IN DEPTH DESCRIPTION OF DOMINO
This beautifully designed "How To" book and cassette, containing step by step instructions on how to play along with each song, chant, and game is sure to charm not only children but adults as well.
IF YO' PUT YO EAR A MANGO ROOT YO'
WILL HEAR CRAB COUGH.
The charming and fascinating West Indian culture of the U.S. Virgin Islands is introduced by this collection of 60 native children's circle games, clap patterns, jump rope chants and songs, elimination games and jokes. The clearly written text represents the melodic and rhythmic transcription of the music, and includes rhythmic notation and pictures illustrating the described actions.
Accompanying the written text is an authentic 35 minute original live sound field recording of the native children ages 5 through twelve.
This beautifully designed "How To" book and cassette, containing step by step instructions on how to play along with each song, chant, and game is sure to charm not only children but adults as well.
Further historical emphasis of West Indian Culture is afforded by the presentations of 81 earthy and brilliant native proverbs, written in dialect and handed down from the days of slavery on the sugarcane plantations, as well as, by the inclusion of maps, photographs, illustrations, and a 50 word Glossary of unfamiliar words and definitions translated into standard English.
DOMINO is sure to stimulate interest in the colorful, heritage, and music of the West Indies, as well as a life long appreciation for world music and the diversity of out own American Culture.
The songs and games in this collection represent something much more that just the music and the words printed on the pages.
HEAR AND READ EXAMPLES LIKE DING DONG AND DOWN IN THE RIVER FROM DOMINO BY KAREN ELLIS
These songs are the capture of living poetry.
In the life of the children who sing and play, the songs are always changing, never static. A child arrives from another part of the island and adds another word, and an improvisation is born. Even though there is a basic core to each song which the people learn and memorize as part of their childhood, they also are free to improvise on the basic core, to add and subtract as they feel. And the song changes, from one year to the next, from one generation to the next.
The songs in this book may seem familiar and also appear to be similar to standard United States children's songs you hear in your playgrounds. But the way they are played - the motions and the rhythms - are unique!
The playgrounds of the nation are now boundryless. We can share and compare the cultural connections and diversity of children's living playground poetry with the fabulous oral tradition of all of our ansestors. This is the method we all used to use before we knew how to read and write.
Recording the songs, being involved in the singing and the playing, is very exciting. It is the beginning of speech; it is the poetry of children. This is the culture of children. And it is a culture of which they are extremely proud.
Teachers act like an ethnomusicologist, collecting the authentic material from the children and preserving
it. Some of these songs have been passed down child to child over the centuries and have remained in tact
for
500 years. But as you know when children move they take their material with them and like been pollentate
new
children -- so it is a living poetry.
DOMINO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 - Clap Pattern: Spoken Chants and Songs
Chapter 2 - Circle Games, Line Dances, Call and Response
Chapter 3 - Jump Rope: Spoken Chants and Songs, Elimination Games and Jokes
- 96 pages
- 2 maps
- 81 West Indian Proverbs
- 50 Glossary Words
- 50 Musical Transcriptions
- 50 Black and white Photographs
- 5 Pen & Ink Illustrations
- Picture Page for all the Hand Motions used in the Clap Patterns
Forward
Introduction
How This Collection Came to Be
Who Will Enjoy This Book
About the Cover Art
Glossary
Omissions
Further Reading
LANGUAGE VARIETIES FROM THIS AREA ARE KNOWN AS "ATLANTIC CREOLES"
A Brief Political and
Cultural History
St. Croix
"Cattle minder know cattle temper"
Literally, the one who takes care of the cattle (the cattle herder or cowboy) is the one who best knows the nature of the cattle. If you take the time to learn about a person, you will have a better understanding of that person.
POLITICAL HISTORY
"When man no like yo' dey sa give yo' basket fo' carry watah."
If a man doesn't like you, he'll give you a basket to carry water. That is, he'll make your life difficult, or impossible.
THE PEOPLE
"When yo' no hear noon bell yo' mus' hear turn
out"
The "noon bell" is the lunch bell - time to break for lunch. The "turn out bell" is
the
go - to - work bell.
This proverb may be translated as: If you ignore an easy order, you may be faced with a more disagreeable command.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Teaching on St. Croix
(The DIALECT)
How to Use This Book
Further Notes on the Songs in this Collection
About the Author
LEGENDS FOR
- Circle Games
- Line Dances
- Call and Response
- Jump Rope Chants
- Clap Patterns
- Hip and Foot Work
McMillan McGraw Hill has included "A Tisket A Tasket" in both Share the Music
and Spotlight on Music series.
Chapter 1 -
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Chapter 2 -
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Chapter 3 -
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