Examples Of The Vernacular Sayings "Killing It", "Killed It", "She Killed Me" In YouTube Discussion Threads For A Nigerian Dance Challenge Video And/Or A Nigerian Afrobeat Video

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post documents selected examples of forms of the African American originated idioms "killing it", "killed it " and a form of the expression "I'm Dead" in discussion threads for a Nigerian based YouTube dance challenge video and/or a Nigerian Afrobeat music video.

The content of this post is presented for linguistic, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcase videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publisher of these videos on YouTube.

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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on linguistics. Pancocojams' linguistics posts document and consider aspects of language use among African people and/or people of African descent, including traditional African languages, African American Vernacular English, Caribbean Patois, African Pidgin English, and other Pidgin languages.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/what-killing-it-means-how-it-got-those.html for a related 2013 pancocojams post entitled "African American Vernacular English: What "Killing It" Means & How It Got Those Slang Meanings".

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/03/africans-use-of-african-american.html for the March 22, 2017 pancocojams post "Africans Use Of African American Vernacular English Terms In The Discussion Thread Of Skales' "Shake Body" Official YouTube Video (Part I: A-K). Skales is also a Nigerian recording artist. The linked post documents examples of comments from that video's discussion thread that contain "killing it" and other African American originated vernacular sayings.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1: Who Killed Makolongulu? 1,2,3 or 4?


BM Official Published on Aug 21, 2016

Comment below on who killed this dance!
-snip-
"Makolongulu" is a Nigerian dance. I think it is the same as or very similar to Ndombolo.

BM, a Nigerian Afrobeat recording artist, has several other "Who Killed ___?" compilation videos. These videos are short clips of (usually) women dancing a particular type of Nigerian dance. Viewers are then asked to indicate which dance they believe danced the best (i.e. "killed it".) The background music for each video is a song that BM recorded.

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SELECTED EXAMPLES OF "KILLED IT" AND "__ KILLED ME" FROM A DISCUSSION THREAD FOR A NIGERIAN DANCE CHALLENGE VIDEO
Vernacular terms often have more than one meaning. The vernacular meaning of "killed it" that is pertinent for this post is "did something very very well".

Several comments in this section document the use of "[she] killed me". That vernacular form of "killed" appears to denote that the commenter has a very strong amount of attraction for the woman (who kills him) because of her physical beauty and sensuality.

Or

In the context of these examples in which viewers were supposed to indicate which dancer "killed it" (danced the best), the term "[__] killed me" may mean that person filled them with strong positive emotions because of the quality of the person's dancing or some other reason/s besides the dancer[s]' physical beauty and sensuality.

I don't believe that this vernacular form [i.e. "she or he killed me"] with either of those positive meanings is found among African Americans or other Americans.

file:///C:/Users/azizi/Downloads/USA-Idioms%20(3).pdf "US Slang, Idioms, or Other Frequently Heard Expressions" gives this meaning for the similar American idiom "You kill me": "You are very funny OR you are making things difficult for me"
-snip-
Like all of these "killing" sayings, "You kill me" is a figurative saying (since they don't really mean that anyone will be or has been physically murdered). An explanation for the second meaning of "You kill me" (as given above) in the United States is that a person caused trouble or the potential for trouble because of his or her foolish words or actions.

Here are selected comments from this showcase video's discussion thread.

These examples are given in chronological order with the oldest comment given first based on its publishing month/year. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only

1. BAMUJOBS, 2016
"1 killed Makolongulu, but 4 killed me. She's fyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyn."

**
2. Luke Diego, 2016
"number 1 oooo, she killed both makolongulu and me"
-snip-
Regarding the "oooo"s in this comment, if I understand it correctly, in Yoruba language, one or more "o's at the end of a sentence or a statement emphasizes that sentence or statement.

**
3. Marsha Anis, 2017
"1she killed. she flow like liquid.."

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4. Montoute jonathan, 2017
"i think exactly the same lool #4 killed me alsoo she's so beautiful"
-snip-
I think "lool" is the text/internet term "lol" ("laughing out loud")

**
5. Amisa Kumwene, 2017
"2&4 killed me"person f

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6. Madam Africa, 2017
"If you a fool if you did not pick #1 honestly she murder it like come on now give credit where it is due"

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7. Anime god, 2017
"1 killed that all the way"

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8. Zaafirah013
"1 was the best. My favorite. She killed it. A natural."

