Edited by Azizi Powell
Updated: November 17, 2019: title change & unavailable video replaced
This pancocojams post provides information about the religious song "Baba Yetu". Song lyrics and five videos of that song are also included in this post.
"Baba Yetu" is a KiSwahili (Swahili) adaptation of "The Lord's Prayer ("Our Father Who Art In Heaven") that is found in Matthew 6:9-13 of the Bible.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, religious, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Christopher Tin, the composer of this song from Bible verses. Thanks also to all those who are featured in the videos that are embedded is this post and all those who are quoted in this post. And thanks to the publishers of those videos on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yetu
"Baba Yetu" is a song by composer Christopher Tin. It was composed in 2005 when video game designer Soren Johnson, Tin's former roommate at Stanford, asked him to compose the theme song for Civilization IV.[1] It was sung by Ron Ragin[2] and the Stanford Talisman.[3] For its re-release in Tin's debut album Calling All Dawns, it was sung by Ron Ragin and the Soweto Gospel Choir.
In 2007, "Baba Yetu" was released by Alfred Music Publishing,[4] and in 2011 it was rearranged by Tin for an SATB a cappella choir with optional percussion accompaniment.[5]...
Awards and Achievements
On December 5, 2010, it was reported that "Baba Yetu" was nominated for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in the 'Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)' category, making it the first video game theme nominated for a Grammy Award.[7] On February 13, 2011, it was announced as the winner of its category, making it the first piece of music composed for a video game to win a Grammy Award.[8] At the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards, "Baba Yetu" was the winner in the 'Song Used in Film/TV/Multimedia' and 'World Beat Song' categories,[9] and at the 2006 Game Audio Network Guild (GANG) Awards in 2006 it won Tin two awards.[10]"...
Lyrics
The lyrics of "Baba Yetu" (which means "Our Father") are a Swahili language-translation of the Lord’s Prayer.
Swahili - "Baba Yetu"
Baba yetu, yetu uliye
Mbinguni yetu, yetu amina!
Baba yetu yetu uliye
M jina lako e litukuzwe.
Utupe leo chakula chetu
Tunachohitaji, utusamehe
Makosa yetu, hey!
Kama nasi tunavyowasamehe
Waliotukosea usitutie
Katika majaribu, lakini
Utuokoe, na yule, muovu e milele!
Ufalme wako ufike utakalo
Lifanyike duniani kama mbinguni.
(Amina)
English
Our Father, who art
in Heaven. Amen!
Our Father,
Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Forgive us of
our trespasses,
As we forgive others
Who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one forever.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
(Amen)
-snip-
The KiSwahili lyrics that are given above are a condensed version of those lyrics. The lyrics as they are actually sung are given in the subtitles to the video given as Example #3 and in a comment from the discussion thread for the video given as Example #5 below.
****
FEATURED EXAMPLES
Example #1: Christopher Tin - Baba Yetu (Official Music Video)
Christopher Tin, Uploaded on Oct 29, 2009
"Baba Yetu", the hit theme to Civilization IV - composed by Christopher Tin and featured on the Grammy-winning album 'Calling All Dawns'. First video game piece to ever win a Grammy award, for "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)". Performed by the Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
To purchase albums or sheet music, or for more information, visit www.christophertin.com.
Premiered at Carnegie Hall on October 19th, 2009. Featuring footage from the Civilization series, courtesy of Firaxis and 2K Games. Directed by Brooke Hanson (www.brookephanson.com).
-snip-
Here's information about the Civilization video game:
"Sid Meier's Civilization is a turn-based "4X"-type strategy video game created by Sid Meier and Bruce Shelley for MicroProse in 1991.[3][4] The game's objective is to "Build an empire to stand the test of time": it begins in 4000 BC and the players attempt to expand and develop their empires through the ages from the ancient era until modern and near-future times. It is also known simply as Civilization, Civilization I, or abbreviated to Civ or Civ I."...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_(video_game)
****
Example #2: Baba Yetu - Gospel Choir in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
AfricanSolarRise Uploaded on Feb 16, 2011
****
Example #3: Baba Yetu - Stellenbosch University Choir
Stellenbosch University Choir, Dec 24, 2018
-snip-
Christopher Tin, arranged by André van der Merwe
-snip-
Updated November 17, 2019- This replaces a video that is no longer available
****
Example #4: 'Baba Yetu' in Africa (The Lord's Prayer in Swahili) Members from BYU Men's Chorus (Christopher Tin)
BYU Men's Chorus Published on Mar 22, 2016
-snip-
"BYU" = Brigham Young University (Utah)
The soloist is Dan Hall.
