Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba

Subject: Tumba ta Tumba
From: Calico Jenny
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 11:29 AM

I learned this song as a kid at Girl Scout camp. One group sings tumba ta tumba over and over again; the other sings a high melodic bit. Does anyone know the origins of this? Do the words have meaning or was it cobbled together out of nonsense syllables (which is what I was told).

Subject: Lyr Add: TUMBA TA TUMBA
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 12:30 PM

TUMBA TA TUMBA

Low chant- Tumba ta tumba, Tumba ta tumba

Verse
Ah-lay-ah-lay-i, Ah-lay-i, Ah-lay-i, Ah-lay-i
Ah-lay-ah-lay-i, Ah-lay-i, Ah-lay-i, Ah-lay-i.

Tay tumba tumba ta tumba tay
Tay tumba tumba ta tumba tay.

Ta tumba ti, Ta tumba tah,
Ta tumba tumba tumba tumba tumba tah.
Ta tumba ti, Ta tumba tay
Ta tumba tumba tumba tumba tumba tah.

Aahh, aahh-

Source and meaning, if any, not known. Some say Polynesian origin, but not verifiable.

In several girl scout song books. On line at GS lyrics

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 12:42 PM

Another version-
Kids Music
------------------------------
In Tagalog (Filipines), tumba means fall down, and tumba-timba means swing. Found at http://www.bansa.org/dictionaries/tgl?type=search&data=tumba-tumba

May be coincidence.

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Aug 08 - 12:59 PM

Gee! The Arabs got blamed for this 'song' in the school songbook "Music Sounds Afar," Irving Wolfe et al, Follett Pub. Co., 1958.
This book has a musical score. "Tumba," pp. 118-119, piano, with chords and instruction for drum.

In a footnote, they credit "Lift Every Voice," 1950, Cooperative Recreation Service, Delaware, Ohio.

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Aug 08 - 01:59 PM

Have any variants developed?

Any ideas on who originated the song?

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: GUEST,SANdrA
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 08:21 PM

la auntentica de jerez-Tumba Tumba

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Melissa
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 11:44 PM

we sang it a little bit differently:
Our second part was "oh, tumba tumba ta tumba tee" (instead of 'Tay tumba tumba ta tumba tay')

and the next part was
tumba tumba tumba tumba tumba ta tee (2X)
(no 'Ta tumba ti, Ta tumba tay' and no 'ahh ahh' part. It seems like we ended with a final "tumba" which was kind of whispered)

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 12:12 AM

Q says it's in several scout songbooks, but I can't find it in any book listed in our Scout Songbook Index PermaThread. Closest I could find was "Tumbalalaika."
I'll look further.
-Joe-

Subject: Lyr Add: TUMBA
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Oct 08 - 07:03 PM

This chant-song is one that probably would get revised by every pair of hands it passed through.
These are the lyrics to the Arabic chant "Tumba" in the "Music Sounds Afar" school music book, 1958, Wolfe et al. Taken from Lift Every Voice, 1950, Cooperative Recreation Service. I have sent the score to Joe, perhaps he can do something with a midi.

TUMBA

"Very rhythmically, not too slow."
Tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba,
"Low voices, beginning softly and gradually growing louder"
Al-i, al-i, al-i, ah!
la la la, la la la,
la la la, la la la,
la la la, la la la.
Tumba, tumba

Alto
Tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba
Tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba, tumba
Tumba, tumba, tumba ti
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la.
Soprano
Tum-tum-ba, tumba, tumba, tumba-ti
Tum-tum-ba, tum-ba, tum-ba, tum-ba-ti.

Timing is important but difficult to show.
The score has parts for drums, piano, and voice. Chords shown,
pp. 118-119.

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Oct 08 - 10:50 PM

Q sent me a scan from the school songbook, and I did my best to transcribe it. It does sound Arab to me. Thanks, Q.
-Joe-

---

Click to play

Click to play (harmony)

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Oct 08 - 11:06 PM

Does anyone have the Cooperative Recreation booklet with 'Tumba'? I wonder if they had any comment about it.

