Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series about the traditional Ghanaian children's song "Kye Kye Kule". That children's song title and those lyrics are usually written as "Che Che Kule" and pronounced "Chay Chay Koolay" in the United States.
This post presents my editor's note about the history of and the meaning of the lyrics for the traditional Ghanaian "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") children's song and game. selected comments from the discussion thread that I started in 2008 about the children's song* "Che Che Kule" on the online Mudcat folk music forum. I've added brief notes after a few of those comments to provide information, clarifications, or updates.
*A number of the comments in that Mudcat discussion thread refer to the African or African/Latin records or performances of "Che Che Kule". However, those comments aren't included in this pancocojams compilations.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/some-ghanaians-comments-about-ghanaian.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents online comments from Ghanaians about the children's song "Che Che Kule" with a focus on their memories about that song and their interpretations of the words to this song. (Part II includes the comments from Ghanaians that are found in Part I of this pancocojams series).
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/children-in-various-countries-singing.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases seven videos of children in various countries singing the Ghanaian children's song "Che Che Kule"
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composers of the traditional Ghanaian children's song "Kye Kye Kule". Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/che-che-kule-origin-lyrics-videos.html for the 2012 pancocojams post "Che Che Kule - Origin, Lyrics, & Videos" In addition to presenting information about the children's song/game version of "Che Che Kule", that post includes information and video examples of the Osibisi's 1969 Ghanaian Highlife record "Che Che Kule" and Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe's 1969 Salsa record of that song. Along with additional YouTube videos, that 2012 pancocojams post includes examples of two American girls' foot stomping cheers ("Jay Jay Cool Lay" and "J.J. Kool Aid" that were inspired by the Ghanaian children's song/game "Che Che Kule".
That 2012 pancocojams post has a total of 31 comments (including my replies to visitor comments) as of April 17, 2026.
****
GENERAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE "KYE KYE KULE" CHILDREN'S SONG
"Kye Kye Kule" is a traditional Ghanaian (West Africa) children's song and game. The title "Che Che Kule" is usually given to the children's version of this song, the Salsa versions, the Ghanaian Highlife versions, and other versions of this song outside of Ghana, West Africa
The words "Kye Kye Kule" and "Che Che Kule" are from the Twi (Akan) language of Ghana. These words are pronounced "Chay Cha.y Koo-lay".
There's no documented date for the origin of the traditional "Kye Kye Kule" song/game. However, online anecdotal records place this song as more than one hundred years old. Since the Ghanaian music band Osibisa's 1969 Ghanaian Highlife recording of "Che Che Kule" and since Pueto Rican musicians Willie Colon's and Hector Lavore's 1969 Salsa record "Che Che Kule", that song has been popularized throughout the world.
The "hands on your head, hands on your shoulder etc. lyrics are NOT the translation of the traditional lyrics for "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule"). Instead, I believe that those movements were influenced by the American children's rhyme
"Head, Shoulders, Knees, And Toes" imitative movements are highlighted in the song "Kye Kye Kule" that is featured in the 1979 Folkways Records "Children’s Songs And Games From
Africa" (song and record notes)* .The "Children’s Songs And Games From Africa" vinyl record features Kojo Fosu (Ghanaian song collector, musician and singer) and Mrs. Edwina Hunter (African American music teacher, vocalist, and writer of the record's notes).
That record was published by the very highly regarded NewYork City based Folkways Records which undoubtedly helped raise awareness about its publication in the United States and elsewhere In my opinion, that 1979 "Children’s Songs And Games From Africa" (song and record notes) should be regarded as the prototype for the "head and shoulders" etc. body gestures performance activity that has been linked since 1979 to the "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") children's song throughout the world.
However, it should be mentioned that, although the record's notes about Kye Kye Kule highlight the now standard "hands on heads, hands on shoulders" imitative body gestures as a performance activity while singing Kye Kye Kule, the writer (Edwina Hunter) of those record notes emphasizes that that body gesture activity was just one way of performing that song. Also, in her record notes, Edwina Hunter encourages children to be more improvisational in their imitative performances while singing "Kye Kye Kule".
*Click https://folkways-media.si.edu/docs/folkways/artwork/FW77855.pdf for an excerpt of the notes for that 1979 record.
