Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence

Subject: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 09:52 AM

I'm trying to find the origin of a little ditty sung in The Bahamas for over a century. At present, it's been converted, I think, to "alla balla" or "a la pala". But I'm wondering whether there may be any remote connection to, say, the Scottish folk song that begins "Ally bally, ally bally bee". In the Bahamian chant, it goes "Alla balla, chicken ca lala, alla balla boo".

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: Night Owl
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 10:22 AM

Jo...I believe the Scottish folk song you mention is "Coulters Candy" (in the database here). Do you know any more of the Bahamian chant?

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 10:29 AM

Thanks, Night Owl. I saw Coulters Candy and the line "Ally, bally..." is the only line that sounds similar to the Scottish. The rest of the Bahamian chant has varied over the years, with influences from all over. I've heard lines like : "Alla balla, chicken calala, alla balla boo. If your mama chews tobacco, why don't you?" Then there's "Alla balla chicken calala, alla balla boo. My gramma round the corner say put it right in there; you know where, right in there."

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 10:56 AM

Silly connection but is there a link between Scottish influence on a Caribean folk song and the fact that Scots (Or Scottish) Bonnet peppers grow in the caribean?

Perhaps there is really a regiment of Atholl Islanders....

Groan!!! (I get worse as I grow mode bored)

Dave the McGnome Marley....

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 12:36 PM

Dunno, but loads of Irish people were deported to the Bahamas as slaves in the 16th century when they backed the wrong king.

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Nov 00 - 07:25 PM

Was there ever a right king, Guest JTT???

Dave the republican Gnome...

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 12:12 AM

Dave the Gnome: actually there is a cay called Atholl Island just off Nassau, Bahamas. It's a favourite landing place for illegal immigrants, particularly those from Haiti. Yes, I know, boring, boring.

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 04:13 AM

Noy at all, Jo. I am full of bits of usefull information myself!

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: Abby Sale
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 11:34 AM

I'll be interested in this, myself, if anyone knows. Likely your best resource on this kind of thing might be Roger Abrahams at Penn Folklore Division. There were certainly a large number of Scots settlers in the islands and many Scots plantation owners where such songs might have been sung. I am aware these people were often subjects of songs, usually satirically, in the scratch band, calypso, reggae sequence of songs.

I think most of the discoverable (ie, ever recorded) influences will appear in chanteys, however, not childrens' songs.

Can you relate your song further to "Coulter's Candy" through the tune or scansion or verses - more, that is, than only the refrain? Now that I look again, I see you wrote 'chant.' How about, does it relate to...

Acka-backa soda cracker
Acka-backa boo.
Acka-backa soda cracker
Out goes you!

?

Subject: RE: Caribbean folk songs--Scottish influence
From: GUEST,Albamist
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 10:16 PM

There could be a Scottish connection, a lot of the plantation owners in the islands were Scottish. A large number of Jamaicans bear Scots surnames. Peter Tosh (McIntosh) Robbie Dunbar for example. Hi Dave the Gnome, I am also a Marley, where do you live? Albamist