What Does Mayaya Lasinki Mean? (information, opinions, videos, & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents information, comments, and opinions about the Nicaraguan song "Mayaya Lasinki" (also given as "Mayaya La Sim Ki" and similar spellings). Video examples and text examples (lyrics/partial lyrics) of remembrances of or recordings of that song are also given in this post.

Some of the content of this post is also found on this related post http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/similarities-between-african-american.html "Similarities Between The African American Singing Game "The Closet Key" & The Nicaraguan Singing Game "Mayaya Las Im Key" "

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

This post includes my opinions about the early sources for & meanings of this Nicaraguan song. I'm open to those opinions being changed by information and discussion.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are keep the culture of Nicaragua alive. Thanks to all those quoted in this post and thanks to the Dimension Costena music group, to other vocalists, and to dancers who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

DISCLAIMER: I'm by no means an expert on Nicaraguan culture. This post includes my opinions about
the early sources for & meanings of this Nicaraguan song. I'm open to those opinions being changed by information and discussion.

****
MY OPINIONS ABOUT THE MEANING OF "MAYAYA LAS IM KEY" ("MAYAYA LASINKI")
"Mayaya Lasinki" is a very popular Nicaraguan song from the 19th century that is still representative of the Afro-Nicaraguan Palo de Mayo (May Pole) celebrations.

The song titles "Mayaya Lasinki" and "Mayaya La Sim Ki" are folk etymology updated forms of the title "Mayaya Lass Im Key". "Mayaya Lass Im Key" is Nicaraguan Creole for "Mayaya Lost Her Key".

Although I've read that this song was based on an actual occurrence of a woman named "Mayaya" (Maia, Mary) who lost her house key [read "Del Palo De Mayo History" excerpt below], I think that the early meaning of this song referred to the Goddess of spring and fertility Maia (Mayaya). My guess is that the key mentioned in this song is symbolical of opening the door from winter to spring & thus beginning the growing season. That said, my sense is that the present day lyrics to the "Mayaya Lasinki" version/s of this song have sexual allusions perhaps much more than the earlier versions of this song did, and in so doing perhaps emphasizing Mayaya goddess of fertility more than Mayaya goddess of spring.

"Mayaya Lass Im Key" may have originally been a dance song as "Mayaya Lasinki" appears to be now. However, at some time in the 19th or 20th century, "Mayaya Lass Im Key" began to be performed as a ring (circle) singing game. The play directions of that game were similar to the British children's games in which members of the group pass a small hidden object from hand to hand and the person in the center of the circle has to guess who has that object. My guess is that this game may have originally been a way of pantomiming how the community helps the goddess of spring usher in the beginning of that growing season.

Furthermore, using my North American sentiments, some of the dance movements that I've seen in videos for the song "Mayaya Lasinki" appears to be me to be rather salacious - for instance the custom of one dancer dancing in between the other's legs* and the male dancing while moving a cloth between his legs (both movements shown various times in the video given as Example #1 below). However, given that Mayaya is a goddess of fertility, those dance movements fit the celebration of that goddess.

*I've noticed this same African & African Diaspora dance movement of dancing in between another person's legs in some traditional dance videos from Senegal, West Africa in videos of parading New Orleans, Louisiana Social Aid & Pleasure Club groups, and in the African American dance known as "krumping", to name some examples.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG FROM ONLINE SOURCES
According to http://www.nicatour.net/en/nicaragua/palo-de-mayo.cfm#, "the Palo de Mayo festival [is] a tribute to Mayaya African goddess of fertility. This celebration dates from the early nineteenth century [and] is an adaptation of the British tradition who celebrated first day of May with a feast"...
-snip-
Is Mayaya an African goddess or is that name a folk etymology form of "Maia", the Greco-Roman goddess of spring?

Here's an excerpt from an article about the Greco-Roman goddess Maia http://www.menlo.com/folks/davis/Maya_Web/Maya_Name.html:
"Maya's name has many roots. First and foremost she is named for "Maya," the Greco-Roman goddess of the earth. Maya is described in The Book of Goddesses:

Maia is mainly remembered today as the goddess of spring and rebirth, like the month of May that bears her name. "Maia" means "the maker," and every spring she makes the lush green grass and the fragrant flowers grow again...

People still celebrate Maia every year on the first of May, which is called May Day in honor of the goddess. Men and women rejoice over the rebirth of spring by dancing circles around the maypole and by wearing vibrant green - the color of the earth itself."...
-snip-
Perhaps "Mayaya" is said to be an African goddess because some or all of the Greek gods and goddess are said to have been patterned after the Egyptian gods and goddesses. According to this position, the Greek goddess Maia (Maya) was patterned after Isis, the Egyptian goddess of fertility. "Mayaya" is a Nicaraguan folk etymology form of the "Maya".

Read an excerpt from this article http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2146/did-the-greeks-borrow-egyptian-gods that I've added to the comment section of the pancocojams post "Similarities Between The African American Singing Game ..." whose link is given above.

****
EARLY DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SONG "MAYAYA LASS IM KEY"
From
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://bluefieldspulse.com/maypolehistoryrescuingourculture.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtulululu%2Bletra%26start%3D10%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D575 "Del Palo De Mayo History"
Mr. Johnny Hodgson Deerings, Historian Costeño

[English translation of that page, given "as is"]
“In 1988 Professor Hugo Sujo interviewed a man of 78 years named Mr. Maxwell Atily in favor of the formal version of the Maypole Cotton Tree in the neighborhood*. Asked about his past involvement in such festivities said:

"We used songs like "Mayaya las im key”. We formed a circle and we had a great key, which passed from hand to hand in the circle, while dancing someone in the circle for the key. Upon discovering the key in the hands of someone, that person had to go to the center of the dancing circle and look for the key that was passed from hand to hand until he finds it in the hands of another person who had to take his place at the center circle, and so on."...

MAIA LAAS IM KEY!

(Mayaya lost his [her] key)
In our version of Maia coastal worships Goddess no, rather the composer recounts the incident that happened in one of the festivities. A lady lost her key and can not open your door. The name'' Maia "is considered synonymous with Mary. Originally this song with a circle with a center dancer is doing. A hidden hand in hand key is passed and the person dancing in the middle trying to guess which person had the key circle. If you guessed, and walked out of the center which was discovered.

Mayaya lass im key
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya lass im key
Mayaya Oh!
A wan mi key fur go opin me do
Mayaya Oh!
A wan mi key fur go opin me do
Mayaya key da gool
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya key gives gool
Mayaya Oh!
(Repeat)
"The Maia Oh" This song is heard in all places where it is celebrated the traditional "Maypole" is the symbolic song festival. It says "Maia" was the Goddess of Fertility. All European countries celebrating May Day dancing around the tree, were worshiping this Goddess."
-snip-
Instead of what is given, I'd translate the phrase "in favor of the formal version of..." this way: "In 1988 Professor Hugo Sujo interviewed a man of 78 years named Mr. Maxwell Atily about his remembrances of the former version of..."