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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SONG "CHE CHE KULE" FROM A MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC DISCUSSION THREAD
I started that Mudcat discussion thread on January 26 2008 when I was an active member of that online folk music form. The last comment that was added to that discussion was in November 11,2014. However, that Mudcat discussion thread is still open for comments as of the date of this pancocojams post (April 17, 2017).
I added numbers to these selected comments for referencing purpose only. With the exception of #1, these numbers don't respond to these comments' order in that discussion.
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=108069
1. Subject: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:59 AM
" "Kye Kye Kule" {pronounced "Chay Chay
Koo-lay"} is a Ghanaian children's song.
"Kye Kye Kule" is one of a handful of African folk
songs that I'm aware have been included in American music textbooks for
elementary school children. That's how I learned this song. Kye Kye Kule may
have been included in American music textbooks because of the textbook
publishers nod to multiculturalism and because the words to this West African
song are relatively easy to pronounce. In addition, Kye Kye Kule may have been
selected for inclusion in these music books because children love to do
movements with songs, and the custom in Ghana-and now in the USA and elsewhere
is to perform this song with easy to do movements.
I've been fortunate to receive information about Kye Kye
Kule from talking directly and online to several persons from Ghana, West
Africa. As a matter of fact, I'm pleased that it was through my exchange of
emails with Quarcoo after he wrote to my website http://www.cocojams.com to
share information about Kye Kye Kule, that Quarcoo learned about, and
subsequently joined Mudcat. Here's a big shout out to Mudcat member Quarcoo!
As a means of enhancing access to information about Kye Kye
Kule for Mudcat members and guests {including those who may find this thread
while using this song's title}, I will repost from my website versions of Kye
Kye Kule that I've collected. I'll also repost information that I have learned
about this song from Quarcoo, and from other folks. In addition, I'll also
repost on this thread an example of an African American foot stomping cheer
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that I believe was inspired in the folk etymology
tradition by the African song "Kye Kye Kule".
Please join in this presentation of information and this
discussion by posting any additional versions of Kye Kye Kule that you know,
and any other information about this song. I'm particularly interested in
knowing whether this song is taught in music classes and/or included in
children's music textbooks where you live.
This thread may also be used to post lyrics and information
about other African children's songs.
Thanks in advance for your participation in this thread!"
-snip-
My cocojams.com website was online from 2001 to 2014 when I voluntarily deactivated it.
The words for two foot stomping cheers that were inspired by the "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") are found in that Mudcat discussion thread and in several pancocojams posts including the 2012 pancocojams post about "Che Che Kule" whose link is given above.
Note: The Mudcat discussion thread comment includes a typo for the words for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania cheer. The correct spelling should be "Jay Jay cool lay".
Suffice it to say here that some of the words to those cheers were folk processed forms of the words "Che Che Kule/ Che Che kofisa". Also, the tunes for those cheers were up-tempo, percussive versions of those Ghanaian children's songs that i have heard.
****
2. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 10:10 AM
"Here's the words to Kye Kye Kule that a Ghanaian man whose
name I don't remember shared with me {Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1980s}:
Kye kye kule.
Kye kye kofi sa x2
kofi salanga x2
Salatilanga x2
kum ayede , kumayede , kumayede
-snip-
Here is the version of the song that I found in a music book
used by the Pittsburgh Public School District in the mid 1990s:
Che Che Kule
Che Che Kofisa
Kofisa Langa
Langa te Lange
Kum Adende
Kum Adende. Kum.
-snip-
Here's the lyrics of this song that I received from another
Ghanaian man who I met {Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2004}:
Kyekule,
Kyekyekule.
Kyekye kofi sa x2
Kofi salanga x2
Salatilanga x2
kum ayede , kumayede , kumayede"
**
3. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 10:25 AM
"Here's an excerpt of the email that Quarcoo sent to
cocojams.com * about Kye Kye Kule in response to my questions to him about this
song:
"I made some enquiries about this song. It is a Ga game
but because of our school system which promotes ethnic fusion it has become a
national thing. My dad couldn't really tell me the meaning of the words, but
said that the words: "Salanga" is a name used by northerners [members
of ethnic groups who live in the Northern part of Ghana] (could be Dagomba,
Frafra or Gonja) so Kofi Salanga is a northern boy. And when singing the
song,with the pronouncement of every sentence you touch your body in ascending
and descending order. When you start "kyekye kule" (you touch your
shoulders with both hands and those responding kyekye kule will do likewise,
continue to your waist, knees and the toes) and this continues till you reach
your toes and then you start all over again.