****
Example #5: Baba Yetu (The Lord's Prayer in Swahili)-Alex Boyé, BYU Men's Chorus & Philharmonic; Christopher Tin
Alex Boye Published on Mar 22, 2016
-snip-
Alex Boyé was born in the UK and is of Nigerian descent. He's now a United State citizen and is a Mormon convert who lives in Utah
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label religious music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religious music. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Friday, January 3, 2014
A Cultural Critique Of The Song "Shut De Door" (Keep Out De Debil)
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest edition - November 16, 2024
Let me start by saying that I think that "Shut De Door" (also given as "Shut De Do") is a song that has a very catchy tune and easy to learn lyrics that can be inspirational from a religious standpoint. But this post isn't about the musicality of that song.
From jump street I want to correct some erroneous beliefs about this song:
1. "Shut De Door" isn't a Caribbean folk song.
and
2. "Shut De Door" isn't a "Negro" Spiritual.
****
"Shut De Door" wasn't composed by a person from the Caribbean. It was composed in 1982 by a White American singer/songwriter Randy Stonehill who is from California and has no Caribbean descent, at least none that is indicated in his biography. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Stonehill
From
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2011/11/11/my-top-10-randy-stonehill-songs/
"My Top 10 Randy Stonehill songs"
November 11, 2011 By Fred Clark
7. “Shut De Do”
The lyrics here are pure CCM, but the catchy calypso lilt and the good humor and musical playfulness life the song to another level. That playfulness also suggests that this “devil” Stonehill is singing of is more like the Old Scratch of folklore than the archenemy of Peretti-esque spiritual warfare. It reminds me of my favorite story about the Devil, one told by Tony Campolo: An old preacher wakes in the night and hears a noise. He turns on the light as sees Satan, the devil himself, standing at the foot of his bed. “Oh,” says the preacher, “it’s just you.” And he turns off the light and goes back to sleep."
-snip-
“CCM” = probably Contemporary Christian Music
"Old Scratch" is a nickname for the devil.
Click http://www.answers.com/topic/old-scratch American Heritage Dictionary for information about this nickname.
The erroneous belief that "Shut De Door" is an old song (that is older than 1982 when it actually was composed by White American Randy Stonehill who has no biological or direct cultural connection to the Caribbean) may mostly come from the song's tune and from these two verses of that song:
When I was a baby child
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
Good and bad was just a game
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
Many years and many trials
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
They proved to me they not the same
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
....
My mama used to sing this song
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
Oh poppa used to sing it too
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
Jesus called and took them home
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
And so I sing the song for you
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
http://www.metrolyrics.com/shut-de-do-lyrics-randy-stonehill.html
But my main problem with the "Shut De Door" song, besides the false attributions of the song to Caribbean folk music or African American Spirituals, is exactly the "good humor and musical playfulness" of Randy Stonehill's renditions of his composition. It appears to me -from watching two YouTube videos of Randy Stonehill singing that song (particularly the video given below from the 1990s) that Stonehill is making fun of Black Caribbean culture. In his prefacing remarks in that videotaped concert it appears to me that Stonehill makes fun of Black Caribbean pronunciation, and-by extension Caribbean folk beliefs. Here's that video followed by my transcription of Randy Stonehill's introductory comments to his rendition of his song:
Murphy and Barret, May 21, 2009
1990 look for diane wigstone! -snip-
November 16, 2024 - The post as I originally published it in 2014 continues without any editing.
1990 look for diane wigstone!
Transcription with my comments in brackets [beginning at .34]
Diane Wigstone is an American actress and director known for Christian themed productions.
