Janie Mama calypso - translation??

Subject: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST,Berkshire Beatbox
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 08:40 AM

In our singing group recently we learned a calypso song, Janie Mama. The lyrics go:

Janie Mama   Janie Mama   Janie Mama   Janie Mama

Ya tu suzika    I ya turnmina

Ya tu yavana    Hey yavana    Turnmina   Suzika


It would be good to know what the words mean, if anyone out there can help. I'm not even sure what language they're in - "ya tu" sounds Spanish to me, but I'm guessing it might be some kind of Patois language.

Many thanks for any help!

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST,AALIYAH
Date: 25 Feb 10 - 11:30 AM

I KNOW IT MEANS THANK YOU SO MUCH

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 25 Feb 10 - 04:43 PM

I tried Google Translator. The only language that gave anything was Swahili, and that didn't much help. It would help some if you knew the country of origin, as it may be a Patois of some sort. The song is quite pretty and gentle, and is primarily aimed at the early grade level, i.e. 3,4,5.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 02:09 PM

It actually means I have know something you don't know

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 03:38 PM

Can't find these words in the Caribbean dictionaries available to me.
Lyrics on line have differences in spelling.
Supposedly Jamaican mento.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 13 Nov 11 - 05:53 PM

If someone can find what those words are, then we might learn what the song's about.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 01:33 PM

Turnmina, Suzika and Yavana are all girls' names. Ya tu..., I ya... and Hey... are all "Hi there! I see you!.." types of greetings. So basically, the song is greeting these girls, and Janie Mama as well. The origin is Spanish.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 04:40 PM

Eliza, where did you find that?

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 Nov 11 - 05:02 PM

I am familiar with ya tu sabes which in Spanish means "Ya know," "You already know," "You know what I mean," or similar. I cannot tie the expression to this song, however.

I know of no Spanish (or Caribbean) girl's names, "Turnmina, Yavana, nor Sukika."

As previously noted, these words ar spelled differently or broken into syllables in versions of the lyrics posted online.

No such song is listed in mento.com

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST,jossie q
Date: 01 Jun 12 - 05:09 AM

i am learning it as well and i need help

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jun 12 - 05:03 PM

Does it have to mean something?
A typical nonsense song, and English is the language. It sounds calypso, but may have originated outside the Caribbean. It may be related to the Latin American melody variously titled Jannie Mama, Jenny Mama, etc.

Sheet music here: http://www.mtrs.co.uk/subscriptions/Downloads/support/vocal_activities.pdf
The song is labeled "calypso."

I have found nothing on its origin.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Paul Burke
Date: 01 Jun 12 - 07:28 PM

Why not ask the person teaching you what it means? It's a bit irresponsible to sing a song in another language without understanding- it might translate as "Die Straße frei den braunen Batallionen."

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jun 12 - 08:20 PM

Or it might be a subversive message to children. DUH!

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST,school girl kholoud ali
Date: 25 Sep 13 - 02:05 PM

Great song were even learning it in school

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 20 - 01:19 PM

I have here with me a copy of a score that says “Trad. aus der Karibik, Arrangement: Klex Wolf copyright Helbling , Rum /Innsbruck”

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Aug 26 - 11:45 AM

Huge stretch here, but a book about the murder of an anti-apartheid activist in Angola in 1983 by a South African agent led to a song called "Mama Janeth" which was written to commemorate her. AI (I asked for a translation of some of the lyrics into bad Portuguese, the language of Angola) came up with "And now you are done, now it is finished (or "you have finished") and either "forward movement" or "dysfunction" for "ya tu ya vana hey ya vana."

A big stretch, but I have been stymied in trying to figure out WHEN the song was first sung. If prior to 1983, my speculation falls to the ground. But every search says "traditional," which is never defined.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 26 - 12:55 PM

AI is often wrong and doesn't show it's work. Not helpful.

Two different browsers came up with these results:
In FireFox with DuckDuckGo, triggering translation (doesn't tell me the source language):

Jane's mother, Jane, is a mother
On the other hand,
Turnbull A Tribute to Suzanne Turnbull

In Chrome and bringing up Google Translate, it says language is Kituba (detected):

Janie Mom Janie Mom Janie Mom Janie Mom
I'm sorry I'm sorry
We're here Hey I'm Turnmina Suzika

Quite drastic differences even in software intended to translate.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 11 Aug 26 - 03:47 PM

Needs original source(s.)

Just fyi: Calypso or Jamaican, one or t'other, but not both (and in this case very possibly-probably neither.)

Calypso = Trinidad
Jamaica = Mento

2000km (1200mi) between islands.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Paul Burke
Date: 15 Aug 26 - 07:10 PM

Why on Earth do people sing songs when they don't know what the words mean? For all you know, you could be singing "kill all the aliens we don't like" or even worse.

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 15 Aug 26 - 11:50 PM

Why on Earth do people sing songs when they don't know what the words mean?

Fun!

And how do people transcribe songs when they don't know the words... period, paragraph?

Pareidolia!

Caveat lector

Subject: RE: Janie Mama calypso - translation??
From: Helen
Date: 16 Aug 26 - 04:27 AM

A performance of the singing "Janie Mama" as a round.