"Cotton Tree" is a neighborhood in Bluefield, Nicaragua.

Here's my transcription of this song into standard American English:
Mayaya lost her key
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya lost her key
Mayaya Oh!
I want my key to open my door
Mayaya Oh!
I want my key to open my door
Mayaya's key is good [?]
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya's key gives good [things?]
Mayaya Oh!

****
It's my position that the source of the singing game "Mayaya Lass Im Key" ("Mayaya Lost Her Key") is from one or more British/Irish folk songs and/or singing games that have the motif of a woman in a garden or outside her home who has lost her key. Read http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/similarities-between-african-american.html for my speculation about the similarities between the African American game song "The Closet Key" and this Nicaraguan song.

****
FEATURED VIDEOS OF THE SONG "MAYAYA LASINKI" (with my partial transcriptions, and other transcriptions & comments)
These videos are presented in chronological order based on the example's posting date, with the oldest dated example given first. Addition & corrections to my attempted transcriptions of some of these examples are very welcome.

Notice that most of these examples are from the Nicaraguan group Dimension Costena's recording and performances of this song. From these examples, it appears that the group may not always sing this song exactly the same way.

Example #1: MAYAYA LASINKI



ELNICA35, Uploaded on Jun 11, 2008

MAYAYA LASINKI dimension costeña palo de mayo
-snip-
Here's my partial transcription of a Dimension Costena's recording of this song:

Refrain:
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh

I want the key to open the door
Mayaya oh
Find the key the golden key
Mayaya oh
Find the key let me see you tonight
Mayaya oh
If you don’t open the door, I can’t see you tonight...

Mayaya oh
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh

****
Example #2: Mayaya Lasinki Dimensión Costeña Concierto en Vivo



chavalopuntocom, Uploaded on Feb 24, 2010
-snip-
Here's a comment that was written in response to a question about the words to this song:
Pedro Ojeda, 2013
"Danster4713, one verse goes something like: "In May I lost my key, if I don´t find the key I cannot go in, I knocked and knocked but nobody opened, If I don´t find the key they´re gonna kill me.."
-snip-
I wonder if an earlier version of that line was "I will die if I don't find the key". If so, I wonder if that line referred to the rebirth that occurs in the Spring (Mayaya being not only the goddess of fertility, but also the goddess of Spring when plants, trees, and flowers that appeared to be dead come to life again.)

****
Example #3: mayaya la sim ki



Escuela Luis A. García L. Uploaded on Jul 27, 2011
-snip-
I believe that this version of "Mayaya Lasinki" is from Costa Rica. Sorry, I can't even partially transcribe this song in Spanish. The only words I feel confident giving are the "Mayaya La Sim Ki" refrain and the nation name "Costa Rica".

****
Example #4: Dimension Costena Mayaya Palo De Mayo Wilfredo Karaoke2



Wilfredo Karaoke (Jacwill1), Uploaded on Sep 13, 2011

Esto Es Algo Especial Que Hice En Karaoke Para Toda La Gente Latina Y En Especial Para La Gente De Nicaragua , Un Tributo A Dimension Costena De Nicaragua
-snip-
Google Translate: This Is Something Special I Did On Karaoke To All People In America And Special To The People In Nicaragua, A Tribute To Dimension Costena De Nicaragua
-snip-
Here's the lyrics that were given as subtitles that were given in this video:
Mayaya La Sinki
Mayaya Hoo
Mayaya La Sinki
Mayaya Hoo
Mayaya La Sinki
Mayaya Hoo

Quiere La Llave
Que Se Perdio
Si no encuentro
La llave
No puedo entrar

Toque Y Toque

Si no encuentro
La llave
Mi van a martar
-snip-
Here's my attempt to make a Standard American English translation of the Google Translate results of these lyrics:

Mayaya La Sinki
Mayaya oh
Mayaya La Sinki
Mayaya oh
Mayaya La Sinki
Mayaya oh

I want the key
I have lost.
If I don’t find the key
I can’t enter.

torque y torque [?]

If I don’t find the key
I will [?]
-snip-
Google Translate didn't give any results for "Mi van a martar or the word "matar"word.
However, read the comment given in Example #2 that indicates that the end line of this song is "they will kill me".

****
UPDATE: June 30, 2014: This video includes interviews about the Palo De Mayo Celebrations by a Nicaraguan historian and by a longtime resident of Bluefields.

NICATELE USA BAILE DEL TULULU BLUEFIELDS, NICARAGUA



NICATele USA, Published on Jun 17, 2013

Baile del Tululu Mayo 2013 - Bluefields , Nicaragua.
Patrocinados por: MTOM TOURS, INTUR, Discoteca EROS, El Sabroson DJ, Nicas News, Restaurante Pelican Bay, Restaurante Lady D Sport Ranch.
Episodio Nº 24
16 JUNIO 2013
TODOS LOS DERECHOS RESERVADOS
-snip-
Here's my transcript of a portion of a Nicotelle USA (Nicaraguan Television USA) interview with Nicaraguan historian Hugu Sujo Wilson. That interview begins at 5:30, but this transcription is for the portion of the interview that occurs between 11:08-13:15 of this video. The interview is in Spanish and the subtitles in this video are given in English. I've given them "as is" with no attempt to convert those commetns into standard American English.

"Jorge Obregon (Interviewer) - We continue with Nicatelle USA accompanied by Dr. Hugo Sujo Wilson), who is going to talk now about the maypole.

Dr. Wilson (historian) - According to studies which have studied the maypole, all agree that was bought by the British, for example in England and in other European countries were also celebrating the month of Mayas the month of fertility, came Bluefield’s and dance evolved as now, is now always the case, before it was more conservative, but now it has become quite erotic, but currently practiced both ways

Interviewer: Is the purpose of rain, is that true?

Dr. Wilson (historian) - No, no, no, just are celebrations, festivities , there are very few versions of that that have to do with the Goddess Maya, goddess of fertility.

Bluefield’s tradition have been inherited as a matter of habit.”
[The interview ends with the historian being thanked for his comments.]

-snip-
Interview: 14:10-15:20
"My name is Doraly Marlene Ramirez Hogdson.

I was born, grown, and raised in Bluefields, am Bluefilena 100% and my culture from an early age.

The Maypole came to Bluefield’s from Egypt, passing through England,through Jamaica Corn Island
the Guaton through San Juan came Pearl Lagoon and Bluefield’s escando

The Palo de Mayo came to Bluefield from Egypt."
-snip-
This segment ends with Doraly Marlene Ramirez Hogdson demonstrating a dance.