Kyekye kule on national t.v (called Ghana T.V or GTV) was a
children's programme, and it was so popular that I never for once missed an
episode. It was hosted by an old teacher. It was filled with several other
Ghanaian games"...
-snip-
"Ga" is the name of an ethnic group in Ghana, West
Africa. The Northern region is one of 10 regions in Ghana. Visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana and other websites for more information
about Ghana, West Africa.
* Any material sent to www.cocojams.com may be used by me in
other publications including reposting that material on websites such as
Mudcat. That said, I have sent a private message to Quarcoo letting him know
that I am reposting excerpts of his Cocojams email on this Mudcat thread. Btw,
I just recently heard from Quarcoo. He is well, and he indicates that he plans
to resume posting on Mudcat.
****
4. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Kweku
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 03:20 AM
"Gvart, about the pronounciation of the word "che"
it sounds more like saying "chain" without the "in". so it
is more of like saying "cha--i--ee" or like saying "chase".
But please I am not a linguistic expert so I might be able to write it the
right way for you to pronounce it.
And Azizi, in Ghana "kye" is an Akan spelling."
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note April 17, 2026:
This comment is part of an exchange about how the word "che" in "Che Che Kule" is pronounced.
Notice that Quarcoo changed his screen name to another form of the traditional Ghanaian day name "Kwaku" (meaning "male born on Wednesday").
Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, Quarcoo (Kweku) stopped writing on Mudcat and cocojams.com and I lost touch with him. Thank you. again, Quarcoo. I wish you well.
**
5. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 11:02 AM
"Here's some information that I wrote down from my casual
conversations on two separate occassions {in the 1980s and in 2004} in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with two men who were born and raised in Ghana, West
Africa. I can't vouch for whether the information about the meaning of the song
is accurate and/or whether the song is {was} performed the same way throughout
the entire nation of Ghana. However, there is no doubt that the name
"Kofi" which is part of the song Kye Kye Kule is a Ghanaian day name
meaning "male born on Friday".
Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akan_name and other
websites for information about Ghanaian day names.
**
"In the 1980s, I met a Ghanaian man from the Ewe ethnic
group, and asked him about the Kye Kye Kule song. This man, whose name I don't
recall, told me that with the exception of the "Kum" at the end, the
lyrics that I recited for him were basically as he had sung it in his
childhood. Though most of these words didn't mean anything, I was told that
"Kofi" is an Akan (Ghanaian) word that means "male born on
Friday" and "langa" means a person of low status, "an
unclean person". This chant was recited as prelude to a hide & go seek
game. One person is chosen to be Kofi, the langa. Kofi chases other people and,
by touching them, he would make them unclean too.
In 2004, I asked another Ghanaian man I had met the same
questions. Nana Kwesi Afriya, from the Asante (Ashanti) ethnic group, confirmed
the information previously given about the meaning of "Kofi" and
"langa". However, Nana Kwesi said that school girls and boys chanted
this as part of a ring game in which one person {Kofi, whether male or female},
walked around the ring and at the end of the chant tapped someone. Those two
then ran around the circle and tried to be the first one to sit in the vacant
spot. The loser became 'Kofi"."
-repost from http://www.cocojams.com/games_children_play.htm
-snip-
This website is no longer active.
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: April 17, 2026:
The second description of the play activity for "Che Che Kule" that is given above is the same as the way the children's game "Duck Duck Goose" is played in the United States.
****
6. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 11:38 AM
"I've also found "Kye Kye Kule" in a number of
other American children's music books. Usually the books indicate that the song
is to be performed as a rhythmic head & shoulder touching game in the same
manner as "Head & Shoulders, Baby 1, 2, 3".
In the Pittsburgh area in the 1990s, the highly regarded
African American performing arts group, the Shona Sharif African Drum &
Dance Ensemble often performed this song. The group asked for volunteers
(children and adults) from the audience to come on stage to perform this song.
The lyrics were taught as a call & response song in which the performers
first touched their head, then touched both of their shoulders, then moved
their hips from side to side, and finally jumped up or hop[p]ed on one foot on the
last word "Kum". Of course, when the audience members leave the
stage, the professional dancers used the song to "get down" {meaning
they performed some real exciting African dance moves}."
