Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision -including the title change Nov. 24, 2021
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the children's rhyme/camp song "Chili Chili".
Part II presents some similarities between the children's rhyme/camp song "Chili Chili" and certain African American originated children's rhymes & cheers.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/03/examples-of-childrens-recreational.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases YouTube examples of this rhyme/song and includes its "standard" words/lyrics.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and recreational purposes.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
The rhyme/camp "Chili Chili" seems to me to be of African American origin based on its text, its tune, its accompanying movements, and its similar to some African American rhymes and cheers.
Although I don't know when this rhyme began used as a children's camp song, I believe it was after it was performed as a children's movement rhyme, singing game, or cheer in some African American communities.
****
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN "CHILI CHILI" AND OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN'S RHYMES/CHEERS
A. TEXTUAL (WORD/LYRIC) SIMILARITIES: DIRECTIONAL COMMANDS
The song/rhyme "Chili Chili" includes "hands up", "hands down", "turn around", "touch the ground"- directional commands followed by a repeated two syllable nonsense(?) word". That same pattern is found in some other African American compositions.
For example, compare these word in "Chili Chili"
Hands up [put hands in the air]
Chili chili
Chili chili chili
Hands Down [put hands down near knees]
Chili chili
Chili chili chili"...
with these words in this version of "Jigalow" (given toward the end and written in italics to highlight them)
JIGALOW
Refrain (Unison)
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Part I
(Call) Jasmine: Hey Stephanie!
(Response) Stephanie: Say what?
Jasmine: In-troduce yourself!
Stephanie: Hey what?
Jasmine: In-troduce yourself!
[They exchange roles here.]
Stephanie: My name is Ste-phanie
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I got the mucle.
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: To do the hu-stle*
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I do my thang
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: On the video screen
Jasmine: Yeah!
Stephanie: I do the ro, ro, ro, ro, ro-bot (punctuates each syllable with Do Do Brown)
Jasmine: She do the ro, ro, ro, ro, ro-bot (Jasmine imitates Stephanie's version of the dance)
Refrain (Unison)
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Jig-a-low, jig, jig-a-low
Part 2
Stephanie: Hey Jasmine!
Jasmine: Hey what?
Stephanie: Are you ready?
Jasmine: To what,?
Stephanie; To jig
Jasmine: Jig-a-low?
(unison): jig what?
[Exchanged roles again]
Jasmine: Well, My hands up high, my feet down low.
and THIS's the way I jig-a-low
[Jasmine creates a stylized move on THIS's]
Stephanie: Well, My hands up high, my feet down low.
and THIS's the way she jig-a-low
[Stephanie mimics Jasmine's stylized move on THIS's.]
-Kyra D. Gaunt' book The Games Black Girls Play: Learning The Ropes From Double -Dutch To Hip-Hop (University Press, New York, 2006, page 82);
-snip-
"The Hustle is the name of a mid 1970s American dance.
This example combines the foot stomping cheer "Jigalow" with the foot stomping cheer "Introduce Yourself".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-childrens-rhyme-gigalo-jigalow.html for more text examples and for videos of "Jigalow" ("Gigalo").
**
Example #2:
HEY BABY, HOW ABOUT A DATE
Hey baby, how about a date?
I'll meet you round the corner
'Bout half-past eight.
Hands up!
Tachie Tachie Tachie
Hands down!
Tachie Tachie Tachie!
Sans BOOTS!
Tachie Tachie Tachie
Hands down!
Tachie Tachie Tachie!
Sans BOOTS!
- Barbara Ray (African American female), memory of childhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1950s; collected in November 1996 & in August 2009 (second interview) by Azizi Powell
-snip-
I asked Barbara what "Sans Boots" meant and she said she didn't know. She said that it was just something they sang.
**
Similar Example #3
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN
Walkin down the alley alley alley
Shakin your jelly jelly jelly
swingin your partner partner partner
Ladies and gentlemen
Children too
These brown babies gonna boogie for you
We gonna turn around
We gonna touch the ground
We gonna step back, and step back, and boogie on down.
