Suriname folk-lore

b) Sɛkɛti.¹

1 The Sɛkɛti is the most popular social dance on the river. The songs comment on current happenings, and are satirical in character. The finest examples of Sɛkɛti dancing are to be found in the village of the tribal chief, and this is recognised everywhere on the Suriname River. It is there, too, that the recitatives are the longest, and the variety in melody greater. In this phenomenon we have a survival of the trained choruses of the African courts - as, for example, those of the Dahomean chiefs, whose wives form choruses and rehearse songs in praise of the ancestors. Such songs, however, often take the form of deriding the living and the dead enemies of the chief and his forebears.

77.

Ko - ba dɛ-mu-a - i, ba To - ne - ne - ne Da - i To - ne-
ne - ne Da - i To - ne ne - ne

78.

Ma-ma Ho - lan - de Ho-lan - de m'mu-ye
[Ma - sa]
[Mi - sa]

[p. 583]

79.

80.

Got' mon'in - gio Hol' a yo - - ye Got' mon' in - gio
Hol' a yo - - ye [Hol'] a ye - - ye Got' mon' in - gio
(8 times)

81.

Yąn - ku - so dop' a Ho - lan - dsi mɔ - ni yu - yu
Yąn - ku - so dop' a Ho - lan - dsi mɔ - ni yu - yu
Yąn-ku-so dop' a a yu Ye - mi Yąn- ku - so dop' a-u

[p. 584]

 

Yąn- ku - so (etc.)

 

Ti to - ti ti Wi a (.........) ko - ni - ba

 

wa - ka ko - ni (...................

 

.........................

82.¹

(................) 'Mam - ba sɛm - be go
na sɛ-mɛ ne .. 'Mam - ba sem- ba go na Se - me - ne
'Mam - ba sem - ba go na Se - me - ne (etc.)

1 This song is still sung in the village of Asokore, Ashanti, on the Gold Coast.

[p. 585]

83.

[p. 586]

84.

A ye - e ye-e-e ye
A yo ye-e-e - e sa wan' Ga - dō - go lu - ku ba?
(women's cry)
(4 times)

[p. 587]

85.

A-y - o
A - e - ma

[p. 588]

 

(5 times)

86.

Yo kan - to - ri mis' to mi ko - ne ya - ya
Yo kan - to - ri mis' - to mi ko - ne ya - ya
Ye kan - to - ri (etc.)
(5 times)

[p. 589]

87.

Ų - mų gąn - ga - le - a 'tu mi - ni dai̯ - a - ye Ų - mų
gąŋ - ga - le - a 'tu mi - ni dai̯ - o - yo Ų - mų (etc.)
(6 times)

88.

Mi go ba - ka te - le - le na min-dri bo - to - ɛ dyom -ba
te n'an g'wa La - me sib' a - e de mu - ye
Te n'ang'wa La - me sib' a di mu - ye (etc.)