“Because the thing is we sound too polite...What better opportunity than now to go native with Uncle Ran? [When he says that the camera pans to one of the apparently very few People of Color in the audience. Then Stonehill sings some nonsensical words in Caribbean tune and says] It’s not “Shut The Door”, darn it, let’s regress. Just un-learn many many things...It’s “Shut de door”. "Shut de door". “Shut de door”. Keep out de debbil". [Audience members are shown laughing -at this accent or the words of the song?] Randy continues by saying laughingly “How’s the soup?”
[He and the audience laugh and then Randy says] “With this new exotic vision let us go forth, even now, and begins to sing the song...
-snip-
It should also be noted that in the beginning of Randy Stonehill's singing this song, silhouette images of people dancing [Black people?] in a Hip-Hop fashion. The people are wearing necklaces. At least one man is wearing a large chain link necklace, a style that was popular among African American Hip-Hop music lovers.
In case the reference to "going native", and the question "Where's the soup?" went over some people's head, I've no doubt that those are nods to the stereotypical images of Black Africans cooking people in a huge iron pot. I've also no doubt that Stonehill's exhortation to his White audience to "regress and unlearn many things" was at the very least a back handed compliment to the supposedly simple, uncomplicated religious beliefs of folks "close to nature".
Here's a serious question for you - Doesn't Randy Stonehill's introductory remarks if not his actual rendition of his "Shut De Door" song have elements of black faced minstrelsy? Black people's superstitions are so funny. Ha. Ha. Ha. Never mind that some of those folk beliefs originated with Elizabethan European superstitions. Light the candle. Everything's alright (or "Everyting" as I found this word given on one lyric website for this song).
Because "Shut De Door" has such a catchy tune and such easy to learn words written in call & response format, I'm not surprised that that song appears to be a standard for so many American school choirs. I'm glad that those choirs seem to take a much more formal approach to the song, as is the case with these singers:
Shut De Do - D Van [I didn't retrieve the publication date for this video.]
-snip-
The choir member introducing the song invites the audience to "Join us In the Caribbean with the song “Shut de do”.
UPDATE - Pancocojams Editor's Note - This YouTube video is no longer available when I revisited this pancocojams post on November 16, 2024.
The words below are a continuation of the 2014 pancocojams post.
Like most YouTube viewer comment threads for this song, a number of the commenters critiqued the choir's rendition of this song, indicating that their choir sang it better. But there's one comment from that viewer comment thread which I won't quote because of its profanity which points out the choir's choice of "fake" Caribbean attire- the floral shirts that Americans seem to think Caribbean people and Hawaiian people wear.
I will quote two other comments from that viewer comment thread that reinforce my concerns that 1. people may confuse this song with a "Negro" Spiritual (because of its call & response textual structure) and people may think that all people from the Caribbean use Patois or Creole pronunciations or always use those pronunciations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_eUKhTC_C8
jesssicaax, 2007
..."The only problem was that we went faster since our principal was gonan cut it form the program whatever. You guys suck Its suppose to sound jhamaican not white -_- Middle schools did better then you guys."
**
Jarrod Freeman, 2009
"this a negro spiritual. the intonation is too correct and perfect for this type of song but whatver the conductor wanted goes"
-snip-
Did you catch the inaccurate beliefs that there are no White Jamaicans, that all White people sound alike, and that all Jamaicans sound alike? smh [Shake my head (in exasperation and disdain)].
Also, besides spelling the long retired referent "Negro" with a small n [which is a big no no], did you catch the implication that White people's pronunciation is "correct and perfect", and other pronunciations are... what? ...Certainly they're not as correct or perfect.
It's interesting to me that all the YouTube videos that I've found to date of this song feature White singers and White choirs. I wonder why that is, and I wonder what Caribbean people think of this song.
I strongly believe that people who teach this song need to make sure that their students and their audiences know that this song was composed with a Calypso tune "in the manner of a Caribbean religious song" but it's not a "real" Caribbean song - if by "real" you mean a song whose composition is unknown but which originated in one of the Caribbean cultures or a song with a known composer of Caribbean descent. Mind you, because there are White people, Chinese people, East Indian people etc. from the Caribbean, composers of Caribbean songs need not be of some African descent.