**
9. Yacouba Bogre
"3 killed makologulu"

**
10. Dougie DoinIt
"they all killed it nobody in native USA can do it"

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SHOWCASE #2: Falz - Marry Me (Official Video) ft. Yemi Alade, Poe



Falz, VEVO Published on Dec 5, 2014
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/falz-featuring-yemi-alade-poe-marry-me.html for Part I of a two part pancocojams series about this song. Part I includes this video and lyrics for this song. The link for Part II is included in that post. Part II includes selected comments from this video's discussion thread and from two other Nigerian based online discussion threads about features of Yoruba (Nigeria) language.

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SELECTED EXAMPLES OF "KILLED IT", "KILLING IT" AND "I'M DEAD" FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THIS VIDEO
Vernacular terms often have more than one meaning. The vernacular meaning of "killed it"/"killing it" that is pertinent for this post is "did something or doing something very very well".

The only example in this discussion thread that has a form similar to "[___] killed me" is given as #16 which includes the statement "Her Smiles kills me." I think this sentence means that the commenter really loves the female singer's smile, but this form is different from any African American vernacular forms of "kills"/murder etc".

Then again, there is the Roberta Flack hit song "Killing Me Softly With His Song" which I think means that the person making the comment felt such strong emotions while hearing that song that she figuratively felt she was dying.

The African American originated saying "I'm dead" (which is sometimes shortened to "Dead") means that someone said or did something that was or is hilarious. "I'm dead" is a shortened form of the figurative expression "I died laughing" (meaning I laughed so hard [so much] that my stomach or ribs hurt and I felt like I was dying."

Here are selected comments from this showcase video's discussion thread:

These examples are given in chronological order with the oldest comment given first based on its publishing month/year. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.

1. Nalouchaa, 2015
"Loool OMG im dead !!! The end of the video killed me!!! Awesome work guys! Love the song !! Love the video !! Damn there were some handsome men at this reception lol"

**
2. Yama S, 2015
"The ending killed me. I can't stop laughing. I'm surprised I manged to type this"

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3. Ohunene S., 2015
"+ukia Stardoll laff wan kill me.

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4. EverydaypeoplebyLydia, 2015
"I die oooo .... This guy has killed me .. LOL"

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5. Adnan Bashorun, 2015
"ma boi falz killed it"

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6. GushGossipBlog, 2015
"I'm in LOVE with this song & video - hilarious! Falz, POE & Yemi killed it - so refreshing for the Nigerian
music scene <3"

**
7. sight read, 2015
"Haahahahaha #falz no go kill person ooooooh, dis video is so hilarious I really enjoyed it, big up #yemi-alade pon dis one. ..."

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8. YaylowTV, 2015
"Nice work Falz. +Yemi Alade, you killed the hook."
-snip-
"You killed the hook" = You sang the hook (chorus) really really well. An equivalent African American Vernacular English term that I haven't found in Nigerian or other African based YouTube videos' discussion threads is "sang" (in its African American vernacular present tense form, which means "to sing very well, especially to sing soulfully very well.)

**
9. dpencilpusher, 2015
"Falz, Yemi & Poe killed it. Video goes too well with the song. Watched it 3 times already; cracked me up each time. Also, big kudos to the actresses who synced with the lyrics, they nailed it."

**
10. timithankgod, 2015
Hahahahahahahahahahahahah i don die o... funny video
-snip-
I think that the equivalent African American vernacular saying for " i don die o" is I�m dead� which also later evolved to "Dead".

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11. Ifeanyi Ilogbaka, 2015
"Yemi alade killed it on this one.she is the reason I like d song"

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12. garba baba, 2015
"Love this song, they kill it all"

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13. Child Of The Rift, 2016
"LMAO You just mudered me!"

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14. Tobi Daada, 2016
"Falz. Killing it on a steady."

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15. Adesewa, 2016
"oh my gosh this video killed me"

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16. Victor PANCHO, 2016
"OK, i give up... i cant stay quiet, i dont know which i like here on this video, is it Falz, Yemi Alade, Poe or Poe's Bride?? I'm so thrilled by that bride, Her Smiles kills me... That make up on her, Golden!! Wetin!? How una jst deh make my heart pound andytime i watch this video!!???"