Notice how the historian provided a different source for Palo De Mayo than that held by another resident of that community.

****
Update: December 22, 2014- Video sent in by Cris Izaguirre. Thanks!

NICARAGUA COMO NACE EL PALO DE MAYO



ELNICA35, Uploaded on Oct 28, 2007


SHORT CLIP DE EL CANAL 2 DE NICARAGUA
FERIA DE PALO DE MAYO EN LA COSTA ATLANTICA NICARAGUENSE

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More

Similarities Between The African American Singing Game "The Closet Key" & The Nicaraguan Singing Game "Mayaya Las Im Key"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents speculation about the similarities between the motif and the manner of play of the late 19th century/early 20th century African American game song "The Closet Key" and the old [19th century?] Nicaraguan singing game "Mayaya Las Im Key" ("Mayaya Lost Her Key"). That Nicaragaun song is now known as "Mayaya Lasinki".

The content of this post is provided for folkloric and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
EXCERPT ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SINGING GAME "THE CLOSET KEY"
From http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/negro/folk-songs%20-%200238.htm [online book]
"On The Trail Of Negro Folk-Songs: A collection of negro folk songs with lyrics, sheet music & commentaries." by Dorothy Scarborough Assisted By Ola Lee Quiledge Copyright, 1925 By Harvard University Press, p. 139 [presented "as is", including a pejorative referent for Black people]

"John Stone, of Virginia, sends this game-song, which was given him as used by Negroes. "The darkies would form a ring, as in 'drop­ping handkerchief,' but with hands behind them. One with a key would walk around the ring and place the key in some one's hands. Led by the walker, all would sing

[musical score to a song entitled “THE CLOSET KEY”]

I done lost de clos - et key
In dem la - dies' gar - den.
I done lost de closet key
In dem ladies' garden;
I done lost de closet key
In dem ladies' garden.

The walker, leading all, would then sing:

Help me to find de closet key
In dem ladies' garden;
Help me to find de closet key
In dem ladies' garden.

All would then sing, led by the one having the key:

I done found de closet key
In dem ladies' garden;
I done found de closet key
In dem ladies' garden.

The one having the key would then hide it again and sing as before."
-snip-
In the page preceding this one the author writes "Many — if not most — of these songs and games are of old Eng­lish origin and have courtiy traditions behind them, as their phrasing suggests. " My lady " of the old songs is changed in the Negro child's version to "some lady" or "dem ladies."
-snip-
In that book Anglo-American collector Dorothy Scarborough (and her assistant Ola Lee Quiledge, whose name leads me to believe was African American) provide two other versions of African American singing games that include the line "in my ladies garden": "In My Ladies Garden" and "Do Do Pity My Case". However, neither of singing games mention a key.

Information about & lyrics to a 1917 song entitled "In Some Ladies Garden" (Cecil Sharp collection) can be found at The Ballad Index http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/ScNF114B.html.

I also found a link to the words & play directions for a children's singing game that is taught in an American music calass to kindergarden/first grader" http://jerrywbrown.com/?portfolio-item-tag=games.

Neither of those songs mention a key.

****
EXCERPT ABOUT THE NICARAGUAN SINGING GAME "MAYAYA LAS IM KEY"
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://bluefieldspulse.com/maypolehistoryrescuingourculture.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtulululu%2Bletra%26start%3D10%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D575 "Del Palo De Mayo History"
Mr. Johnny Hodgson Deerings, Historian Costeño

[English translation of that page, given "as is"]
“In 1988 Professor Hugo Sujo interviewed a man of 78 years named Mr. Maxwell Atily in favor of the formal version of the Maypole Cotton Tree in the neighborhood*. Asked about his past involvement in such festivities said:

"We used songs like "Mayaya las im key”. We formed a circle and we had a great key, which passed from hand to hand in the circle, while dancing someone in the circle for the key. Upon discovering the key in the hands of someone, that person had to go to the center of the dancing circle and look for the key that was passed from hand to hand until he finds it in the hands of another person who had to take his place at the center circle, and so on."...

MAIA LAAS IM KEY!

(Mayaya lost his [her] key)
In our version of Maia coastal worships Goddess no, rather the composer recounts the incident that happened in one of the festivities. A lady lost her key and can not open your door. The name'' Maia "is considered synonymous with Mary. Originally this song with a circle with a center dancer is doing. A hidden hand in hand key is passed and the person dancing in the middle trying to guess which person had the key circle. If you guessed, and walked out of the center which was discovered.

Mayaya lass im key
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya lass im key
Mayaya Oh!
A wan mi key fur go opin me do
Mayaya Oh!
A wan mi key fur go opin me do
Mayaya key da gool
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya key gives gool
Mayaya Oh!
(Repeat)
"The Maia Oh" This song is heard in all places where it is celebrated the traditional "Maypole" is the symbolic song festival. It says "Maia" was the Goddess of Fertility. All European countries celebrating May Day dancing around the tree, were worshiping this Goddess."
-snip-
I think that "in favor of the formal version of..." means "about his remembrances of the former version of..."

"Cotton Tree" is a neighborhood in Bluefield, Nicaragua.

Here's my transcription of this song into standard American English:
Mayaya lost her key
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya lost her key
Mayaya Oh!
I want my key to open my door
Mayaya Oh!
I want my key to open my door
Mayaya's key is good [?]
Mayaya Oh!
Mayaya's key gives good [things?]
Mayaya Oh!

****
SUMMARY
Here are the similarities that I found between the African American game song "The Closet Key" and the old Nicaraguan singing game "Mayaya Las Im Key" ("Mayaya Lost Her Key"):
1. Both songs have a central woman character
2. Both songs refer to a losing a door key
3. Both are ring (circle) games with one person in the center. The directions of both games are the same [the same as "Pass the handkerchief", and "Duck, Duck, Goose".

I believe that both of these songs might have owed their motif & play instructions to particular British/Irish folk songs. However, the further development of the song "The Closet Key" is rightfully credited to African Americans from the Southern region of the United States, and the further development of the song 'Mayaya Lost Her Key" is rightfully credited to Afro-Nicaraguans from Bluefield, Nicaragua.

Although both of these singing games may have originated in the same family of singing games, their development certainly has been different. Although the "The Closet Key" song is documented in Scarborough's 1925 book, it is barely remembered. The song "In My Lady's Garden"-which doesn't include any mention of a key appears- was performed as a play party song in the early 20th century United States, and at least one school district has included a play party version of that song in their curriculum for kindergarten/first graders. That said, that song doesn't appear to be well known, even as far as play party songs go. One indication of that song not being well known is that it doesn't have any YouTube videos.

