Sloppy Semolina

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 How can busy teachers, who want to introduce their pupils to a varied and exciting vocal repertoire, have proper access to the meanings, context and correct pronunciation of songs in other languages when the English language is taken to the remotest corners of the planet, through internet and email, and when it seems that Americana dominates the culture of an entire global generation? The Sing Bank (www.singup.org) is trying to address some of these issues but there is still more to consider. This article sets out to raise some of these issues and offer some supportive ideas to busy teachers.

The range of materials that has been offered through the SING UP magazines and the website contain a number of songs in other languages and all of them are presented with a context and, if not a complete translation, at least an explanation as to the meaning of the song as they are sung in the language in which they were conceived.

In a national context where inclusion is near the top of the agenda, and  we wish to make every child’s music matter we intend to raise issues which we feel have not received enough coverage in music education circles. Within our multi-lingual society where respect between cultures and religions is an absolute necessity, if we are to make any progress in society, song can be a powerful tool for the good.

Does it really matter that in Frere Jacques, for example, we sing a 3^rd line approximation – more like “sloppy semolina” instead of “sonnez les matines”?

We would like to think that the ‘climate’ is on the move and that attitudes are changing in relation to the respect we should offer to the material from other cultures that we use in music education and in particular in relation to song material. The difference between instrumental music from other cultures and song material is the words and of course language often conveys powerful messages. There is no question that in the past, perhaps in our desire to ‘promote’ songs in other languages, we have been cavalier. Many influential organisations, singing leaders and publishing houses have approached the understanding of foreign texts with an amazing lack of care and respect. Many performing groups do not pay enough attention to addressing the foreign lyrics issue and scant respect is offered to pronunciation.

 

Part of the ‘problem’ for teachers is that they have not received enough support in how best to address the challenges of understanding the language and context or pronunciation. We know of examples of KS2 pupils singing a song in praise of alcohol, of using a song in praise of pork when there are Jewish or Muslim children in the class, and of  teachers presenting a song without knowing the full meaning or significance of the piece which, in fact, was a circumcision song!

 

We have frequently attended workshops where song material is presented to the group and the presenter has no idea what the words mean or on occasions even what is the language used or the context of the song. It has to be said that the latter problem has been exacerbated by publishers who provide little or no linguistic or contextual support or advice.

 

 

Incidentally, we are not advocating that we should never sing these songs, quite the contrary. We are simply suggesting that when we do we should set the song in context and discuss the content, themes and attitudes with our pupils. If this is done with sensitivity and respect it is likely that attitudes in the classroom will be significantly enhanced.

 

Sometimes finding out the meaning of songs, however hard we try, can be a challenge. For example, many of us have been using the Congolese song ‘Si si si’ (see Sing Bank web site) for years without being sure exactly what the words mean. It is definitely NOT about bananas. An Oxfam website suggests that it is a welcome song though we have yet to discover a more detailed explanation. We are told that the very popular and beautiful Ghanaian song ‘Senwa dedende’ (Sing Up website) which is so accessible to all age groups, is a lullaby or alternatively is about a vulture calling her young ones to feed and is part of a much longer story song. Even if you go directly to the country of source you may be given different explanations according to who you ask. We have to remember that there may be several different correct answers to questions of meaning, syntax and pronunciation even within a country or culture.

The current climate with a real focus on music education and in particular the drive towards encouraging a ‘singing nation’  through the Sing Up initiative provides us with a unique opportunity (and funding) to improve our practice and confront these issues.There has been, for some time, a genuine appetite todiscover new musical flavours but we must do this with a greater respect for the complete context of the materials we are using. There has been much excellent work and many initiatives in the past which have tried to address these issues. In terms of the authors own experiences, Leonora was doing ground breaking work with the Bengali community in Tower Hamlets in the 1980s, while Paul has developed a complete policy for Wren Music tutors working in this way. It is worth noting that we already have a few songs in other languages which are embedded in our culture – Frere Jacques and Shalom Haverim, for example, so this raises another question in relation to the accurate pronunciation of the language.

 

The current recordings included in the ‘Sing Up’ song bank are presented in the original language even though they are not actually sung by people from that culture, so how close to an accurate pronunciation are we able to provide and does it matter so long as we try to sing in that language?

 

There will be elements that we may find more difficult to pronounce – the Clicks in the Xhosa language, the sound represented by double L in Welsh, or the J in Spanish for example. In any group of 30 young singers, some will hear things more accurately and find such things easier to reproduce than others but it is important that we make every effort to hear the songs sung by  a first language speaker at some point  so that we can strive for a healthy approximation.