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Oct 08 - 11:15 PM

I checked our Cooperative Recreation Service Songbook Index and didn't find the song or the "Lift Every Voice" songbook. I'd buy the songbook if I could find it, but Bookfinder has too many books with that title.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: Calico Jenny
Date: 02 Nov 08 - 10:00 AM

I so appreciate all your feedback, and I apologize for not watching the thread and responding sooner. The Arabic version that Joe Offer sent me could well be the root, but the actual melody that I recall is much more western sounding. To hear the song that evolved into my own repertoire, go to CDBaby.com and look for the album You Don't Know Jack. My song is called Come a Summer Night. The Tumba ta Tumba song that I learned around the campfire works as a third part. One of the first times I performed the piece on stage, Judy Cook was standing next to me (Havre de Grace Maritime Festival in Maryland). Astute listener that she is, with a keen ear and encyclopedic memory of songs old and new, she began singing the original behind me. Afterwards she told me she too had learned the song at Scout camp.

Subject: ADD: Achshav (Israeli)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 08 - 09:29 PM

I'm not ready to give up, Jenny. I'm thinking of a song that could be Israeli. Half the audience goes "tumba, tumba," over and over again. The rest sing a very simple melody, but I can't remember it.

Another possibility is Achshav (click for sound sample:


ACHSHAV!

Achshav! Achshav!
B'Eretz Yisroel
Achshav! Achshav!
B'Eretz Yisroel Hey!
Tumba, tumba, tumba
B'Eretz Yisroel Hey!
Tumba, tumba, tumba
B'Eretz Yisroel

(Right now, in the land of Israel!)

Subject: RE: Tumba ta TUmba
From: GUEST,Sunshine
Date: 11 Nov 09 - 02:19 AM

Calico Jenny or anyone else out there. I have my version of the Tumba song. It has a different part in it I think. I learned it at a YWCA camp and have taught the version I know to a Girl Scout Troop and some students I have taught. I have been looking off and on for the origin. When we would sing it, it had more of a native or aboriginal tone.

One part is:

Hail, tomba......tomba ta tomba tey..........
Hail, tomba....tomba ta tomba tey.............
A tomba ta, ta tomba tey. tomba, tomba tomba, ta tomba tey.
Tomba ta tomba tomba to tomba


TOMBA   It is sung in two parts. When both parts come to the end they say TOMBA together. The person leading makes a motion so everyone knows to say TOMBA and stop. It is magical when done well.

I might come back if anyone wants more info.

Subject: RE: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST,Many uses for this type of song
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 11:56 PM

My college roommate from Maine taught it to me saying it was Hawaiian. I sang it in another circle calling it "Hawaiian" and someone insisted that it was of Caribbean origin. Hmmm.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Sep 10 - 09:20 PM

Hello! I just read through this thread and I am amazed that I have found someone who knows this song. I have been looking for it for years! I have never been able to track it down. We sang it as a family around the campfire and learned it from my uncle who learned it in college some 40 years ago. It is very western sounding and sounds if anything more African or aboriginal. Very melodic and trance like in sound.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 12 - 12:17 AM

My aunt taught us this song in February 1971 while on a road trip. It is sung in three parts. One person sings Tumba ta Tumba over and over. The second person joins in and sings the Ali Ali Eeeeeee Ali Ali Ahhhh over and over. The third person enters and sings the Tumba Te Tumba ta and at the end they all join TUMBA! My sisters and I still sing it. And my girls too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 09:20 PM

I sang it at a Jewish day camp about 60 years ago. I thought it was Israeli, but Arabic is probable.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 14 Apr 13 - 01:14 PM

When I learned Tumba Ta Tumba in the mid 70's, I was told that it was an elephant hunting song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 22 Feb 16 - 12:05 PM

does anyone know the meaning of the word Tumba? I think it sounds African

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST,tuvya
Date: 06 May 19 - 01:13 PM

Voice of Jerusalem... a 1930s radio show on wmca (nyc) used to end the weekly program with "Tumba" something Moshe Nathanson thought of...called an Arab "derived" chant. dunno if it's similar to the other tumbas...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST,Balint
Date: 24 Nov 20 - 01:47 AM

We used to sing it in the choir of our school.
So after a little research, I found the sheet music, and according to that, it is a cannon from Senegal.

You can check it out at the link below:
https://edacj.musicanet.org/pdf/0112500006.pdf

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jan 21 - 01:34 AM

At GS camp we sang tumba part, alalaleee part, and SHABBAT SHALOM as the third part. Middle East meets Africa! Great campfire memories from the 70’s!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tumba ta Tumba
From: Jos
Date: 10 Jan 21 - 03:26 PM

It reminds me of the Spanish Civil War song which features in a film with that name:
¡Ay Carmela!