Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la

Subject: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 17 Jul 04 - 11:02 AM

Does anyone know the words/background of this (children's?) song. It is a call and response where the response is an echo. The best I can recall is "Bama lama kumalama kumala ______(any word inserted, e.g., "beefsteak")(Echo); Oh no no no not the _______;(Echo); Atchi patchi liberatchi ah ooh ooh;(Echo); Eeech bibli ohten dohten why not the deeten dohten, why not the deeten dohten, why not the ssh."
Thanks for your help. Sheila

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 12:41 PM

Trying again. Thanks. Sheila

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: open mike
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 12:45 PM

this sounds familiar from summer camp--but buried too far back in the memory to retrieve....it seems it might be a clapping game? we have had several threads in the past on jump rope rhymes and clapping games..
have yuo searched the archives? sounds like it would be a fun song..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: open mike
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 12:48 PM

when i put clapping games in the wearch i got 26 answers...
you might find something there...lost of links to rhymes
and games in those discussion threads from the past.
good luck!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jul 04 - 05:00 PM

Hi, Sheila. I think if you do a Mudcat search for flea fly, you may come close to what you're looking for. This thread gives variations. If that's not enough, let me know and I'll ask my sister. What she brought home from Girl Scout camp sounds closer to what you're looking for, than are the words Alison and KarenK posted. Tinker posted a version here. If you ask Judy Cook, I think she has a version, and I'm sure Caroline Paton has one, and I'll betcha Shula can come up with a whopper. I think it's from some sort of female rite of passage or something. I dearly love all the women I've listed, but this chant is something I neither understand nor appreciate...
Is there a diplomatic way of saying that I think it's obnoxious??
-Joe Offer (running for cover)-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,SOmebody
Date: 16 Jun 10 - 05:47 AM

mama lama kuma lama kuma la pizza (repeat) Oh no no no no la pizza (repeat) eenie meenie descameenie oomba to oombalinie achie katchie evervarchie xyz (repeat)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 10 - 07:59 PM

This was from Gullah Gullah Island

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,old dude
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 09:48 PM

in the summer time when the lights go out and the heat starts rising off the ground;
my friends and I we gather 'round and we dance and we sing to the kuma la sound;

Kuma la sound
Kuma la sound


bama lama kuma la kuma la beas tay
bama lama kuma la kuma la beas tay

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,Music Student
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 05:08 PM

The one I know from school goes:

Mama lama kuma lama kuma la beasta
(mama lama kuma lama kuma la beasta)

Oh no no no not a beasta
(oh no no no not a beasta)

Eenie meenie gypsa leenie
Oo Wah ama leenie

Aachi Pachi Liberachi who are you?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,Dr H
Date: 30 Nov 11 - 11:41 AM

Wow, this a trip down memory lane...I just finished looking up "Ghost of John" and figured I'd try this...what I remember singing circa third grade was:

Mama lama cuma lama cuma la bista
Oh no no no not la bista
Esa meenie sola meenie oh wahla wahla meenie
Ich billy otten dotten bobo bo deeten dotten tshhh

This was a while ago, but I would LOVE to heard about the actual origin of this [e-mail] is anyone comes across it!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,ericoid
Date: 26 Jan 13 - 08:41 PM

Eenie meenie gypsateenie ooh ah ooh ah a meenie, desa meenie sola meenie ooh ah ooh ah. Be belly oten doten be boppen eeten deeten, ay ay ay nock da veesta ay ay ay nock da veesta. Learned from my sister as a child.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Apr 14 - 11:50 AM

Ama Lama Coma Lama Coma Lama Festa
-repeat
Oh no no no no no festa
-repeat
Ee-ney meemey gypsa leeney oo-ah ah ba-leeney

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Apr 14 - 12:30 PM

osh-ee ba-chee li-ba ra-chee
I mean you!
let get the rhythm of the hands (clap clap hands)
We got the rhythm of the hands (clap clap)
Lets got the rhythm of the feet (stomp stomp feet)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,Holly Sylvester
Date: 20 May 14 - 12:19 PM

"Mama Lama Kuma Lama" is in Doug Goodkin's "now the time" book, although there are no credits as to where it came from.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Nov 14 - 08:29 PM

eenie meenie disaleenie

ooh a a ama leenie

atcha catcha cooma ratcha


ooh a ohh

ish kidalee oaten boaten bo bo ba ditan datan

whadaten   shhhhhhhh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Feb 15 - 08:56 PM

mamalama kumalama kuma la pizza(repeat) Oh no no no no la pizza(repeat) Ainee mainee dixepainee uwapa wapa lanie avacachi avawachi xyz(repeat)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 08 Sep 15 - 10:07 PM

I learnt it as "Mama lama kuma lama kuma la biste (repeat). Oh no no no no na biste (repeat). Eeny meeny jipseleeny ooh aah aah meleeny atchi patchi liveratchi WHO ARE YOU?" It's very different from the other versions I've seen online.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,M -lee
Date: 13 Feb 20 - 11:39 PM

Bamalama kumalama kuala bIsta (repeat)
O no no no no the bIsta(repeat)
Enee meanee gypsaleenee uh ah umbaleenee
Aachi flaacha ichaflaacha I why you
Flee fly flee fly flo
The bIsta!!!
(Then start over)

This is a jump rope or hand clap song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: leeneia
Date: 15 Feb 20 - 01:31 PM

About 1963, when I was in high school, I was able to attend a city-wide camp dealing with forestry. The black girls (we all were girls)taught us this on the bus. I believe it was call and response, but I don't remember how it divided up.

We called it the Vista.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bama lama kuma la
From: GUEST,Another guest
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 08:23 AM

I remember it as
Bama la ma kuma la kuma la bistai. Bama la ma kuma la kuma la bistai. Oh shi no no no no bistai. Oh shi no no no no bistai. Bistai. Bistai.
I remember singing it as a child in the fifties. It was sung call and response style.