Lyr Add: Afrikaans Folk Music

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Afrikaans Folk Music
From: Nerd
Date: 04 Oct 04 - 01:25 PM

This is neat, thanks, Q! My wife speaks Afrikaans, so we'll take a look at the site!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Afrikaans Folk Music
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Oct 04 - 03:43 PM

"...This vessel was successful for a while...

Until she went to a watery grave, when "When the Yankee Kearsage hove into view", as recounted in Roll Alabama Roll

Subject: Lyr Add: DAAR KOM DIE ALIBAMA (Afrikaans)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Oct 04 - 09:51 PM

"Ons Blêrkas van Afrikaanse volksmusiek" has 400 folksongs, with midis. The folk songs are of all kinds, including children's, hymns, love songs, etc. No English. Afrikaans Folk

Many of us remember Marais and Miranda, who sang South African and many other folk songs. Thread 45493: Marais and Miranda

Marais and Miranda often changed the words to songs to make them more accessible or more interesting to those of us (nearly all) who were unfamiliar with Afrikaans culture and history.

One song they sang was "Daar Kom die Alibama," based on visits to South Africa for supplies by the C. S. S. Alabama during the Civil War. This vessel was successful for a while in stopping much of the whaling by New England vessels.
The versions in the Marais and Miranda thread are only partly correct. Here is the text from the South African source.

DAAR KOM DIE ALIBAMA

Daar kom die Alibama, die Alibama die kom oor die see.
Daar kom die Alibama, die Alibama die kom oor die see.

Nooi, nooi, die rietkooi, nooi, die rietkooi is gemaak,
die rietkooi is vir my gemaak om daar op te slaap.
Nooi, nooi, die rietkooi, nooi, die rietkooi is gemaak,
die rietkooi is vir my gemaak om daarop te shlaap.

Die Alibama, die Alibama, die Alibama kom oor die see.
Die Alibama, die Alibama, die Alibama kom oor die see.

Daar kom die Alibama, die Alibama, die kom oor die see.
Daar kom die Alibama, die Alibama, die kom oor die see.
Die Alibama, die Alibama, die Alibama kom oor die see.
Die Alibama, die Alimama, die Alibama kom oor die see.

Translation:
There comes the Alabama the Alabama, which comes over the sea (2x)

Girl, girl, the reed bed is made for me to sleep on (2x)

The Alabama, etc.

This armored vessel, like nothing seen before, inspired the song, sung by Malays working the docks, used as a chantey.

Lyrics and midi: http://esl.ee.sun.ac.za/~lochner/blerkas/woorde/257.txt
Afrikaans folk music

Afrikaans music cds are obtainable from: Fantasia
The song Alibama is still popular; the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orch. (Port Elizabeth) according to a news item included a new arrangement in their annual concert of "Rocks and Pops."