Hands up, ah cha cha cha cha
Sam boom! Ah cha cha cha cha
To the front
To the back
To the side side side
To the front
To the back
To the side side side
I never went to college
I never went to school
But when I came back
I was an educated fool
Sams Boom!
[Continue chanting "Sams Boom!" faster and faster.]
-The Pointer Sisters, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G6a6bIrmg8 "Wang Dang Doddle" (This is my transcription of that 1973 performance of The Pointer Sisters singing "Wang Dang Doodle".)
-snip-
The Pointer Sisters chanted this children's rhyme as a preface to their version of the classic Jump Blues song "Wang Dang Doodle". "Wang Dang Doodle" means a wild party. I think chanting that children's rhyme as an introduction to "Wang Dang Doodle" suggests that grown up partying was just an evolution of the time that the women got their groove on (boogied hard) when they were children, pre-teens, and teenagers.
That video shows the Pointer Sisters chanting that rhyme without introducing it or giving it any title.
Like many African American children's rhymes, this example is made up of a combination of several rhymes. For example, the first three lines are found in the movement rhyme "Here We Go Zudio".
****
B. CHILI CHILI" HAS A SIMILAR TUNE AS A PORTION OF THE DIRECTIONAL COMMAND VERSES IN THE POINTER SISTER'S "WANG DANG DOODLE SONG"
CampLeadership.org Song: "Chili-Chili"
CampLeadership, Aug 4, 2010
****
The Pointer Sisters: Wang Dang Doodle
SafariCreations, May 22, 2009
****
C. TEXTUAL (WORD/LYRIC) SIMILARITIES: DANCES MENTIONED IN CHILDREN'S SONGS, RHYMES, AND CHEERS
Dances are mentioned in a lot of African American children's rhymes, cheers, and singing games.
"Chili Chili" words:
"Hey, _________
Don’t be afraid,
Show us how you boomerang!
[The called-on person does a dance move]
Boomerang
Chili chili
Chili chili chili
Boomerang
Chili chili
Chili chili chili"
-snip-
Note: "The boomerang" is a 1965 R&B dance. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s2x3uZfMDU for a sound file/photographic collage entitled "
'Motown on Fire! "Jr. Walker And The All Stars- Do The Boomerang"'
When this rhyme (singing game/cheer) was performed outside of adult led children's camps, it's possible that the person who was called to "show us how to do the boomerang" actually did "the boomerang". If the person who was called on to do a dance, did another dance, then it's possible that the words were "Show us how you dance". The repeated words might then have been changed to the name of that dance. For instance, "Show us how you dance" [The group member does the "Twist" and the group then chants "twist it"/ Chili Chili".]
****
D. TEXTUAL (WORD/LYRIC) SIMILARITIES: A COMMAND FOR ONE PERSON TO DO A DANCE AND THE PERSON HAVING TO BE PERSUADED TO DANCE IS SIMILAR TO THE CERTAIN FOOT STOMPING CHEERS
"Chili Chili" words:
"Hey, _________
Don’t be afraid,
Show us how you boomerang!
[The called-on person does a dance move]
This textual/movement pattern is very similar to what I refer to as "command, refusal, compliance" patterns in certain African American girls foot stomping cheers. Those cheers provide/d* opportunities for girls to introduce themselves and/or show off their dance skills. Like all foot stomping cheers, the cheer began with the group chanting. Then a soloist is commanded to perform and at first refuses to do so. The group commands again, and the soloist then does what the group asked her to do. In some of these cheers, the group then does the same exact movement (or their way of doing that movement) along with the soloist. After that the cheer immediately starts from the beginning with a new soloist who is supposed to do a different dance.
*I stopped collecting foot stomping cheers from face to face interactions around 2014 when I no longer worked as a substitute teacher, worked in after-school programs, and no longer did special cultural programming events which provided opportunities to collect children's rhyme/cheer examples. Unfortunately, I believe that those foot stomping cheers are likely not performed any more (since at least around 2014 or so). In their place, girls may be performing actual cheer leader cheers, including stomp and shake cheerleading. Also, instead of foot stomping cheers, girls may be performing in school or community step teams (similar to historically Black Greek letter fraternity or sorority step teams) and sometimes chanting while they step.
