Si Si Dolada(info please)

Subject: Si Si Dolada (African song,info please)
From: greg stephens
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 06:57 AM

There is an African song called "Si Si Dolada"(spelling may vary) currently sung by various a capella community choir type groups. It's a fine song, but nobody has been able to tell me where it comes from, what language it's in or what it means. Anybody got any background on this?

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: greg stephens
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 06:04 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: greg stephens
Date: 01 May 07 - 01:39 AM

Well, this one seems to be proving tricky. There are various other people who have searched for the answer to this question on the internet, but there doesn't seem to be a good answer floating around yet.

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 May 07 - 03:25 AM

Greg, can you give us lyrics, directions to where to find sheet music, anything?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: 8_Pints
Date: 01 May 07 - 04:53 AM

Sue says she got the words and music from Anna Tabush at a Folk Camp.

It is called 'Banaha' and is a round.

Bob vG

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: Saro
Date: 01 May 07 - 09:01 AM

I have the words and music of Si Si Si in a book called "How can I keep from Singing" (British Kodaly Academy) which gives it as Congolese. The word Banaha does occur in the song, but it shouldn't be confused with Ban-u-wa, which is in the same book, Ba-nu-wa is cited as Liberian and is a nine part round!

You can sing Si Si Si as a round, or as a two part harmony song or both!!
Best wishes
Saro.

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: greg stephens
Date: 01 May 07 - 10:23 AM

It has indeed appeared in many books formal and informal, and has apparently become a staple of the community choir circuit both sides of the Atlantic. But nobody seems to have found out just where it came from, what language it is in, and what it means.
Possibly an instruction to a man to put his banana in a lady's hat, according to one theory. That puts it, if true, in a very familar class of folksongs: the vegetable double-entendre.
    But I'm sure there's a story here, who was the first person who learnt it in Africa, and brought it back to their choir. And did they in fact remember it correctly?
Joe Offer:
It starts
Si si si si dolada(phonetically). That accesses a tantalsiing amount of theories via google, but not enough hard facts.

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: GUEST,jessica algar
Date: 21 Nov 12 - 12:43 PM

could some one post the lyrics as ive sang it at school today and realy liked the song but ive forgot the lyrics

Subject: RE: Si Si Dolada(info please)
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Nov 12 - 01:36 PM

SI SI BA NA HA BA NA HA LA KU SI NE DU BA NA HA