in the Grenadian nation language?
Response:
To answer that question I go straight to my Mother and Grandmother. I can still hear them telling me sternly “Respect yourself.” Yes, our language is filled with words and expressions that convey cherished values. I carried the word “Respect your self” throughout my life and I am mindful of the fact that if I can’t respect myself, I can’t respect others. The words filled us with pride. “One hand cyan clap” tells us of the need for unity. “Learning is better than silver and gold” my grandma used to say and that emphasized the importance gaining acquiring knowledge. And there were other words and expressions like “One day for watchman , one day for tief” or “One day one day one day congote” which presses the point that you might get away with doing wrong today but one day it will catch up with you. It will be good if our young people are familiarized with those valuable words."
**
8. http://www.newsday.co.tt/commentary/0,115038.html [Trinidad and Tobago Newsday]
The old people say
Freddie Kissom, Saturday, January 30 2010
"Yes, the old people used to say lots of things like, “One day, one day congotay.” This meant that the time will come when you will pay for your misdeeds – a sort of day of reckoning. Closely related to that expression is, “Monkey say, “Cool breeze.” meaning, “You have it nice an easy now, but you will suffer for it in the end.” Both declare retribution for your actions..."
**
9. [corrected May 13, 2017]
From {Google Book] Congotay! Congotay!; A Global History of Caribbean Food by Candice Goucher (Dec 18, 2014; page II
“congotay [1 n Usu] In the expression "One day, one day congotay", indicating that the oppressed will one day be freed, that one day justice will prevail. probab One day one day Congo's day
2. n A children's song game, along line of chickens protected by a "mother" from an individual who says "I must have a chick".
concontay...congotay n A thick paste like meal made from casava...Congotay was traditionally used as a ritual food of ceremonial dances where it was served with a goat's head sacrificed for the ancestors.
From Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles by Lise Winer (Montreal, McGill-Queens University Press 2008)
-snip-
Here's another excerpt from that book about this children's game:
Example #1:
One day, one day
Congotay!
I meet an ol' lady,
Congotay!
With a box of chickens,
Congotay!
I ask her for one,
Congotay!
She did not give me,
Congotay!
She’s a greedy mama
Congotay!
-as given by Candice Goucher in the chapter "The Enslaved Africans Kitchen" (p. 67) of her 2014 book Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food books.google.com/books?isbn=0765642174
Here's the preface that Candice Goucher wrote about this game song:
“On the island of Tobago Congotay is a simple tag-and-capture team game in which half the children are chickens and half are attackers. The attackers try to get past the female leader , “the greedy mama:, to capture her chickens for their side. First recorded by J.D. Elder in 1936, the Congotay song and dance is still remembered in various parts of the Caribbean, where the children’s laughter punctuates the lines of the song."
****
MY OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THIS PROVERB
"Congotay" is usually spelled with a capital (upper case) first letter. That spelling supports the belief that "Congo" in this proverb refers to a nation or region or a group of people.
**
I haven't found any examples of the word "Congo" spelled with a "k" as in the kingdom of the "Kongo".
**
"One day Congotay" is considered an old saying and it is described as a proverb that the elders say. (quotes #7, #8, #9)
**
I think that it's very possible that "One day Congotay" proverb was used and still can be used to express criticism and protest about the system which or people who unjustly treated/treat Black people as a whole. Because of the negative consequences that could have resulted from such criticism and protest, particularly in the past, it seems to me that the use of this proverb may have been an example of coded language, or "hiding in plain sight".
I also wonder if the naming the prepared dish "Congotay"* and naming that children's game "Congotay" also could have been examples of hiding in plain sight criticisms/protests or, if not protests, then reminders that the time would come when misdeeds would have a reckoning.
* Read the description about the congotay dish in Congotay! Congotay! A Global History of Caribbean Food (Google eBook) by Candice Goucher in the chapter "The Enslaved Africans Kitchen", p. 67. If I correctly understand what she wrote, Goucher believes that the name of this dish and that children's song are tied to the unjust treatment that Black people received and the day of reckoning that was destined to come, according to that proverb.
****
A LITERARY EXAMPLE THAT INCLUDES THIS PROVERB
[Google Book]
The True History of Paradise: A Novel
By Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Random House LLC, May 12, 2010
Excerpt from chapter 62, Page 299
...."When you add- up an’ subtract- down all ‘dem people
You ha fe wonder when Africa go’stop wail
One day, one day, Congotay
For dem no know say we tuff it out here an’ mek it, dem no know say we survive-o
I want to tell me muma-Look ya, me no dead-o.
One day, one day, Congotay....
Dem carry Israel Pickney go Egypt. Dem carry
Africa pickney come ya. So much people
cross the water, cyaan be God mistake.
God cyaan shut him eye fe four hundred years
Four hundred years mus’ mek sense.
One day, one day, Congotay
Listen Jean-eleye, no matter wha’ you do
survive-o. Go back a Ife, go tell muma.
Hush now. Tell dem we did mek it cross de water.
Mek dem know. Mek dem know we is here.
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ife
"Ife (Yoruba: Ifè, also Ilé-Ifẹ̀) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria...
The meaning of the word "ife" in Yoruba is "expansion"; "Ile-Ife" is therefore in reference to the myth of origin "The Land of Expansion". Due to this fact, the city is commonly regarded as the cradle of not just the Yoruba culture, but all of humanity as well, especially by the followers of the Yoruba faith."...
Origin of the regional states: Dispersal from the holy city, Ife[edit]
****
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Visitor comments are welcome.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
The Love Circle - "One Day Congote (Congotay)" Trinidad & Tobago sound file & lyrics
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases a sound file of "One Day One Day Congote" (Congotay), a song about wife beating by the Trinidadian group "The Love Circle's 2003 album "Home Grown". Information about The Love Circle is included in this post.
This post also includes my attempt at transcribing the lyrics to that song. I made that attempt because I couldn't find lyrics to this song online.
This serves as a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-one-day-congotay-congote-means.html. That post provides information and comments about the meanings of the proverb "One day one day Congotay (Congote)".
This also serves as companion to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/congotay-childrens-game-words-play.html which feature examples of and comments about the Caribbean children's game song "Congotay".
The content of this post is presented for cultural, inspiration, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to The Love Circle for their musical legacy. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOVE CIRCLE
From https://www.gospelreggae.com/browse/artists/the+love+circle/detail.html
Official Bio
"Since their inception in 1981, The Love Circle has earned a reputation as one of the most outstanding musical families in Trinidad and Tobago. The late great Ras Short I (Garfield Blackman), the founder of The Love Circle and father of the musical genres of "Soca" and "Jamoo", has left a legacy of musical creativity that is hard to emulate (on any level). This, combined with the extra-ordinary musical talent of group members, has put The Love Circle on the cutting edge of musical culture in the Caribbean.
Today, the group is made up of the youngest children of the Blackman family, Isaac, Nehilet, Marge, Eldon, Sheldon and their mother Claudette Blackman...
'Jamoo', the musical style performed by the group, delivers a Christian message over Trinidadian, African, Indian, and various other World rhythms. The music seeks to amplify love, to explore the ills of society (drug abuse, AIDS and oppression) and endeavors to provide solutions through meaningful Bible-based lyrics.
Early CDs by the group include "Jamoo Victory", and "Children of the Jamoo Journey". In 2003 the group released "Home Grown". Under the production expertise of Isaac Blackman, this digital masterpiece helped take "Jamoo" to a whole new level.
"Homegrown" is a clever collection of songs written and performed by the sons, daughters and widow of the legendary Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman), the inventor of soca music. This rustic compilation combines rootsy, acoustic jamoo sounds with syncopated digital urban beats. Jamoo is the gospel of soca -- a unique blend of calypso, East Indian and African rhythms, with elements of folk, reggae, jazz and blues. Fresh from the backyard of the Blackmans, this labor of love is packed with rich vocal textures and lush harmonies, a showcase of the tremendous talents of this musical family."
-snip-
According to this article "Jamoo" means "Jehovah's music".