**
17. Elizabeth Onyekwere, 2017
"OMG.....Laugh wan kill me die...hahahahaaa..why did she faint lol?"

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Categories: African American Vernacular English Makolongulu dance Nigerian AfroBeat music Nigerian culture Yoruba H Factor Yoruba language

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Comments About Yoruba "H Factor" & Other Yoruba "Lingo" In Falz's "Marry Me" Song (Nigeria, West Africa)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series that features the 2014 Nigerian Afrobeat/Rap song "Marry Me" by Falz featuring Yemi Alade, and Poe.

Part II features selected online comments about what is commonly referred to as the "H factor" among Yoruba people (Nigeria, West Africa). These comments are culled from the YouTube discussion thread for the official video of Falz's "Marry Me" song and from three other Nigerian based online discussion threads.

Part II also includes selected comments from the YouTube discussion thread of Falz's "Marry Me" video about other aspects of language use by Falz and by other "Marry Me" performers.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/falz-featuring-yemi-alade-poe-marry-me.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases a video of "Marry Me" and provides the lyrics to that song from an online page. This post also includes [possible] meanings for Yoruba or Nigerian Pidgin English words/phrases using Google Translate and various online Nigerian Pidgin English pages. Additions and corrections are very welcome.

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/examples-of-vernacular-sayings-killing.html for other selected comments from the discussion thread of the official video of Falz's song "Marry Me".

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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on linguistics. Pancocojams' linguistics posts document and consider aspects of language use among African people and/or people of African descent, including traditional African languages, African American Vernacular English, Caribbean Patois, African Pidgin English, and other Pidgin languages.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a linguist and the only language that I understand is English (including some forms of African American Vernacular English).

I had never heard of "H Factor" until I read comments in the discussion thread for Falz's "Marry Me" song,.

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The content of this post is presented for linguistic, cultural, and folkloric purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

Click Part I of this series for the official video of Falz (featuring Yemi Alade and Poe)'s song "Marry Me". Part I also includes lyrics for that song (in English, Nigerian Pidgin English, and Yoruba) as well as some explanations for the Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin English words & phrases in those lyrics.

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT "FACTOR H" FROM TWO NAIRALAND.COM DISCUSSION THREADS
The comments in each Excerpt are given in chronological order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

EXCERPT #1:
From http://secretlilies.blogspot.com/2011/11/h-factor.html
Saturday, November 26, 2011
"The "H" factor
..."When I talk about the "H" factor, I mean the fact that when people talk they can't pronounce words that start with the letter "H". For instance instead of saying "house" they pronounce it " ouse", leaving the "h", where I do not know.

[...]

The reason why they do this is cos for instance in the Yoruba language if I am not mistaken there isn't a letter "H". Its like it just vanished into thin air..LOL. So it is quiet difficult to transit from the rules in Yoruba language to the rules in the English language.

[...]

In the french language the letter "H" is silent for instance the word " Haricot", which means beans (don't forget that every word has to be spelt with an article), is pronounced "aricot". Now when the french converse in English they find it difficult pronouncing the letter "H", which isn't silent or hidden but present in the English language.

The truth:

Yoruba language is very similar to the french language but when the Yorubas pronounce English words without the "H" etc we see this as being razz, local, bush, uneducated etc.. but when the french make the same mistake it goes this way: " oh you know English isn't their first language, its allowed."..
-snip-
Selected Comments:
1. CheNovember 27, 2011 at 1:33 PM
"LOL @ the H factor. I laugh whenever i hear it. The igbo's also have their own too. Some mix the "l" and "r". E.g., instead of saying *I want to cross the road*, it comes out as *I want to cross the load*. lol (I'm igbo so i'm not hating :-)). Thanks for stopping by my blog. Following you right back.

naijabankgirl.blogspot.com

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2. Amaka's NotepadNovember 29, 2011 at 3:09 AM
"lol. Yeah, ibos have the 'R' and 'L' issue, the Hausas - 'P' and 'F' (Progrss promounced 'frogress'), Yourubas - Loss of 'H'('ouse) and 'SH' (which comes out as just 'S' for ibadan people. making Shoe sound like 'sue') Then we have the Akwa-Ibom people who have a 'J' to 'Y' issue (where Junction becomes 'yunction' and John become 'yohn') That is what makes Naija so unique, Diverse yet one country.