****
7. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: Azizi
Date: 15 May 09 - 02:22 PM
"Here is an email about "Kye Kye Kule" that I
received today from a Ghanaian woman, Abena Gyebi:
"Sorry, cocoyam, You see I have always known the
Ghanaian children's song Kye kye kule. The Kum adende or Kum aye dei was always
part of it. I do not believe it is a later addition; I mean I'm into my fifties
and I've always known it with the Kum. Maybe it's because the people you talked
to were male. I guess when we as girls were playing kye kye kule they were busy
playing football or so.(Or hunting rats?-:)
'Kum' apart from its Akan meaning - to kill- is also the
sound made when something falls heavily on the ground,like a child falling or
something dropping.
The other version of the game was,instead of running behind
the circle and tapping someone on the shoulder, one bent down and dropped a
piece of cloth behind one of those sitting in the circle. It was supposed to be
done so artfully that the one with the piece of cloth did not notice it.The
singing and clapping then got more exciting as the runner got closer and closer
to where she had dropped the piece of cloth. If the sitting person still did
not notice the cloth, she got a 'boo' or a smack on the shoulder for being
inattentive. On the other hand, if she got alerted, she would then run as fast
as possible chasing the first runner until the first runner took her place in
the circle. Then she would take over the kye kye kule and look for another
person behind whom she would drop the piece of cloth. This version of kye kye
kule was an adaptation of another children's game we called 'anto akyire'"
-snip-
Abena Gyebi is correct that the only Ghanaians who have
given me information about this song are males. I'm very grateful that she has
shared this performance information and information about the meaning of the
word "Kum" in that song."
****
8. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST,Lolly
Date: 20 Jul 09 - 04:36 PM
"omg my mum taught me this when me and my sisters were so
young and i still remember. We were born in England but mum was raised in Ghana
n shes ewe..but i dont remember the kum at the end. either way thankz 4 ur post
azizi brought back happy memories!!! nw im goin 2 remind my sisters n laugh:)"
****
9. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 06:43 PM
"Im from ghana and I have to say that Kofi is a ghana name
and alot of the words in the song i can understand. I have been singing this
song since I was a child. My mother knows it, my grandmother knows it and my
great grand mother knows It. I recently caught the spanish verson on the radio
and started singing along right away. I was very surprised someone else from
another part of the world had made a song with my childhood play song. The song
has been around for a least a few centuries Its not surprising that there have
been different versions made"
****
10. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST,guest (lonesome d stringband)
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 06:06 PM
"I felt bad about reupping this old thread but noticed it's
happened occasionally previously. I really need to sign up for this site. At
any rate, just letting you guys know about the terrific Antibalas version of
the Colon/Lavoe joint. Antibalas are nominally an Afrobeat band (and in any
event are consistently excellent) and their Makossa arrangement more or less
brings the chant at its center back home in a different form (even though
Makossa is Cameroonian, and I'm not even sure how much of a makossa this
arrangement is, but... you get the picture.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ20WrymXIs
I learned the chant in elementary school as well as a kid in
the late 1970s in suburban Philadelphia (T/E school district). I recall
learning it from a visiting arts troupe but have no idea who. I also think
whoever was teaching it to us mistransliterated some of the syllables as we
both distinctly recalled the last line as sounding more like 'CHI a ye ye' -
but we did follow it with counting it to ten like in some of the videos of
Ghanaian schoolkids available on Youtube.
Good blog entry on the subject I came across today:
http://lapelanga.com/che-che-cole-0 "
****
11. Subject: RE: Kye Kye Kule {Che Che Kulay}
From: GUEST,Hi
Date: 11 Mar 11 - 03:54 PM
"I am an assistant teacher for the Somerville Community
schools after school program in somerville, MA. We have an african druming club
for the k-2nd graders. They learn rhythm, beat, and culture of african drumming
and song. currently i am sitting in on the computer to their club time and they
are learnign their song from the instructor. They sounds great! :)
He says one line and they repeat after him. They love it and
i love it! it is so catchy and fun! He told us all about how it is from Ghana
and was a popular childrens song.
Just thought that you would find this great!
Somerville is lovated 5 minutes from Cambridge, MA and 10
minutes from Boston, MA"
****
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