In contrast, the song "Mayaya Lass Im Key" remains very popular in Nicaragua. But "Mayaya Lass Im Key" is no longer a singing game. While it's still emblematic of the May Day celebration, that song has grown up to be "Mayaya Lasinki", a dance song whose lyrics can be considered sexually suggestive and whose dance movements can be more than sexually suggestive. Also in contrast with its North American cousin "The Closet Key", "Mayaya Lasinki"'s high popularity in Nicaragua is demonstrated by multiple YouTube videos of that song, although admittedly it's not yet that well known outside of that Central American nation.

****
NOTE ABOUT THE NICARAGUAN SONG "MAYAYA LASINKI"
-snip-
It seems obvious that the song title "Mayaya Lasinki" and "Mayaya La Sim Ki" are folk etymology updated forms of the title "Mayaya Lass Im Key".

[Update: June 19, 1014]
According to http://www.nicatour.net/en/nicaragua/palo-de-mayo.cfm#, "the Palo de Mayo festival, a tribute to Mayaya African goddess of fertility. This celebration dates from the early nineteenth century, is an adaptation of the British tradition who celebrated first day of May with a feast"...
-snip-
Is Mayaya an African Goddess or is that name a folk etymology form of "Maia", the Greco-Roman goddess of Spring? Here's an excerpt from an article about the Greco-Roman goddess Maia http://www.menlo.com/folks/davis/Maya_Web/Maya_Name.html:
"Maya's name has many roots. First and foremost she is named for "Maya," the Greco-Roman goddess of the earth. Maya is described in The Book of Goddesses:

Maia is mainly remembered today as the goddess of spring and rebirth, like the month of May that bears her name. "Maia" means "the maker," and every spring she makes the lush green grass and the fragrant flowers grow again. She is also praised as "the grandmother of magic" because her son [by Zeus], the god Hermes, was the first to discover that mysterious art.

People still celebrate Maia every year on the first of May, which is called May Day in honor of the goddess. Men and women rejoice over the rebirth of spring by dancing circles around the maypole and by wearing vibrant green - the color of the earth itself."...
-snip-
Perhaps "Mayaya" is said to be an African goddess because some or all of the Greek gods and goddess are said to have been patterned after the Egyptian gods and goddesses. [Read an excerpt from this article http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2146/did-the-greeks-borrow-egyptian-gods that I've added to the comment section about this subject.] According to this position, the Greek goddess Maia (Maya) was patterned after Isis, the Egyptian goddess of fertility. "Mayaya" is a Nicaraguan folk etymology form of the "Maya".

It's interesting that although there are names of gods and goddesses of fertility in this listing of African gods & goddesses, http://www.scns.com/earthen/other/seanachaidh/godafrica.html there's no listing for the name "Mayaya" or for any name that is similar to "Mayaya". Then again, that list doesn't seem to include any Egyptian gods or goddess. In any event, I've not yet found any other Internet page-separate from that nicatour article- which refers to the African goddess Mayaya.
[Update ended]

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-does-mayaya-lasinki-mean.html for a pancocojams post about the song "Mayaya Lasinki".

One of those videos is featured on this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/seven-songs-by-dimension-costena.html.

My partial transcription of another video* of the Nicaraguan group Dimension Costena's recording of that songs is as follows.

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzlZKNdtf54

Refrain:
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh

I want the key to open the door
Mayaya oh
Find the key the golden key
Ma yaya oh
Find the key let me see you tonight
Mayaya oh
If you don’t open the door, I can’t see you tonight...

Mayaya oh
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh
Mayaya lasinki
Mayaya oh
-snip-
Additions and corrections are welcome.

****
ADDENDUM
I'm intrigued by any possibility of a connection between this old British (Irish?) ballad and the African American singing games "The Closet Key"/"In Some Ladies Garden" and the Nicaraguan song "Mayaya Lass Im Key".

From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=127369
RE: Origins: Down in the Willow Garden
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 10:51 AM

..."The song history of "Down by the Salley Garden" is quite interesting. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, but the Yeats connection is fairly clear. This deserves a thread of its own, but here's the gist, from Sam Henry, Songs of the People, p 286. Have patience; this is a bit long:

"Down in My Sally's Garden

... I have every reason to believe that this is the song o[n] which W. B. Yeats founded his world-famous lyric, 'Down by the Sally Gardens. Alternatively, Yeats may have founded this song on the first verse of another ballad called 'The Rambling Boys of Pleasure':

Down by yon valley gardens
One evening as I chanced to stray,
It's there I saw my darling,
I took her to be the queen of May,
She told me to take love easy,
Just as the leaves grow on the trees,
But I, being young and foolish,
Her then I did not agree.

This song has also been collected in Vermont, U.S.A. ...."
-snip-
I'll leave the distant possibility of any connection between that song and others discussed her for any others who might want to consider them. My main purpose is to document what I consider to be close similarities between "The Closet Key" song and the Nicaraguan song which is the subject of this post.

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More

Seven Songs By Dimensión Costeña (Nicaragua)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases seven Dimension Costena songs as well as information about this Nicaraguan group, comments, and my (incomplete) transcriptions of a few of these songs are also included in this post.

The Dimension Costena recording of "Tututulu Pasa" is also featured in this pancocojams post http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/bluefield-nicaraguas-tulululu-songs.html. That post also features two other Tutululu songs and lyrics of a Tututulu song along with comments about that song.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/seven-videos-of-maypole-festival-in.html for the first post in this series. That post provides general information about Bluefield, Nicaragua as well as some information about its May Pole celebrations.

The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Dimensión Costeña for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to those featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these YouTube videos.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT DIMENSION COSTENA (COAST DIMENSION)
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension_Coste%C3%B1a
"Dimensión Costeña is a Nicaraguan group that came together in the Caribbean coast of the country in Bluefields....

Dimension Costena consists of eight members, all of whom are from the coast area.
The main band member is called Luis Cassells, who dubs himself as the "Director Artistico" or the Artistic Director. Anthony Mathews and Anthony De Costena on vocals."

****
From https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060909004313AAc2SzX
"Palo de Mayo is not only a song, but refers to a kind of traditional songs and dances from Nicaraguan Caribbean coast. The song you're familiar with (Tululu-pasa) most probably is played by a group called Dimension Costeña and his lead singer, Anthony Matthews, and as far as I understand they sing it in a combination of Spanish, English and Misquito, a local languaje. Other groups that play this kind of songs are Macoya and Mocuanes, both from Nicaragua."
-snip-
The name Dimensión Costeña "Coast Dimension" refers to fact that all of the group members are from the (Atlantic) coast area of Nicaragua.

****
FEATURED YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting date on YouTube, with the oldest examples given first.