UP NAIJA!!!!"

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EXCERPT #2
From http://www.nairaland.com/229011/whats-h-factor
1. Whats With The H - Factor ? by Nobody: 4:18pm On Feb 04, 2009
"dis is really getting serious, everyday when i walk on the road i hear people saying a lot of scary words, like instead of egg, i hear hegg, or hold man instead of old man. then i also hear eaven instead of heaven or appy instead of happy.

pls i am not trying to discriminate but is they no way we can help the situation"

Comments pls,"

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2. Re: Whats With The H - Factor ? by spikedcylinder: 4:23pm On Feb 04, 2009
"I think its because there's no "H" in the Yoruba language so people try to compensate on way or the other. cheesy"

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3. Re: Whats With The H - Factor ? by folkzy(f): 10:31am On Feb 05, 2009
"As a matter of fact, it has something to do with where your from. For Yoruba people, there is no H in their language, hence why some people find the hard to pronounce the 'H' sound or use the H sound wrongly. I used to be a typical example, i was taught the right way whilst working in a primary school as some children used to correct me which was embarrasing."

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4. Re: Whats With The H - Factor ? by youngies(m): 11:10am On Feb 05, 2009
"Be it Yoruba 'H' factor, Hausa 'F' factor or Igbo 'R' factor, I don't have any problem with it, but I always feel scandalized when I hear it on TV or Radio from News casters. It shouldn't be excused from them."

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5. Re: Whats With The H - Factor ? by youngies(m): 12:41pm On Feb 05, 2009
"It bothers me when I hear it on air, it is happauling you know! Grin"

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EXCERPT #3
From http://www.nairaland.com/3138313/test-h-factor
1. Test If You Have H-factor by dadee007(m): 4:58pm On May 31, 2016
"H-Factor is when someone has trouble pronouncing words that have the letter H in them or pronouncing words that do not have the letter H in them as having the H sound. You can test yourself and check your H-factor-compliance by reciting aloud, the sentence below in 5 seconds. If you have difficulty reading it out aloud correctly, you have the dreaded H-factor. But not to worry, at least you now know and you can retrain yourself to lose the H factor. Cheers.

It is advisable to have someone with you to monitor your compliance. Have Fun! courtesy laffhub.com.

''Our hot air hostess handed us hot oats, as she had in her hand our air fare.''"

**
2. Re: Test If You Have H-factor by Ultimus: 5:52pm On May 31, 2016
"If you have any difficulty reading aloud the statement it might be because the statement reads like a tongue twister and not really due to having h factor. I suppose a proper oral English test should be an accurate determinant."

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3. Re:Test If You Have H-factor by Phonefanatic: 5:53pm On May 31, 2016
"Who H factor help in this harsh economy?

You guys shouldn't get me angry this evening oo"

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4. Re: Test If You Have H-factor by Nobody: 5:54pm On May 31, 2016
"It's more common among the Yorubas; just as the Igbos find themselves in between Scylla and Charybdis when they have to pronounce words that begin with the letter 'R' or 'L'."

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT THE "H FACTOR" AND OTHER SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT PRONUNCIATION
From the YouTube discussion thread of the official video for Falz's "Marry Me" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UzlN0AbPgQ

These comments are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest comments by year given first, except for replies. Numbers have been assigned for referencing purposes only.

Read the lyrics and the Nigerian Pidgin English definitions that are given in Part I of this pancocojams series for explanations about some of the comments that are found below.

1. Muyi Ibidun, 2015
"It interesting to see that a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon of tribal bashing based on the way this act has chosen to sing in very strong Yoruba accent. FYI, IT IS DELIBERATE. If you dont know Falz, then you need to do your home work. He is a UK trained and certified Lawyer, he speaks correct and normal English off camera. Speaking in strong Yoruba accent is his selling point. You need to check him out on Instagram where he has a lot of comedy skits and fans.