An important distinction between what I think were the earliest command, refusal, compliance cheers and later forms of this sub-section of foot stomping cheers is that in the early examples the "soloist" usually doesn't give a reason for initially refusing to do what the group commands her to do. However, in later examples, the soloist either gives a reason for not wanting to do that action (such as "too shy") or acquiesces by saying "I might".
I've never come across any foot stomping example in which the group says "Don't be afraid".
It’s also possible that this command/refusal, command, compliance portion of this pattern (the soloist initially refusing to perform when she is first commanded to do) so may also be evidence that African American culture devalues people who are show-offs. Therefore, the person has to be persuaded to perform. But (in addition to that possibility) I think that command/refusal/compliance patterns in children’s foot stomping show highlight the value that is placed on “being strong”, “being your own person”, and "refusing to jump hoops just because someone tells you to”. Because she Initially refuses to “show me how you rock” or “show me how you get down” (to quote command lines from two of this sub-set of foot stomping cheers), the soloist conveys that “nobody can tell me what to do”. I’ll do what I want when I want to”.
Here are three examples of command/refusal/compliance cheers that remind me of that portion of "Chili Chili".
1. GET DOWN (Version #1)
All : I saida D-O-W-N. That’s the way we get down.
D-O-W-N. That’s the way we get down.
I saida D-O-W-N. That’s the way we get down.
D-O-W-N. That’s the way we get down.
Group: Hey, Danielle. (insert 1st girl's name)
Danielle: What?
Group: Show us how you get down.
Danielle: No way.
Group: Show us how you get down.
Soloist: Okay.
I said D-O-W-N.
And that’s the way.
That’s the way.
That’s the way I get down.
Group: She saidah D-O-W-N. And that’s the way.
That’s the way. That’s the way she gets down.
Performance instruction: Repeat the entire cheer with next soloist who says her name. This continues from the beginning until everyone has had a turn as soloist.
-Tazi M. Powell; memories of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, late 1980s, early to mid 1990s; Collected by Azizi Powell
Editor:
When the soloist says "that's the way I get down", she does some fancy step or dance movement. When the group says "That's the way she gets down", they are doing the same step or movement as the soloist. Each soloist tries to do something different from the dance or steps that other people ahead of her have done.
**
2. YOU AINT GOIN NO WHERE
Entire Group: You ain’t goin no where
no where
You ain’t goin no where
You ain’t goin no where
no where
You ain’t goin no where
Hey Shadeya
Shadeya
(Soloist #1): Too shy
Group: Introduce yourself
Shadeya: I’ll try
My name is Shadeya
I cheer for Garfield.
My sign is Libra.
And when I’m up
Group: When she’s up.
Shadeya: I’m hot stuff.
Group: She’s hot stuff.
Shadeya: And when I’m down.
Group: And when she’s down.
Shadeya: Don’t mess around.
Group: Don’t mess around
Shadeya: Don’t make me scream
cause you will be _knocked _out.
-snip-
" __ " means to pause a beat. * name your community or school athletic cheerleading team; "my sign" means the person's astrological sun sign.
Repeat the entire cheer from the beginning with the next soloist who says her name or nickname, the name of the sport or community team she cheers for. The girl doesn't have to really be a cheerleader. She is engaging in dramatic play- that is-she's pretending to be a cheerleader.
Continue this pattern until every one in the group has had one turn as the soloist.
-Shadaya, Fort Pitt School; (Garfield), 2002; collected by Azizi Powell; I also collected the exact same cheer in 2008 from Conraya and another girl from the same school.
**
3. ROCK THE BOAT
Rock the boat. Don't tip it over.
Rock the boat. Don't tip it over.
Hey, Aniya. "Hey what?"
Hey, Aniya. "Hey what?"
Can you rock the boat? "No way."
Can you rock the boat?! "Ok."
She slides. She slides. She do The Butterfly.
She dips. She dips. She shakes her little hips!
-ti55, Mar 16, 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9QuTsAtQPY
-snip-
This is my transcription of that video. This cheer is composed using the traditional foot stomping cheer structure. The "rock the boat/don't tip it over" line is a clear indication that this cheer was heavily influenced by The Hues Corporations' 1974 record "Rock The Boat".
****
This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment