"Afouyèkè": A Dance Song Published By Alan Lomax in His 1997 Anthology Of 68 Caribbean Songs & Games (lyrics & information) Part I

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a pancocojams series on the Caribbean song "Afouyèkè":

This post presents an example of the song "Afouyèkè" that is described as an "adult dance song". That song, its lyrics, performance description, and history is from the 1997 book Brown Girl In The Ring: An Anthology of Song Games from the Eastern Caribbean edited by Alan Lomax, J.D. Elder, and Bess Lomax Hawes.

Part I of this pancocojams series also presents an AI Overview about "Afouyèkè" that is the result of my July 22, 2026 informational query.  

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/07/afouyeke-caribbean-creole-childrens.html for Part II of a two part pancocojams series about the Caribbean Creole song "Afouyèkè".

That post showcases a 2016 YouTube Trinidadian video of a two women and a small group of boys and one girl performing the ring (circle) game "Afouyèkè".

It's important to note that "Afouyèkè" is described and performed in the 2016 YouTube video that is showcased in Part II of this pancocojams series as a children's ring (circle) game and not as an adult dance song as it was described in the 1997 Anthology of Caribbean songs.

The Patois lyrics of this song and their English translations (both from that video) are included in that post along with my descriptions of that performance.

The discussion thread for that video only includes a few comments. Those comments are reprinted in this pancocojams post. 

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The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, socio-cultural, and entertainment l purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composer/s of the Caribbean song "Afouyèkè". Thanks to Alan Lomax, J.D. Elder, and Bess Lomax Hawes, the editors of the anthology on Caribbean songs and games that is quoted in this post. Thanks also to the members of the Rose of Sharon community choir that shared this song with those editors. Thanks also to the Facebook commenter who shared a video of a Caribbean University student group performing this video in 2016 (Unfortunately, I couldn't embed that video in this pancocojams post.)

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REPRINT FROM THIS ANTHOLOGY ON CARIBBEAN SONGS & GAMES
From Brown Girl In The Ring: An Anthology of Song Games from the Eastern Caribbean, collected and documented by Alan Lomax, J.. Elder, and Bess Lomax Hawes

includes music and lyrics for 68 songs

Pantheon Books, New York, 1997

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AFOUYEKE

Sung by The Rose of Sharon Friendly Society Chorus in Blanchisseuse, St. George Trinidad

page 58

"CREOLE

Solo- Afouyèkè

Dou man- Dou manman

Group-Afouyèkè

Solo-Roch larivie gonmbo

Group- Afouyèkè

[Alternation continues]

Hache ka hache bwa

Afouyèkè

Hache lawonn-la

Afouyèkè

Ouve lawonn-la

Afouyèkè

Danse lawonn-la

Afouyèkè

Yekepou mwen oue’-on

Afouyèkè

O dou manman

Afouyèkè

Dou dou manman

Afouyèkè

SINGABLE TRANSLATION

Afouyèkè

Oh, my sweet mama

Afouyèkè

 Slippery river stones

Afouyèkè

 Axes cutting wood

Afouyèkè

Come into the game

Afouyèkè

Twist so I can see

Afouyèkè

Oh, sweet mama

Afouyèkè

Sweet, sweet mama

Afouyèkè

TO PLAY- This is not a true game, just a circle with partners dancing in the middle; as they tire, they rejoin the circle and others take their place.

The dancers improvise their movements I response to the soloist’s lead lines, each one different, each one joyous, inside the supportive circle, underneath the Caribbean night."

[Page 59]

 The music notes for this song are given on this page.

 ABOUT THE SONG

The Rose of Sharon singers are bilingual though most of their songs are in English, this adult dance song is in the Creole language. The singable English translation given here is not as poetic as the Creole text but approximates its literal meaning. This song demonstrates well the characteristic two phrase litany of West Africa: the second phrase “Afouyèkè” (probably an African word, being repeated over and over again by the group), the lead singer’s brief, improvised, poetic phrases being thrown in in no particular order. This is a very frequent dance accompaniment style in the lesser Antilles. 

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AI OVERVIEW RESULTS ABOUT THE SONG "AFOUYEKE"

[This write-up is a result of my July 22, 2026 Google search query about this song.]

" "Afouyèkè" is a traditional French-lexicon Creole children's singing game and pass-play song from the Caribbean. Documented through field recordings in places like Trinidad and Dominica, it is often performed as a circle game with rhythmic handclapping and call-and-response chanting.

Origins and Context

The term itself does not have a single exact literal translation, but is closely tied to the rich folklore and oral traditions of the Lesser Antilles. Songs like this one blend African ceremonial rhythms with European and Creole cultural influences. They are typically sung by groups of children or adults during evening gatherings and schoolyard play

Recordings and Preservation

Because these pass-play songs were largely passed down orally, historical preservation relies on field recordings. One of the most famous archival recordings of this game song was captured by ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax in 1962. 

 For a look at students learning and singing this traditional ring game:
UWI Linguistics Society (UWILS), St. Augustine" ...
-snip-
That write-up ends with a photo of the video that is included in this link
https://www.facebook.com/groups/stauwilinguisticssociety/posts/10154513413986066/ "

Jo-Anne S. Ferreira, November 25, 2016
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That  2016  Facebook page includes a short video of a Trinidad & Tobago university student group performing "Afouyèkè". Unfortunately, that video can't be embedded in this post. In that video "Afouyèkè" has the same lyrics and is performed the same way as it is performed in the 2016 YouTube video that is showcased in Part II of this pancocojams series.

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AI Overview #2

[This write-up is a result of my July 24, 2026 Google search query about this song.]

 " "Afouyèkè" is a traditional French-lexicon Creole children's ring game and song featured in the Alan Lomax Caribbean Collection, known from field recordings in the Lesser Antilles like Trinidad and Martinique

Song Structure and Performance

Call-and-Response: Utilizes a rhythmic, repetitive refrain where "Afouyèkè" acts as a refrain or chant-response line.

Ring Game Actions: Lyrics involve circle movements such as walking (Maché laronn-la), opening (Ouvè laronn-la), and dancing (Dansé laronn-la) in a ring.

Musical Style: Performed a cappella with spirited handclapping, rooted in a blend of African, French, and Caribbean folk traditions."
-snip-
This write-up ends with the link to the 2016 Facebook page for the University of West Indies  Linguistics Society student group's performance of "Afouyèkè". 

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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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