English Language "Western Style" Singing Games Performed By Young School Girls From Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

boyd4672, Jul 16, 2008

Children from Three Bells Primary School in Kibera Slums Nairobi, Kenya present western style singing and dancing **** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post showcases a 2008 YouTube video of Kenyan primary school children performing English language singing games & hand clap rhymes in what they refer to as "Western styles". All of the children performing these singing games are girls. This post also includes my general description of the "dance" movements that are performed in this video and my partial, unofficial transcription of the singing games that the girls performed in that program. The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, recreational, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to all those who are featured in this video. Thanks to all the administration and staff of Three Bells Primary School in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube. **** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES This 2008 YouTube video documents a program by students of Three Bells Primary School, Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. All of the performing students are girls. I don't know if that school also includes male students. Information about Kibera is given in the comment section below this post. First, let me say congratulations and thank you to the girls (now young women) who performed in that 2008 creative and enjoyable program. By "Western style singing and dancing" I believe the publisher meant "the ways that some people in Europe, the United States, and other countries categorized as "the West" perform/ed what are now largely considered "children's singing games". Since all of the games in this program are sung in English, the publisher of this video also considers speaking in English to be a characteristic of "Western style singing and dancing".

The girls wore frilly white "Western style" dresses whose lengths were somewhat below their knees. Each of the girls also wore long white socks and white dress shoes. Some of the girls wore one long red ribbon or one long white ribbon on their shaved head or in their hair. colored scrarf in their hair. One girl who was the anouncer of the program wore a red blouse under her white dress. The girls sung a medley of singing games, with at least one hand clap rhyme. These singing games flowed into each other with no space from one song to another.

I was familiar with almost all of the singing games (and one hand clap rhyme at the end of this video) that these girls performed, although some words were different than the words that I believe are usually sung for those singing games in the United States. These singing games (and the one hand clap rhyme) were sung in unison, which is the way that they are sung in Europe, North America, and in other "Western" nations. I'm not familiar with a few of the singing games that the girls performed. Most of the singing games that I'm not familiar with were sung using a call & response pattern. This Kenyan primary school performance included skipping, partner hand claps, individual hand claps, strutting, jumping over a rope, jumping in and out of a rope, hand on their hips shaking movements, performing movements that are indicated by the words of certain singing games and other movements that are familiar to "Western girls" (I'll reference "American girls" in these general comments as that is the population I belong to and therefore know better than other populations). However, American girls don't usually perform those same movements that these Kenyan girls performed to those specific singing games or that hand clap rhyme.

For instance, during the song "Here we go Loopy lou", these Kenyans girls bopped their heads while they shaked their bodies and and sung "Put your right foot in, and put your right foot out."  Most Americans stand in a circle and do the movements as indicated by the lyrics. We usually don't bob our head and shake our body while singing this song. 

It also seems to me that these Kenyan singing games have far fewer entire group ring (circle) singing games than  American girls. The Kenyan girls also didn't perform any singing games where one (and sometimes two) people stand in the center of a circle that is formed by the rest of the group.

There were many more partner formations in that Kenyan singing games program then they are in contemporary American singing games. (I think the reduction in partner singing games in the United States and the replacement of that format with the games sung by the entire group  was purposely done in the mid to late 20th century to avoid "drama" because girls and boys don't want to be each other's partner or some children didn't/don't want to partner with another child regardless of their gender.)

The Kenyan girls also performed many singing games where the group was divided into  sets of four or three girls each. Those performance formations aren't usually done in contemporary American singing games. 

While full circle formations shown in this video, it appears to me that single line or two people (partner) vertical lines was the main formation that was used for these songs. It also appears to me that skipping and shaking their hips were the main movements that these Kenyan girls performed while they sang these songs. The Kenyan girls also played several games where they formed arches with two arms and had girls in single file go under those "arches" (as in the game "London Bridge") However, their choreographed version of that singing game didn't include the "catch" portion of that game that is usually played in the United States, and probably also in Western Europe and elsewhere. The Kenyan girls also performed motions as indicated in the lyric for certain songs, as is also done when these singing games are sung in "Western" nations. 

