Do Do Ki Do

An All Around This World classroom and homeschool lesson from West Africa -- "Do Do Ki Do" -- African mask song

“Do Do Ki Do” is a Cameroonian children’s song and West African mask song that often accompanies a Cameroonian masquerade dance. According to Nyango Melissa, Founder of the Minnesota African Women Association, who shared the song with Mama Lisa of the wonderful international children’s music website, Mama Lisa’s World, “do do ki do” is a local term for yummy fried plantains.

Nyango Melissa also wrote this about the song to give an even more vibrant picture of how kids enjoy it: “The kids sing it around one child who wears a mask. That kid is called the ‘juju’, and he is the one who dances. It’s sung mostly when kids are playing and often around the holidays like Christmas. The kids escort the juju who does the dancing and adults give them cash and treats. But you can sometimes hear kids just singing the song and clapping in rhythm on some moonlit nights.”

Country: Cameroon

LYRICS OF THE ALL AROUND THIS WORLD VERSION

Do do ki do ti na baba
Do do ki do ti na baba
Do do do ti la so la so

Learn about the song on “Mama Lisa’s World.”.

 

 

Washington D.C.’s MUMA Dance Gorup shares images of Camaroonian Masquerade

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Credits

Engineering: Jim Hamilton, Rittenhouse Soundworks, Philadelphia

Musicians:

  • Chuck Joseph (U.S., West African percussion/Vocals)
  • Ira Bond (U.S., West African percussion/Vocals)
  • Rich Robinson (U.S., West African percussion/Vocals)

Traditional. Arrangement by Jay Sand.

 

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