Example #1: Dimensión Costeña - Money Money



gilsomen, Uploaded on Nov 10, 2008
-snip-
partial transcription:
money money money
everybody has money
money money money
I have money fever
-snip-
Here's a comment about this song:
baptist70, 2010
"yo baile esa rola en 1986 en la piñata managua viva mi patriaaaaa
-snip-
Google Translate's translation into English was "off": "I dance the dime in 1986 in viva pinata managua my patriaaaaa".

I think a more correct English translation is "I danced [to] this [a slang term meaning record or song] in 1986 at a Managua festival. Long life my country!"
-snip-
I'm interested in that comment because it helps date this song since unfortunately I've not found much information in English about this group such as the decade that they started performing.

****
Rxample #2: Dimension Costena - The Bluefield Express HD



Felipe Gutierrez, Uploaded on Jul 29, 2009

Aqui les dejo este gran tema de una de las agrupaciones mas famosas de Nicaragua Dimension Costena no habia visto este video en buena calidad asi que decidi subirlo dejen sus comentarios..
-snip-
English translation from Google Translates
"Here I leave this great subject of one of the most famous groups Costena Dimension Nicaragua had not seen this video in good quality so I decided to upload it leave your comments."
-snip-
Bluefield, Nicaragua, on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, is the heart of that nation's May Pole celebration. Information about Bluefield, Nicaragua can be found at

Here's my incomplete transcription of that song (with the words I'm not sure of written in italics):
Come take a ride on the Bluefield Express
Sit down inside on the Bluefield Express
She comin down the creek you will see
The Bluefield Express
Her black smoke comin out of the chimney
The Bluefield express
The Bluefield express
The Bluefield express

****
Example #3: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA DIMENSION COSTENA BLUEFIELDS



Dante Legacy, Uploaded on Sep 26, 2009
-snip-
Comment from Leticia Ramirez, 2011
"el grupo se llama dimencion costeña y la cancion tulululu"
-snip-
English translation: The group is named Dimencion costena and the song is “Tulululu”.
end of quote. If this song is called "Tulululu" it's quite different from the other Tulululu songs that I've heard.

**
Comment from 77musica, 2011 (in response to q request for the words to this song:
"Come down brother Willie come down come see what the man have done he take out the knife stabbed up the wife and see how the blood down run...

Viva Nicaragua!!! Musica para recordar."
-snip-
The gruesome words to this song may recount an incident that happened at a May Pole festival, the same way that words to Calypso songs and Mento songs recount actual experiences.

**
Comment from 77musica, 2013
"come down" significa VENI AQUI en creole de Nica”
-snip-
My translation:
“Come down means the same thing as “Veni Aqui” in Nicaraguan Creole.

****
Example #4: Mayaya Lasinki Dimensión Costeña Concierto en Vivo



chavalopuntocom, Uploaded on Feb 24, 2010
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/seven-videos-of-maypole-festival-in.html for lyrics to an old version of this song. According to an article quoted in that post, the song was called "Mayaya Lost Her [or "The"] Key" (Creole: "Mayaya lass im key"). That article also includes comments about how that singing game was played, including this excerpt (given with my translation of its English translation):
"Mayaya" ("Maia") is the name of a fertility goddess. However, the song recounts an incident that had actually happened at a festivity. A woman lost her key [to her home] and couldn't open her door.

Originally, this song was played in a circle with one person in the middle. The people forming the circle passed a hidden key hand to hand, and the person in the middle had to guess who had the key. If she (or he) guessed correctly, the person in the middle rejoins the group and the person who had the key was the new middle person."
-snip-
It seems to me that the words to contemporary versions of this song have distinctly sexual allusions. Given that Mayaya (Maia) was the goddess of fertility, I wonder if the words to that singing game originally had those sexually allusions.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-does-mayaya-lasinki-mean.html for a pancocojams post about the song "Mayaya Lasinki".

****
Example #5: Dimension Costeña- Rikitiki/ Madah Say Do Redo



TicoNicaX4, Uploaded on Jul 21, 2011

Palo de Mayo [May Pole]
-snip-
Palo de Mayo = May Pole

Madah Say Do Redo = Mother said do [it and] do it again.

****
Example #6: Dimension Costena MELANCOLIA



nicoyaenusa , Uploaded on Nov 7, 2011

Dimension Costena interpretando Melancolia Una Cansion Que hizo sonar a muchos Nicaraguense en aquella epoca de los 80"
-snip-
English translation:
Dimension Costena playing Melancolia ; A Nicaraguan song that was popular in the 1980s.

****
Example #7: DIMENSION COSTENA grupo gamma TULULULU PASA



efranz55, Published on Aug 10, 2012
-snip-
Here's a comment from that example, from flor cardenas, 2013
"este es el palo d mayo original"
-snip-
I think that a correct American English translation for that comment is "This is a traditional (Nicaraguan) May Pole song.
-snip-
Here's my incomplete translation of that song, leaving the words "tulululu" and "pasa" in "Spanish" [with the recognition that "tulululu" may not be a Spanish word]if untra l

tulululu pasa [repeat after every line]
that gal and boy they pasa
all of them they pasa
gal and boy they pasa
they hold the gal they pasa
that gal and boy they pasa
pass pass passa
gal and boy they pasa
all of we, we pasa
gal and boy they pasa...
-snip-
Here's a comment that the publisher of another sound file of Dimension Costena recoding of "Tutululu Pasa" wrote in response to a question about the music's genre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WPYtIaC3zU
Rafael Guevara, 2014
"Es un ritmo caribeño de Nicaragua... pero no es ni soca, ni punta."
-snip-
English translation: It’s the Caribbean rhythm of Nicaragua. But it’s not soca or punta.

"Soca" is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad/Tobago. "Punta" is a genre of music that originated among the Afro-Caribbean Garifuna people of Nicaragua, Central America

****
BONUS EXAMPLE
Example #8
MIX POPURRI CALIENTE-DIMENSION COSTEÑA (Video Oficial HD) By: Elcuco Nica



ELCUCONICATV, Published on Dec 20, 2013

HollywoodFan21 ( Luis Villavicencio )5 months ago
Evento del Palo de Mayo en Blufields, Zelaya, Nicaragua.
-snip-
Translation: Maypole event in Bluefields, Zelaya, Nicaragua.

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More

Bluefield, Nicaragua's Tulululu Songs & Dances

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post continues pancocojams's focus on the May Pole celebrations in Bluefield, Nicaragua.

This post presents the lyrics to what I believe is an old version of "Tututula" (also known as "Tututulu Pasa"). Three YouTube examples of "Tulululu" songs & dances are also showcased in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/seven-videos-of-maypole-festival-in.html for the first post in this series. That post provides general information about Bluefield, Nicaragua as well as some information about its May Pole celebrations.

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/seven-songs-by-dimension-costena.html for a post on the Nicaraguan group Dimension Costena.

