Videos That Include The Yoruba Word "Ase" (also given as Aché, Axé, Ashe)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about the Yoruba (Nigerian) word "Àṣẹ" (also given as "aché", "axé", or "ashe").

Part II presents several YouTube videos that include the Yoruba word "Àṣẹ".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/03/what-yoruba-word-ase-ache-axe-ashe.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents several excerpts about the word "Àṣẹ".

The content of this post is provided for cultural and linguistic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Video #1: Às̩e̩ | What Does 'Ase' Mean? | The Physical and Spiritual Aspects



Yorùbá Lessons with Adérónké̩, Jul 5, 2019
-snip-
This video is given with captions. However, some of the captions are incorrect. For example, the Yoruba word “Às̩e̩” is incorrectly given as “a shake” or “share”. Those captions sometimes also uses the word “ashay” for “Às̩e̩” and that’s a closer transcription of that word.

Here's one comment exchange from that video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)

1. claude reed, 2019
"thanks for the explanation. there maybe another confusion what are the tonal usage with asheh and the difference between ashay and asheh. some i fear don't know the difference."

**
REPLY
2. Asabi Fatosin, 2019
"claude reed the diacritical marks give the correct pronunciation."

**
REPLY
3. Beats Boy,2019
"Ashay isn't a thing, it's a mispronunciation. It is pronounced 'Asheh'."

**
REPLY
4. Yorùbá Lessons with Adérónké̩
"Like Beats Boy mentioned earlier, those are incorrect ways of pronouncing 'às̩e̩'. 😃 Everyone who pronounces the word incorrectly is trying their best, at least. God bless everyone. ❤️"

**
5. yaya centella, 2019
"thank you very much for sharing this with the world. many blessings and blessings of peace on earth. ase"
-snip-
Ase" (or "Axé'", "ashe") written at the end of a sentence, or the only word in a sentence is similar to or the same as the English use of the word "Amen" and/or the English saying "So be it" or "More power to you".

****
Video #2: Àdúrà àti Gbólóhùn Àṣẹ. Oração vinculado com ọfọ̀.



Ayokunle Omisakin Obalúfè, Apr 2, 2019

"Osun Itaguaí Festival", Rio de Janeiro 2019
-snip-
This video is an example of the call & response use of “Axé” (people saying "Axé" as the response to a “call” [other words].

Here's a comment from that video's discussion thread:
Fabio Sousa, 2019
"Axé!"

****
Video #3: Nana Malaya - "Funga Alafia"



The Kennedy Center, Oct 9, 2013

The Millennium Stage partners with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to present some of the best D.C. area street performers in a MetroPerforms! Showcase.

The Millennium Stage is a FREE performance series and part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It features a broad spectrum of national and international performing arts companies, from dance and jazz, to chamber music and folk, comedy, storytelling and theater, every day of the year. Performances always begin at 6pm.
-snip-
Here are some comments from that video's discussion thread (including two comments that I wrote)

1. Azizi Powell, 2016
"Alafia, Nana Malaya!

I'm glad that I happened upon this video of your and your drummers' performance of "Funga Alafia".

I'm proud to know you.

Here's some information about this multifaceted dancer, choreographer, speaker, teacher, and entrepreneur:

Nana Malaya is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of her children is movie and television actor Lamman Rucker.

The poem "I Am the Original Dance Machine" (3:20 in this video) was written by New York City dancer/choreographer Bob Johnson, who also lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in 1969/1970 was the founder of the Pittsburgh Black Theater Dance Ensemble. Nana Malaya was a member of this esteemed dance company.

Ase, Nana Malaya!"

**
2. Stephan and Ashae Lyles, 2017
"My name... Same pronunciation but different spelling Ashae💙💜💚💛"
-snip-
Nigerians don't use "Ase" as a name. That said, this variant spelling of that word is a powerful name that Ashae Lyles (or anyone else with that name) can be proud of.

**
3. okallixti, 2017
"what's the origin of this song? is it in Yoruba? thank you"

**
REPLY
4. Angie, 2018
"okallixti Nigerian origin."

**
REPLY
5. Azizi Powell, 2020
"@Angie & @okallixti, The song that is known as "Funga Alafia" isn't a Nigerian song. Here's some basic information about the song "Funga Alafia":
1. The song "Funga Alafia" was composed by African American drummer and dancer LaRocque Bey in Harlem (New York City) in 1959 or 1960.

2. The word "funga" is a folk processed form of the Vai (Liberia, West Africa) word "fanga".

3. The words "alafia" and "ashe" are from the Yoruba (Nigeria, West Africa) language.

4. The tune for the song "Funga Alafia" is from the American folk song "Little Liza Jane".

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELNIe_D79xs for a sound file of Nina Simone singing "Little Liza Jane"

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-real-origin-of-song-funga-alafia.html "The REAL Origin Of The Song "Funga Alafia" - Hint It Isn't A Liberian Song, Or A Nigerian Song, Or A Traditional African Song" for more information about this song.

****
This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.