****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLE:
The LOVE Circle [Ms.Claudette Blackman]- One Day Congote (Congotay)
majabsalu, Uploaded on Sep 22, 2008
****
LYRICS: ONE DAY CONGOTAY
(Claudette Blackman)
Spoken:
It’s time to stop forever the flow of violence
Sings:
Lead –Mmmm-mmm
Yeah-eah
Group -Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai
Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai
Lead – With some men in the street, women it makes me wonder
If they fall from the sky or if they born from a mother.
They beating their woman as if she’s some beast of burden.
No love, no consideration, no kind of reason.
But I tell you
Lead & Group – One day, one day Congotay.
Lead – Which means one day you will pay.
Lead and group – Even if it is when you will get older, then
What you sow I say one day you will reap one day.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai
Lead- The woman bawling.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai.
Lead –She can’t take the beating..
Lead & Group -Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai.
It’s too much aches and pain.
Lead – Lord, the same from ever since the creation
An eye for an eye and there is no alteration.
So when you treat your woman bad, brother, please remember
The same thing could come and happen to your little daughter.
So I tell you
Lead & Group – One day, one day Congotay
Lead – Which means one day you will pay.
Lead & Group – Even if it is when you will get older, then
What you sow I say one day you will reap one day.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai .
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai .
Lead- God made woman from out of man’s body.
So they are no longer two but one flesh in matrimony.
So when you beat your woman it’s only the fool you’re playing
All the beat you are beating is only your own self you are treating
So I tell you
Lead & Group – One day, one day Congotay
Lead – Which means one day you will pay.
Lead & Group-Even if it is when you will get older, then
What you sow I say one day you will reap one day.
Lead- Oh
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai.
Lead -It’s too much too much
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
She can’t take the beating
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
Oh God
Oh God
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
Lead -It’s time to stop the flow of violence
Group: Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai.
Lead- Live life [words are indistinguishable]
Group- Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai.
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
[singing fades]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. Additions and corrections are very welcome
****
EDITORIAL COMMENT ABOUT THE SAYING "ONE DAY, ONE DAY CONGOTAY" (CONGOTE)
"One day one day Congotay" is a Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, and Grenada) proverb that means "One day you will pay for your misdeeds".
A portion of the entry for the word "congotay" in Lise Winer's book Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles [Google Books] suggests that "congotay" came from the words "Congo's Day". "Congo" here is a referent for all people of Black African ancestry and not just people of Bakongo ancestry. My sense is that Lise Winer's conclusion is that "One day Congo's Day" is a shorthand way of saying that one day justice will prevail for all the wrong that has been done to Black people. The proverb "one day one day congotay" extends that core meaning to apply to individuals who do wrong and who will one day (also) have to pay for their misdeeds.
Two pancocojams posts will be published ASAP that continue this exploration into the meaning of the proverb "One day Congotay". The first additional post presents other examples and comments about the Caribbean folk saying "one day one day Congotay" and the second post features examples of the children's line game song "Congotay".
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post showcases a sound file of "One Day One Day Congote" (Congotay), a song about wife beating by the Trinidadian group "The Love Circle's 2003 album "Home Grown". Information about The Love Circle is included in this post.
This post also includes my attempt at transcribing the lyrics to that song. I made that attempt because I couldn't find lyrics to this song online.
This serves as a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-one-day-congotay-congote-means.html. That post provides information and comments about the meanings of the proverb "One day one day Congotay (Congote)".
This also serves as companion to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/congotay-childrens-game-words-play.html which feature examples of and comments about the Caribbean children's game song "Congotay".
The content of this post is presented for cultural, inspiration, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to The Love Circle for their musical legacy. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOVE CIRCLE
From https://www.gospelreggae.com/browse/artists/the+love+circle/detail.html
Official Bio
"Since their inception in 1981, The Love Circle has earned a reputation as one of the most outstanding musical families in Trinidad and Tobago. The late great Ras Short I (Garfield Blackman), the founder of The Love Circle and father of the musical genres of "Soca" and "Jamoo", has left a legacy of musical creativity that is hard to emulate (on any level). This, combined with the extra-ordinary musical talent of group members, has put The Love Circle on the cutting edge of musical culture in the Caribbean.
Today, the group is made up of the youngest children of the Blackman family, Isaac, Nehilet, Marge, Eldon, Sheldon and their mother Claudette Blackman...