Oh and I wish that choirs singing this song would refrain from wearing fake Caribbean shirts. But compared with other things related to this song, that's just a small matter.
****
RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-devil-jumbies-and-shut-de-doorkeep.html for a companion post on the superstitions that are referred to in the "Shut De Door" song.
****
Thanks to those who are quoted in this post.
Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Latest edition - November 16, 2024
Let me start by saying that I think that "Shut De Door" (also given as "Shut De Do") is a song that has a very catchy tune and easy to learn lyrics that can be inspirational from a religious standpoint. But this post isn't about the musicality of that song.
From jump street I want to correct some erroneous beliefs about this song:
1. "Shut De Door" isn't a Caribbean folk song.
and
2. "Shut De Door" isn't a "Negro" Spiritual.
****
"Shut De Door" wasn't composed by a person from the Caribbean. It was composed in 1982 by a White American singer/songwriter Randy Stonehill who is from California and has no Caribbean descent, at least none that is indicated in his biography. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Stonehill
From
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2011/11/11/my-top-10-randy-stonehill-songs/
"My Top 10 Randy Stonehill songs"
November 11, 2011 By Fred Clark
7. “Shut De Do”
The lyrics here are pure CCM, but the catchy calypso lilt and the good humor and musical playfulness life the song to another level. That playfulness also suggests that this “devil” Stonehill is singing of is more like the Old Scratch of folklore than the archenemy of Peretti-esque spiritual warfare. It reminds me of my favorite story about the Devil, one told by Tony Campolo: An old preacher wakes in the night and hears a noise. He turns on the light as sees Satan, the devil himself, standing at the foot of his bed. “Oh,” says the preacher, “it’s just you.” And he turns off the light and goes back to sleep."
-snip-
“CCM” = probably Contemporary Christian Music
"Old Scratch" is a nickname for the devil.
Click http://www.answers.com/topic/old-scratch American Heritage Dictionary for information about this nickname.
The erroneous belief that "Shut De Door" is an old song (that is older than 1982 when it actually was composed by White American Randy Stonehill who has no biological or direct cultural connection to the Caribbean) may mostly come from the song's tune and from these two verses of that song:
When I was a baby child
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
Good and bad was just a game
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
Many years and many trials
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
They proved to me they not the same
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
....
My mama used to sing this song
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
Oh poppa used to sing it too
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
Jesus called and took them home
(Shut de do, keep out the debil)
And so I sing the song for you
(Shut de do, keep the debil in de ni-eet)
http://www.metrolyrics.com/shut-de-do-lyrics-randy-stonehill.html
But my main problem with the "Shut De Door" song, besides the false attributions of the song to Caribbean folk music or African American Spirituals, is exactly the "good humor and musical playfulness" of Randy Stonehill's renditions of his composition. It appears to me -from watching two YouTube videos of Randy Stonehill singing that song (particularly the video given below from the 1990s) that Stonehill is making fun of Black Caribbean culture. In his prefacing remarks in that videotaped concert it appears to me that Stonehill makes fun of Black Caribbean pronunciation, and-by extension Caribbean folk beliefs. Here's that video followed by my transcription of Randy Stonehill's introductory comments to his rendition of his song:
Shut de do stonehill
Murphy and Barret, May 21, 2009
1990 look for diane wigstone! -snip-
November 16, 2024 - The post as I originally published it in 2014 continues without any editing.
YouTube video title: "shut de do", published by newlifelooks. Uploaded on May 21, 2009
1990 look for diane wigstone!
Transcription with my comments in brackets [beginning at .34]
Diane Wigstone is an American actress and director known for Christian themed productions.
“Because the thing is we sound too polite...What better opportunity than now to go native with Uncle Ran? [When he says that the camera pans to one of the apparently very few People of Color in the audience. Then Stonehill sings some nonsensical words in Caribbean tune and says] It’s not “Shut The Door”, darn it, let’s regress. Just un-learn many many things...It’s “Shut de door”. "Shut de door". “Shut de door”. Keep out de debbil". [Audience members are shown laughing -at this accent or the words of the song?] Randy continues by saying laughingly “How’s the soup?”
