Comments About The Traditional Ghanaian Children's Song "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") From A 2008 Mudcat Folk Music Discussion Thread

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a four 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 __ 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 __ for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post presents online comments from non-Ghanaians about the Ghanaian children's song "Che Che Kule".  

Click __ for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcase some YouTube videos of 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-
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"

**** 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 Willie Colon's and Hector Lavore's 1969 Salsa record "Che Che Kule", that song has been popularized throughout the world. Based on comments from Ghanaians that I have directly received and that I have read online, my general sense is that there were multiple versions of "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule" children's song with more than one "standard" performance activity for that children's game. Quarcoo, one Ghanaian man who I talked to online about "Che Che Kule" and shared one explanation about the words in that song. Other Ghanaians who I conversed with face to face or who I communicated with online gave one or more different explanations for that song's lyrics and how they remember playing that game. Based on what I've heard or read thus far, I'm leaning to the conclusion that the "head, shoulder, knees, and toes" lyrics and their accompanying actions are adaptations of the traditional Ghanaian children's song. I believe that those words are definitely NOT a translation of the traditional lyrics for "Kye Kye Kule" ("Che Che Kule") and reflect how an improvisational game became fixed and standardized.

Click https://folkways-media.si.edu/docs/folkways/artwork/FW77855.pdf for a pdf for the 1979 record "Children’s Songs And Games From Africa with Kojo Fosu and Mrs. Edwina Hunter". I believe that this Folkways album is the American source for the now ubiquitous "Che che Kule song in elementary schools in the United States and throughout much of the world from the 1980s on. Kojo Foso is describrd in those notes as a Ghanaian (male) author, song collector, and singer. Edwina Hunter is described in those notes as an African American (female) music teacher and singer. The pdf includes the lyrics to "Kye Kye Kule" and two other "favorite Ghanaian children's songs". The record's notes indicate that the tunes are adaptions of those children's songs. Here's a portion of the performance instructions that are given in those record notes:

"The leader gestures with a part of the body, motioning with the call song, the participants in the circle imitate those motions, and repeat the song in response....

Following in clockwise direction, each child gets a turn to become the leader in this call and response game.

Each child is free to improvise with body motions of his/her own. it is more fun when the children are encouraged to adopt several variations of this game."
-end of quote-
This statement continues with words for a "standard body motions".  A version of those  standard motions eventually became the only motions that are "supposed to be performed" for that game. 

Read the comments in this pancocojams series on "Kye Kye Kule" for some Ghanaians' memories about how they sang this song and played this game.

Read https://funmusicco.com/kye-kye-kule-song/ for a good overview of the children's song "Kye Kye Kule" BEFORE that website's section on the translation for that song's lyrics.

**** 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 was 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.

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
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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.

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