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who keep alive the traditional celebration of May Pole Festival In Bluefield, Nicaragua. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to those featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these YouTube videos.

****
EDITOR'S COMMENT
From my reading it seems clear that "Tulululu" is the title of certain traditional Bluefield, Nicaragua songs. Those songs are also given as "Tulululu Pasa" and "Tululu" (with or without the Spanish word "pasa"). Unfortunately, no date is given for this song or any other song given in that article. However, given the subject of that article, it seems likely to me that this example of "Tulululu" is considerably older (and thus "more traditional" ?) than those songs that are featured in the YouTube examples that are found below. Then again, maybe those versions of "Tulululu" that are sung in those videos are also traditional.

I'd love to "hear" from those who are familiar with "Tulululu" songs and dances. I admit that I just learned about "Tulululu" today when I went YouTube surfing for traditional Afro-Nicaraguan music & dance.

****
UPDATE: June 29, 2014: INFORMATION ABOUT NICARAGUA'S PALO DE MAYO CELEBRATIONS
[I added this passage because I realized that this post didn't include any time frames for when Nicaragua's Palo De Mayo celebration began.]

From http://www.nicatour.net/en/nicaragua/palo-de-mayo.cfm#
"Vibrant Caribbean rhythms and colorful processions, marks the start of the Palo de Mayo festival, a tribute to Mayaya African goddess of fertility. This celebration dates from the early nineteenth century, is an adaptation of the British tradition who celebrated first day of May with a feast.

Considered the highest expression of culture and tradition of the Caribbean of Nicaragua, the first of May starts with a presentation around a tree which is decorated with colored ribbons and around which dances are performed as welcome to the rainy season , production and new life.

Initially took place on Corn Island, then in Pearl Lagoon and now is celebrated in Bluefields attracting spectators from all the surrounding area and from all over the country who not only witness but are passed with the energy and joy this activity....

Throughout the month of May and especially on weekends, a variety of cultural events at night, highlighting the dances like punta, zumba, the guanara and Gulye, sensual dance movements are showen, so common on Afriocaribean dances...

Definitely this festival, that has disappeared in other countries where was celebrated, in Nicaragua has passed from generations to generations and lived with great intensity year after year."
-snip-
Read more comments about the statement that Mayaya is an African goddess of fertility in this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/similarities-between-african-american.html

****
ARTICLE EXCERPT: "MAY POLE HISTORY - RESCUING OUR CULTURE"
Del Palo De Mayo History; Mr. Johnny Hodgson Deerings, Historian Costeño
From http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://bluefieldspulse.com/maypolehistoryrescuingourculture.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtulululu%2Bletra%26start%3D10%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D575 [English translation of an article written in Spanish]

Note: The English version of this article translated the title of the song "Tulululu" to "Your Lu Lu Lu" ("tu" being a Spanish form of the English word "your".) Obviously, that's not a correct translation. However, that mistake makes me to wonder if the word "tulululu" might have been a folk etymology form of a word or words (or words and sounds) that started with the Spanish word "tu".

I'm quoting this excerpt three ways- its Spanish* passage, the English translation that was given to that passage, and my attempt to reformat that English translation into what I consider to be more Standard American English.
*I'm referring to this as a Spanish passage, but some of the words in the song are in English and Creole.

Spanish:
"TU LU LU LU »
Esta canción se bailaba en la despedida; el baile-desfile se desarrolla a lo largo de las calles entre el norte y el sur de Bluefields. A medida que llegan a los distintos barrios de la ciudad, se van quedando las bailarinas que viven en dichas secciones o barrios.

Este baile requiere la participación de todos los que están en el festival. Las personas van pasando debajo de un arco hecho por los brazos de los participantes. Cuando una pareja pasa, se coloca adelante para continuar el arco que avanza al ritmo de la música.

CANTO
Tu lu lu lu
Pass anda
Gial an buay de
Pass anda
Pass pass pass anda
Gial an buay de pass anda
Beholden gial
Pass anda
Old Bank gial
Pass anda
Cotton Tri gial
Pass anda
Pass pass pass anda
(Repite)"

-snip-
The article's English translation
"This song was danced at the bachelor; dance-parade takes place along the streets between the north and south of Bluefields. As we come to the neighborhoods of the city, the dancers are left living in these sections or neighborhoods.

This dance requires the participation of everyone in the festival. People are passing under an arch made by the arms of the participants. When a couple passes, standing forward to continue the arc moves to the beat.

CANTO
Your lu lu lu
Pass walks
Gial an buay of
Pass walks
Pass pass pass goes
Buay pass an Gial of walks
Gial Beholden
Pass walks
Gial Old Bank
Pass walks
Cotton Tri gial
Pass walks
Pass pass pass goes
(Repeat")

-snip-
Standard American English translation:
This song was danced at the young people’s dance-parade that takes place along the streets between the north and south of Bluefields. As the parade arrives at different neighborhoods of the city, the people who live in those neighborhoods leave the parade.

This dance requires the participation of everyone in the festival. People pass under an arch made by the arms of the participants. When one couple passes under the arch, the next couple in line moves forward and people continue to move under the arch, dancing to the beat.

LYRICS
Tulululu
Pass, walks
Every girl and boy
Pass, walk
Pass pass pass go
Boy pass [passes under] and girl walks
Beholden girl
Pass walks
Old Bank girl
Pass walks
Cotton Tri girl
Pass walks
Pass pass pass walks
(Repeat)

Explanation:
I think that "pass" [Spanish "pasa"] here means "go under" [the arch made by hands held high]. This movement is the same as that done in the singing game "London Bridge Is Falling Down".

I think that "Every girl and boy" fits what I think is the meaning of that line better than the words "girl and boy of" [a particular neighborhood?]

I wonder if "go"/"goes"" would have been a better translation for the words "walk"/"walks".

"Beholden", "Old Bank", and "Cotton Tri" [Cotton Town] are names of neighborhoods in Bluefield, Nicaragua. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluefields#Districts

Please add your corrections and ideas about the correct transcription of this particular "Tulululu" song.
-snip-
Here's another excerpt from that article which is given in the English translation that was made for that page. Note: I italicized a word that is similar to "Tulutulu" toward the end of this article to highlight it. I also added a word in brackets toward the end of this article that I think was meant for that passage.

"A tree of a special kind known as Palo de Mayo was cut and decorated in May with fruit and ribbons of red, yellow, blue, and green, the tree was placed in the square of the two communities or neighborhood Bluefields where it remained throughout the festival until the last day of the month.

Originally in the way that the British teachers taught the maypole to Caribbean, danced around the tree only women, over time some of them dressed in men's clothes occasionally dancing couples, then also allowed the entry of men into the circle but not just any man. Men who sometimes got into the circle to dance, were musicians.