I believe that the adaptations to the singing games that these Kenyan girls performed mostly involved vigorous hip shaking from side to side or swaying from side to side, sometimes with their head bopping in the same direction. For instance, when they sang the song "Skip to my loo", the girls did a slow strut. When they sang the words "Loo Loo", they stopped in place,  put their hands on their hips, and shaked their hips.  

Another dance adaptation I observed was turning while dancing, nearly squatting down, then coming standing back up and continuing to do that same dance turn. (Example around 3:49 with the words (I think they were) "Mary had a pink dress". Also, in their performance of the song "Shoo Fly", the girls slapped the side of their hip on the words "somebody" (in the sentence "I belong to somebody". They then did a doo-see-do pattern while they sang "I feel like a morning star". And while they sing another song I'm unfamiliar with (which begins around 4:32, I recognized the movement that Americans would call the "Conga line". 

A long jump rope was the only prop that the girls used in their performance-other than a wicker basket that some girls held for at least one singing game. For a few singing game the girls jumped over this rope which was held close to the ground by two girls standing at either end. For another game, one girl at a time jumps one time in the middle of the rope that is turned by two "enders". 

**** A PARTIAL, UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTION OF THESE SINGING GAMES/RHYMES Additions and corrections are welcome.

These lyrics are usully given without movement descriptions. Unless otherwise noted, these songs are sung in unison by the entire group. No person calls out the titles of the songs and there is no break in between songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Tm-za3Euc

06.- One child announces- "Three Bells Primary School from Kibera province presents Western style singing games". .07 in this video

Home again, Home again When I shall see my home again. When I shall see my little brothers I never forget my home. Brother is there And siser is there When I shall see my home again When I shall see my little brother I never forget my home. .031 This is the way We go to play We go to play We go to play We go to play This is the way

We go to play Early in the morning. In Apart In Out .046 London bridge is falling down Falling down Falling down London bridge is falling down My fair lady. Build it up with iron bars Iron bard Iron bars Build it up with iron bars My fair lady 1.05 Loo loo Skip to my loo Loo loo Skip to my loo Loo loo Skip to my loo Skip to my loo, my partner* [*The girls pronounce this word "par ten ner"] Loo loo Skip to my loo Loo loo Skip to my loo Loo loo Skip to my loo Skip to my loo, my partner [Small circles of four girls each are formed and the girls huddle close to the ground. One girl runs to one group at a time singing] I lost my partner What should I do [The four girls who the single girl has run to say "No! while raising their hands in the air and throwing their heads back ] I lost my partner

What shall I do [the four girls who the single girl has run to say "No! raising their hands in the air while raising their hands in the air and throwing their heads back]

I lost my partner Now what shall I do [the four girls who the single girl has run to say "Yes" and the girl removes one of those girls from that huddle and they stand together as "partners".] [The girls stand with a partner. Each girl puts one arm around their partner's shoulder and holds the edge of her dress with the other hand while singing and skipping around the performance area .] Loo loo Skip to my loo Loo loo Skip to my loo Loo loo Skip to my loo Skip to my loo, my partner 1:52 [This is a call and response song, but I'm having difficulty understanding what is sung. The girls form two circles, one within the other. At some point in the song the outer circle changes places with the inner circle.] We are playing oh yes We are moving oh yes We are moving Moving oh Moving oh Moving Moving oh Moving oh 2:12 [I'm unable to understand what is being sung. This song also has a call & response. At one point I think the group says "You can hear me shout." I think I also hear the caller sing something like "Tie me down" and the group saying "You can't tie me out. Tie me out and tie me down". ] 2.30 Go round and round the window Go round and round the window Go round and round the window As we have done before. Oh, in and out the window In and out the window In and out the window As we have done before. 2:39 [call and response] Fiddle dee "Fiddle dee" Fiddle dee "Fiddle dee"

The bounce sound hardy "The bounce sound hardy" It bounce on me "It bounce on me"

[I don't understand the remaining portion of this song]. 3:04 Mary go round the moon

Mary go round the sun Mary go round the chicken chicken turn it out go boo Turn!