'Jamoo', the musical style performed by the group, delivers a Christian message over Trinidadian, African, Indian, and various other World rhythms. The music seeks to amplify love, to explore the ills of society (drug abuse, AIDS and oppression) and endeavors to provide solutions through meaningful Bible-based lyrics.
Early CDs by the group include "Jamoo Victory", and "Children of the Jamoo Journey". In 2003 the group released "Home Grown". Under the production expertise of Isaac Blackman, this digital masterpiece helped take "Jamoo" to a whole new level.
"Homegrown" is a clever collection of songs written and performed by the sons, daughters and widow of the legendary Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman), the inventor of soca music. This rustic compilation combines rootsy, acoustic jamoo sounds with syncopated digital urban beats. Jamoo is the gospel of soca -- a unique blend of calypso, East Indian and African rhythms, with elements of folk, reggae, jazz and blues. Fresh from the backyard of the Blackmans, this labor of love is packed with rich vocal textures and lush harmonies, a showcase of the tremendous talents of this musical family."
-snip-
According to this article "Jamoo" means "Jehovah's music".
****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLE:
The LOVE Circle [Ms.Claudette Blackman]- One Day Congote (Congotay)
majabsalu, Uploaded on Sep 22, 2008
****
LYRICS: ONE DAY CONGOTAY
(Claudette Blackman)
Spoken:
It’s time to stop forever the flow of violence
Sings:
Lead –Mmmm-mmm
Yeah-eah
Group -Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai
Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai
Lead – With some men in the street, women it makes me wonder
If they fall from the sky or if they born from a mother.
They beating their woman as if she’s some beast of burden.
No love, no consideration, no kind of reason.
But I tell you
Lead & Group – One day, one day Congotay.
Lead – Which means one day you will pay.
Lead and group – Even if it is when you will get older, then
What you sow I say one day you will reap one day.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai
Lead- The woman bawling.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai.
Lead –She can’t take the beating..
Lead & Group -Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai.
It’s too much aches and pain.
Lead – Lord, the same from ever since the creation
An eye for an eye and there is no alteration.
So when you treat your woman bad, brother, please remember
The same thing could come and happen to your little daughter.
So I tell you
Lead & Group – One day, one day Congotay
Lead – Which means one day you will pay.
Lead & Group – Even if it is when you will get older, then
What you sow I say one day you will reap one day.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai .
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai.
Lead & Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai .
Lead- God made woman from out of man’s body.
So they are no longer two but one flesh in matrimony.
So when you beat your woman it’s only the fool you’re playing
All the beat you are beating is only your own self you are treating
So I tell you
Lead & Group – One day, one day Congotay
Lead – Which means one day you will pay.
Lead & Group-Even if it is when you will get older, then
What you sow I say one day you will reap one day.
Lead- Oh
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai.
Lead -It’s too much too much
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
She can’t take the beating
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
Oh God
Oh God
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
Lead -It’s time to stop the flow of violence
Group: Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai.
Lead- Live life [words are indistinguishable]
Group- Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai.
Group-Cry-yai-yai-yai-yai yai
[singing fades]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. Additions and corrections are very welcome
****
EDITORIAL COMMENT ABOUT THE SAYING "ONE DAY, ONE DAY CONGOTAY" (CONGOTE)
"One day one day Congotay" is a Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, and Grenada) proverb that means "One day you will pay for your misdeeds".
A portion of the entry for the word "congotay" in Lise Winer's book Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles [Google Books] suggests that "congotay" came from the words "Congo's Day". "Congo" here is a referent for all people of Black African ancestry and not just people of Bakongo ancestry. My sense is that Lise Winer's conclusion is that "One day Congo's Day" is a shorthand way of saying that one day justice will prevail for all the wrong that has been done to Black people. The proverb "one day one day congotay" extends that core meaning to apply to individuals who do wrong and who will one day (also) have to pay for their misdeeds.
Two pancocojams posts will be published ASAP that continue this exploration into the meaning of the proverb "One day Congotay". The first additional post presents other examples and comments about the Caribbean folk saying "one day one day Congotay" and the second post features examples of the children's line game song "Congotay".
****
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Visitor comments are welcome.
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