In the early years dancers were selected from the two areas that existed in Bluefields, which were: Cotton Tree and Old Bank. Not only the adults participating in the celebration, but also children and youth. Children danced as interpreted different games around the tree. Your participation time was during the day in the afternoon. Adults danced at night...

Eventually part of the Maypole for children or adolescents was also changing and became a game in May preparing children in puberty and adolescence, where they planted a tree well decorated and full of varied fruits, sang and danced in the end, instead of dancing the "Lulu Tulu" bouncing the tree for everyone tried to grab the fruit as is done in the piñatas.

Sometimes after tree felling and consumption of sweets, children and young people continued to play other songs including always included "London Bridge is falling down" (London Bridge is Falling Down) Dance and Play [whose] Dance and Play were similar to Lulu Tulu"...
-snip-
That passage ends with what seems to me to be a description of a tug of war contest.

****
FEATURED YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting date on YouTube, with the oldest examples given first.

Example #1: Tulululu 2012



Neyda Dixon, Published on Jun 21, 2012

****
Rxample #2: DIMENSION COSTENA grupo gamma TULULULU PASA



efranz55, Published on Aug 10, 2012
-snip-
Here's a comment from that example, from flor cardenas, 2013
"este es el palo d mayo original"
-snip-
I think that a correct American English translation for that comment is "This is a traditional (Nicaraguan) May Pole song. I wonder if that comment means that this contemporary recording of "Tututulu Pasa" has the same words or basically the same words as the song is remembered being sung a long time ago, and also that song is sung in the same style that it was sung a long time ago.
-snip-
Here's my incomplete transcription of that Dimension Costena recoding of "Tutululu Pasa":

tulululu pasa [repeat after every line]
that gal and boy they pasa
all of them they pasa
gal and boy they pasa
they hold the gal they pasa
that gal and boy they pasa
pass pass passa
gal and boy they pasa
all of we, we pasa
gal and boy they pasa...
-snip-
Here's a comment that the publisher of another sound file of Dimension Costena recoding of "Tutululu Pasa" wrote in response to a question about the music's genre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WPYtIaC3zU
Rafael Guevara, 2014
"Es un ritmo caribeño de Nicaragua... pero no es ni soca, ni punta."
-snip-
English translation: It’s the Caribbean rhythm of Nicaragua. But it’s not soca or punta.

"Soca" is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad/Tobago. "Punta" is a genre of music that originated among the Afro-Caribbean Garifuna people of Nicaragua, Central America.
****
Example #3: Mayo Ya 2014 - Caribbean Taste - Tulululu



Curt Myers, Published on May 31, 2014
MAYO YA 2014
Caribbean Taste - Tulululu
Ft. Miss May 2014 Finalist
Video: || » CMC « ||™ Solutions.
Wednesday, May 28th, 2014.

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More

Seven Videos Of The Palo De Mayo (May Pole) Festival in Bluefield, Nicaraugua

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the first of a number of posts on the Bluefield, Nicaragua's (Central America)'s Palo De Mayo (May Pole) Celebrations.

This post presents information about Bluefield and information about its Maypole carnival celebrations. In addition, this post showcases seven videos of Bluefield's May Pole celebrations.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/bluefield-nicaraguas-tulululu-songs.html for the post "Bluefield, Nicaragua's Tulululu Songs & Dances".

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/seven-songs-by-dimension-costena.html for a post on the Nicaraguan group Dimension Costena.

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-does-mayaya-lasinki-mean.html for a pancocojams post about the song "Mayaya Lasinki".

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who keep alive the traditional celebration of May Pole Festival In Bluefield, Nicaragua. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to those featured in these videos and the publishers of these YouTube videos.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT BLUEFIELD, NICARAGUA
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluefields
"Bluefields (or Blewfields) is the capital of the municipality of the same name, and of Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur (R.A.A.S.) in Nicaragua....

Bluefields was named after the Dutch pirate Abraham Blauvelt who hid in the bay’s waters in the early 17th century.[1] It has a population of 87,000 (2005)[2] and its inhabitants are mostly Mestizo, Miskito, whites, blacks, along with smaller communities of Garifuna, Chinese, Sumu, and Ramas. Bluefields is Nicaragua’s chief Caribbean port, from where hardwood, seafood, shrimp and lobster are exported. Bluefields was a rendezvous for English and Dutch buccaneers in the 16th and 17th century...

Consensus exists that the black Africans first appeared in the Caribbean coast in 1641, when a Portuguese ship that transported slaves wrecked in the Miskito Cays...

On the other hand, slaves originating in Jamaica that sought freedom on the Nicaraguan coast continued arriving during the greater part of the 19th century"...

****
INFORMATION ABOUT BLUEFIELD, NICARAGUA'S MAY POLE FESTIVAL
****
UPDATE: June 29, 2014: INFORMATION ABOUT NICARAGUA'S PALO DE MAYO CELEBRATIONS
[I added this passage because I realized that this post didn't include any time frames for when Nicaragua's Palo De Mayo celebration began.]
From http://www.nicatour.net/en/nicaragua/palo-de-mayo.cfm#
"Vibrant Caribbean rhythms and colorful processions, marks the start of the Palo de Mayo festival, a tribute to Mayaya African goddess of fertility. This celebration dates from the early nineteenth century, is an adaptation of the British tradition who celebrated first day of May with a feast.

Considered the highest expression of culture and tradition of the Caribbean of Nicaragua, the first of May starts with a presentation around a tree which is decorated with colored ribbons and around which dances are performed as welcome to the rainy season , production and new life.

Initially took place on Corn Island, then in Pearl Lagoon and now is celebrated in Bluefields attracting spectators from all the surrounding area and from all over the country who not only witness but are passed with the energy and joy this activity....

Throughout the month of May and especially on weekends, a variety of cultural events at night, highlighting the dances like punta, zumba, the guanara and Gulye, sensual dance movements are showen, so common on Afriocaribean dances...

Definitely this festival, that has disappeared in other countries where was celebrated, in Nicaragua has passed from generations to generations and lived with great intensity year after year."

****
From http://rightsideguide.com/maypole-festival/
"No doubt if you have done any research on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua you have heard something about the Maypole festival. Often called “deh carnival” by the locals, the Maypole festival is a hybrid festival that traces its roots back to both the English May Day rites and the indigenous worship of Mayaya, the goddess of fertility. This clash of rituals has given birth to the sexiest celebration outside of Rio...