Mary go round the moon

Mary go round the sun Mary go round the chicken chicken turn it out go boo

3:19 [Some girls stand in a line to perform this singing game and in another part of the performance space, other girls move clockwise and then counterclockwise around a small circle.] Here we go Looby lou Here we go Looby lie Here we go Looby lou And turn on Saturday night Put your right hand in Put your right hand out Shake it a little little And turn yourself about. Put your right foot in Put your right foot out. Shake it a little little And turn yourself about. Put your stomach in Put your stomach out Shake it a little little And turn yourself about. 3:49 [This is a call and response song.] Caller- Mary in a pink dress The rest of the group-"Tra la la" Caller- Mary in a pink dress The rest of the group-"Tra la la" Caller- Oh look Mary She wants to dance All girls sing -Ah tra la la la" She wants to dance Ah tra la la la She wants to dance Ah tra la la la She wants to dance She wants a wonderful time. Caller - Who’s that in the white dress

Group -"Tra la la" Caller-Who that in the white dress dress "Tra la la" Caller -Oh look at her She wants to dance All girls sing - Ah tra la la la" She wants to dance Ah tra la la la She wants to dance Ah tra la la la She wants to dance She wants a wonderful time. 4:20

Shoo fly, don't follow me. Shoo fly, don't follow me. Shoo fly, don't follow me. I belong to somebody. I feel, I feel, I feel Like a morning star I feel, I feel, I feel Like a morning star I feel, I feel, I feel Like a morning star 4:32 Good morning, Mr. lake And how do you do? I want to meet you this morning I want to dance with you. Tra la la la la la la la Tra la la la la la Oooh! Tra la la la la la la la Tra la la la la la Yeah! Tra la la la la la la la Tra la la la la la Oooh! Tra la la la la la la la Tra la la la la la 4:56 [The girls ang this song while they moved slowly around the performance space crossing their legs and holding the edges of their dresses. They may not have been taught what "ring" in this song meant as they didn't form a circle or have a girl stand in the middle of the ring (circle) even though that's what the words to the song say.] There's a brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la There's a brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la There's a brown girl in the ring Tra la la la la They look like sugar in a plum plum plum [One group of girls march forward in twos around the performance space with their arms to their sides. A second group marches foreward with their arms outstretched swaying to the beat.] Show me your motion Tra la la la la Show me your motion Tra la la la la Tra la la la la Show me your motion Tra la la la la They look like a sugar in a plum plum plum [The girls stop marching and stand in one curving line clapping their own hands and moving their feet up and down while they sing this portion with a faster tempo.] Come on,show me your motion

Tra la la la la Show me your motion Tra la la la la Tra la la la la Show me your motion Tra la la la la They look like a sugar in a plum

plum plum 5:38 Mary, Mary run to the market Pick some paw paw Put them in the basket Pick some paw paw Put them in the basket Pick some paw paw Put them in the basket Early in the morning. 5:53 [This hand clap rhyme was performed by sets of two girls each facing each other around the performance space. The girls stand in place and bob their heads and shake their bodies to the beat of the song, which isn't usually done in the United States.] I went to the China shop shop shop To buy a loaf of bread bread bread She asked me what my ?? name And this is what I said said said China man [Each girl crosses her arms and touch her shoulders; making the "Wakanda Forever gesture which is the very similar as the American Sign Language (ASL) sign for "love".] I come from India [Each girl touches her right hip and then her left hip.] India ocean [On these words each girl crosses her arms and leans toward her partner] boo boo [On these words, the girls gently hit their crossed arms against their partner's crossed arms.] **** 6:06 [The girls begin singing and clapping, and then form two rows. One group of girls form an arch with their arms, and the other girls bend low to move through that arch. When all of that group moves through the arch, the two groups continue singing while they form one line of two people. Each girl puts one arm around their partner's shoulder, and skip while they exit the performance space.] Each of us are dancing dancing

Each of us are dancing dancing now [Repeat several times.] **** Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.