[He and the audience laugh and then Randy says] “With this new exotic vision let us go forth, even now, and begins to sing the song...
-snip-
It should also be noted that in the beginning of Randy Stonehill's singing this song, silhouette images of people dancing [Black people?] in a Hip-Hop fashion. The people are wearing necklaces. At least one man is wearing a large chain link necklace, a style that was popular among African American Hip-Hop music lovers.
In case the reference to "going native", and the question "Where's the soup?" went over some people's head, I've no doubt that those are nods to the stereotypical images of Black Africans cooking people in a huge iron pot. I've also no doubt that Stonehill's exhortation to his White audience to "regress and unlearn many things" was at the very least a back handed compliment to the supposedly simple, uncomplicated religious beliefs of folks "close to nature".
Here's a serious question for you - Doesn't Randy Stonehill's introductory remarks if not his actual rendition of his "Shut De Door" song have elements of black faced minstrelsy? Black people's superstitions are so funny. Ha. Ha. Ha. Never mind that some of those folk beliefs originated with Elizabethan European superstitions. Light the candle. Everything's alright (or "Everyting" as I found this word given on one lyric website for this song).
Because "Shut De Door" has such a catchy tune and such easy to learn words written in call & response format, I'm not surprised that that song appears to be a standard for so many American school choirs. I'm glad that those choirs seem to take a much more formal approach to the song, as is the case with these singers:
Shut De Do - D Van [I didn't retrieve the publication date for this video.]
-snip-
The choir member introducing the song invites the audience to "Join us In the Caribbean with the song “Shut de do”.
UPDATE - Pancocojams Editor's Note - This YouTube video is no longer available when I revisited this pancocojams post on November 16, 2024.
The words below are a continuation of the 2014 pancocojams post.
Like most YouTube viewer comment threads for this song, a number of the commenters critiqued the choir's rendition of this song, indicating that their choir sang it better. But there's one comment from that viewer comment thread which I won't quote because of its profanity which points out the choir's choice of "fake" Caribbean attire- the floral shirts that Americans seem to think Caribbean people and Hawaiian people wear.
I will quote two other comments from that viewer comment thread that reinforce my concerns that 1. people may confuse this song with a "Negro" Spiritual (because of its call & response textual structure) and people may think that all people from the Caribbean use Patois or Creole pronunciations or always use those pronunciations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_eUKhTC_C8
jesssicaax, 2007
..."The only problem was that we went faster since our principal was gonan cut it form the program whatever. You guys suck Its suppose to sound jhamaican not white -_- Middle schools did better then you guys."
**
Jarrod Freeman, 2009
"this a negro spiritual. the intonation is too correct and perfect for this type of song but whatver the conductor wanted goes"
-snip-
Did you catch the inaccurate beliefs that there are no White Jamaicans, that all White people sound alike, and that all Jamaicans sound alike? smh [Shake my head (in exasperation and disdain)].
Also, besides spelling the long retired referent "Negro" with a small n [which is a big no no], did you catch the implication that White people's pronunciation is "correct and perfect", and other pronunciations are... what? ...Certainly they're not as correct or perfect.
It's interesting to me that all the YouTube videos that I've found to date of this song feature White singers and White choirs. I wonder why that is, and I wonder what Caribbean people think of this song.
I strongly believe that people who teach this song need to make sure that their students and their audiences know that this song was composed with a Calypso tune "in the manner of a Caribbean religious song" but it's not a "real" Caribbean song - if by "real" you mean a song whose composition is unknown but which originated in one of the Caribbean cultures or a song with a known composer of Caribbean descent. Mind you, because there are White people, Chinese people, East Indian people etc. from the Caribbean, composers of Caribbean songs need not be of some African descent.
Oh and I wish that choirs singing this song would refrain from wearing fake Caribbean shirts. But compared with other things related to this song, that's just a small matter.
****
RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-devil-jumbies-and-shut-de-doorkeep.html for a companion post on the superstitions that are referred to in the "Shut De Door" song.
****
Thanks to those who are quoted in this post.
Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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