On the weekends starting about mid month there are frequent concerts going on somewhere in town, usually the park. I will post schedules of events on the calendar as I find out about them. However, the biggest, loudest and wildest party happens on the last weekend of the month. The May Pole festival weekend begins with the carnival which showcases the neighborhood dance groups dressed in full carnival regalia parading through the streets of downtown Bluefields until night, where they then dance on stage as a prelude to the concert that usually follows. The last party on the last night of the last weekend culminates in the Tulululu, the wild march between Old Bank barrio and Cottontree. The Tulululu is a rambunctious parade with its own dance, the aptly named tulululu. More of a thing than a dance, you will know what to do when you see the tulululu tunnels. Some stretch for a block or more.

The famous May Pole dancing

Children learn how to dance May Pole as soon as soon as they learn how to walk, and to watch the adults in the street is to watch art and culture in motion. The dancers dress like they stepped out of the 1800s and move with an unshakable rhythm that compliments the traditional May Pole music as if the beats were born from the dance itself. The females hike up their dresses to keep them off the ground and dance to tease their partner on the other side of the May Pole tree. The man steps around the tree in delicate chase, pounding the ground with his bare feet and folding his arms behind his back like…like a big chicken! He usually carries a rag and the crowd always cheers when he throws it to the ground, only to bend down to pick it up with his teeth. The man then gets closer to the woman who makes no mistake about wanting to be caught, and for a brief moment the dance climaxes with the two simulating sex as the audience goes wild and pushes in closer to see. It is always the female dancer who breaks it off, usually turning away laughing toward her friends who are the ones laughing the hardest. Sometimes several more female dances will have their turn being chased around the pole, and sometimes other couples in the crowd will step up and dance as well. These dances usually happen in the neighborhood festivals, but are easiest seen during the carnival parade and beginning of the Tulululu."
-snip-
Click http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://bluefieldspulse.com/maypolehistoryrescuingourculture.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtulululu%2Bletra%26start%3D10%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D575 "Del Palo De Mayo History"; Mr. Johnny Hodgson Deerings, Historian Costeño . This is an English translation of an article written in Spanish about the history of the May Pole Festival in Bluefield, Nicaragua. Here's a brief excerpt from that article:
"In 1988 Professor Hugo Sujo interviewed a man of 78 years named Mr. Maxwell Atily in favor of the formal version of the Maypole Cotton Tree in the neighborhood. Asked about his past involvement in such festivities said:

"We used songs like "Mayaya las im key”. We formed a circle and we had a great key, which passed from hand to hand in the circle, while dancing someone in the circle for the key. Upon discovering the key in the hands of someone, that person had to go to the center of the dancing circle and look for the key that was passed from hand to hand until he finds it in the hands of another person who had to take his place at the center circle, and so on.

Any decent person of good character could join the dance. Served refreshments [included], chicha ginger, taro root cake, rice cake, the "pinkypinky" - a mild alcoholic drink made ​​and so named for the pink color I[t] had. None of strong drink. We decorated [the] stick [the pole?] and put the fruit [on it]. After dancing [were] fruits divided between those who wanted [them]. During the dance couples changed [moved]* in a decent way. No one clutched another [person]*, [no one did any] of the vulgarities [that are] committed to do today. [that are done today].* "
-snip-
*I changed the way that sentence was constructed to conform to standard English. The words or letters in brackets are my additions to improve the sentence's English language translation.

Click that link given above for a text version of the song "Mayaya Lost Her Key" (Creole: "Mayaya lass im key"). "Mayaya Lasinki" is a contemporary form of that song's title. A recording of that song by the Nicaraguan group Dimensión Costeña is featured in the pancocojams post about that group.

****
FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting date on YouTube, with the oldest examples given first.

Example #1: Palo de Mayo 2007 - Bluefields



Curt Myers, Uploaded May 11, 2008
-snip-
Palo de Mayo = May pole

****
Example #2: Carnaval Bluefields 2010.wmv



Bluefilms Raas, June 6, 2010

Comment
mimm091285, 2011
"Lo que dijo la chica es falso. El ritmo de palo de mayo no proviene en lo mas mínimo de Inglaterra. Ese ritmo es proveniente de los africanos que como esclavos fueron llevados por los ingleses. El ritmo de palo de mayo es patrimonio de los negros no de los blancos. A los blancos la música clásica pero a los negros es el mero ritmo del palo de mayo, el jazz, el blus, la samba, la bossa nova, el latin jazz. Los negros pusieron la mitad de la música mundial. Pero por supuesto que si."
-snip-
Gooble translate from Spanish to English
"Whatever the girl said is false. The pace of maypole comes not in the least in England. That pace is from African slaves that were brought by the British. The pace is maypole heritage of blacks from whites. A classic white but black music is the sheer pace of the maypole, jazz, blus, samba, bossa nova, latin jazz. Blacks put half of world music. But of course it is."
-snip-
Pace= in this context = rhythm [?]
A classic white but black music = a classic mixture of White & Black music [?]

****
Example #3: Carnaval Bluefields 2010 2da parte.wmv [part 2]



Bluefilms Raas, June 6, 2010

****
Example #4: Palo de Mayo Dancers at BICU 2011 [May Pole Dancers]



ALBeebers, Uploaded Feb 24, 2012

At the BICU at the Bluefields, RAAS, Nicaragua, 2011
-snip-
BICU = Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU), a campus of The University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluefields)

Comment:
Guillermo Duarte, 2013
Que viva la cultura prístina de los hermanos de pueblos originarios y afrodescendientes que pueblan la costa caribe nicaragüense!!!!
-snip-
Google translate: Long live the pristine culture of the indigenous brothers and African descent who inhabit the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua!!

****
Example #5: Reportaje Especial El Palo de Mayo



Canal 4 Nicaragua, June 1, 2012

La costa alantica de nuestras pais se viste de gala con la fiesta de mayo y su tradiconal palo de mayo...
-snip-
English translation: The Alantic coast of our nation is the sight of the May festival with its traditional May pole.

****
Example #6: The best of Bluefields Maypole carnival, May 2011



betyerbottomdollar, June 7, 2011

The highlights of the May Pole Carnival held in Bluefields, Nicaragua .2011

****
Example #7: Carnaval Bluefields 2012.mp4



Neyda Dixon, Published on Jun 18, 2012

En las actividades del palo de mayo, este sabado en Bluefields el colorido, la musica y el baile se adeuñaron de las calles, cuando miles de costeños y turistas nacionales y extranjeros salieron a las calles a honrar a la diosa mayaya o fertilidad, en agradecimiento a las primeras lluvias.

Google translate from Spanish to English:
The activities of the maypole, this Saturday in Bluefields colorful, music and dance adeuñaron streets when thousands of coastal and domestic and foreign tourists lined the streets to honor the goddess or fertility mayaya in gratitude the first rains.

****
BONUS: June 20, 2013

Here's another video of Palo De Mayo celebrations:

Example #8: Inicio las fiestas de mayo en Bluefields, 2013



Neyda Dixon, Published on May 3, 2013

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More