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
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
Afouyèkè
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 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.
AI Overview #2
[This write-up is a result of my July 24, 2026 Google search query about this song.]
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".
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
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