 

We are fortunate to live in a multi-lingual society so it is now not so much of a challenge to find /meet musicians from a wide range of cultures who speak and sing in their language and provide us with a context and translation of that material. We now have the opportunity to listen to this material in the language in which it was created and we can make every effort to get as close to an accurate pronunciation as is possible. So - yes – it does matter if we allow children to continue to sing “sloppy semolina” and make no attempt to achieve greater accuracy in the pronunciation.

Understanding the context of the song is a key factor in developing respect for the music. It is also where interpretation and ownership of that music enhance the performing of that music. Given the diversity of cultures in which many of us live, and the opportunity offered by modern communications and information systems, it should be relatively easy for us to foster a better climate of respect for the mother tongue?

 

There are many practical steps and pathways towards better handling of language in songs, and we offer the following as the absolute basics

 

If we can’t immediately find actual singers or speakers from the relevant culture, singing leaders might like to check this list

Essential

This may be via a CD, website or still better have a linguist visit in person and

best, best, best  for the visitor to sing the song into a recording machine for future reference.

This may be a phonetic guide especially for languages which don’t use our alphabet - Arabic / Japanese / Russian or Georgian for example

So we can make informed decisions about the song’s appropriateness for any audience or group of singers

 

Whatever order you approach these basics hardly matters – you might start with a printed version and seek to back it up with the other resources, or start with a catchy song in a foreign tongue and seek out literal translation and background. This should allow singing leaders to re-visit a favourite song and fill in the necessary background whichever start point you choose.

 

Right now is a good time for accessing this kind of information. The majority of us have access to internet based resources and the authors of this article are putting appropriate songs on websites in both printed and audio form as part of this article. We have chosen 4 songs as a starter selection to be linked with this article (see below) and we would encourage readers to visit the relevant websites listed and test the usability of this resource. Alongside the audio files appear large text versions or the lyrics, a tune and lyric sheet, plus a few simple and effective suggestions as to how the song might sound best with singing groups.

 

We have chosen MP3 sound files as the most appropriate audio format for the pronunciation guides – these files are created and placed on websites and can be listened to easily on most computers.

 

 

We want to enjoy and celebrate singing in other tongues but we need to accord the other tongues the basic respect they deserve and that we would want for our own. Current singing based initiatives such as Sing Up!, Vocal Force, Wider Opportunities and other funding streams have created a unique and positive climate where we have not only the debate but the resources to tackle the issues raised in this article. We hope you will experiment, discuss, extend and, if you feel moved to do so, let us know of your successes and challenges.

 

 

The following songs can be found on the Primary Music Today website, complete with audio tracks and supporting teaching materials.

 

1

Stomi omi lello nane – Macedonian young people’s song sung by Vanga Pollock

2

Amra Egchak – A Bengali Song Of peace – by Himangshu Goswami

3

Lusse Lelle – Traditional Swedish Lucia song sung by Rosa Rebecka

4

Welsh lullabye – sung by Elfyn Jones

 

 

Leonora Davies has had a wide and varied teaching career in both Primary and Secondary classrooms. She was the Inspector for Music and Music Services in the London Borough of Haringey where she worked for 13 years. She now works as a freelance music education consultant.

She is currently involved in the training programme for the Trinity/Guildhall OU CPD KS2 Music programme and the Sing Up initiative.

She continues to be passionate about working to maintain the rightful place of music as an entitlement for all children and in particular recognising the need to continue to build bridges and partnerships between the formal and informal sectors

She was awarded an MBE for services to education in 2003.

Please email fam.davies@blueyonder.co.uk if you would like to discuss any issues raised here.

 

 

Paul Wilson is a professional music educator, composer, singer and song-writer, with thirty years experience. Alongside his performing work, Paul has had a highly successful career as a folk music educator for more than twenty-five years, co-founding Wren Music, Devon's folk arts development charity, which now serves over 30,000 people a year. His dedication to preserving, maintaining and creating traditional music was recognised in 2002 with the award of an Honorary MA in Music Education by the University of Plymouth and he is a member of the Music Manifesto Partnership and Advisory Group. He has developed a policy for Wren vocal tutors on singing in other tongues. Please visit www.wrenmusic.co.uk for more information, OR EMAIL paul@wrenmusic.co.uk