And by the way, I really dont see the big deal in singing in unadulterated Nigerian accent. Americans dont sing to pacify nobody. If you dont understand what he is saying, better you enjoy the sound or move on to some other videos. Expressing disappointment that an African artist sing in too strong African Accent is very lame.

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Reply
2. Mansa Koabi, 2015
"+Muyi Ibidun Tell them nwanne preach."

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Reply
3. Ajojocraig, 2015
"Tell them oo. The ones that know how to speak correct English. Mcheww

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Reply
4. Alexander Odofin, 2015
"I'm only mildly amused. The music isn't for everyone. Complaining about his accent is pure ignorance, coupled with a finite dose of inferiority complex."

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Reply
5. Afrimedia, 2016
"+Muyi Ibidun Muyi don't worry yourself.....it is you making it an issue....we don't need any explanation, on whether he can speak Queens English or not , Falz is really HOT right now, he is great. This Jam is smoking , Vid is hilarious ! Its all good."

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Reply
6. Antoria Lee, 2017
"Maaaaaaaaan I'm a super southern American (accent and upbringing) but this speaks to my soul. Imma learn Yoruba and neva look back.

Btw I understand all of it, if you don't, oh wells this song is ??"

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7. ACCRA [dot] ALT Radio, 2015
"Hey from Accra! We love Falz in Ghana particularly because of this "accent" that folks don't seem to be happy with.Why? because it's such a beautiful representation of a manner of expression that is prevalent throughout the continent. Africans have a unique way of speaking and we embrace it. We don't have to sound any other way but like ourselves.This fascination with the english language as a measure of intelligence and social acceptance is most unfortunate."

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8. Lanre Koby Shonowo, 2015
"Love how he brought the Naija lingo in the song i.e you know my (h)age, I'm twenty (h)eight...attention to detail lol...

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Reply
9. Natalie C, 2016
"He is doing it on purpose...listen to him speak in real life and you'll understand"

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10. Akinola Ogunseitan, 2015
"This video is so funny, the obvious H factor was on purpose.
Love the story line."

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11. omaricha, 2015
"yoruba people and H syndrome! What the hell is "follow me OME" and Twenty Hate??? Lol Razz people. Hincedent! Hingredient! Lmao!"
-snip-
Note: "Omaricha" is an Igbo name.

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Reply
12. omaricha, 2015
"+Obeth Lalas Lmao! I touched a nerve....hahaha U must have H factor"

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Reply
13. Samuel kings, 2015
"+omaricha You two should be ashamed of yourselves, as a Nigerian who has been living in the USA for more than a decade, it's a shame that i come on you-tube to enjoy good African music, and here i see two people from same country insulting themselves over minor issue. What a shame"

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Reply
14. akoms1, 2015
"Pls forgive us. I apologise on behalf of all Yorubas. But you sure know that the igbos are more enlightened and better than everybody. Once again, forgive the Yorubas for not pronouncing an English word properly."
-snip-
My guess is that this comment was written sarcastically.

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Reply
15. omaricha, 2015
"+akoms1
We Igbos are taking this Hapology Hinto consideration! Hand you will be duly notified!"

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Reply
16. tosan, 2015
"+Obeth Lalas take it easy o.... it was just a joke. Omaricha mean no harm."

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Reply
17. Olu OJ, 2015
"Tosan, that wasn't no joke. Her words are derogatory. It's typical of people from her tribe. Always trying hard to discredit Yoruba's effort."

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Reply
18. latichina5, 2015
"Lmao!!! Omaricha you will feel the wrath of every yorouba people on the Internet."

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Reply
19. Uzoamaka Joe-Nkamuke, 2015
"+Olu OJ Wow!!! so u used the comment of 1 person to describe a tribe of over 30million pple. you r no different from her then."

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20. JustForYou?, 2015
"Lol the H factor is real...but I love the video"

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21. Tee Jay, 2015
"Lmao.....hilarious video...good job guys! BTW that "H" factor kills me, i cant stop laughing .... twenty "Hate".....see me see trouble ooooo!"

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22. mimisnando, 2015
"It's pidgin English and not Patois or what some people think it is"

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23. Sunny N, 2015
"Hahaha love the ending, by the way what is twenty hate"

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Reply
24. odinese nwad, 2015
"28...pretending as if u don't know"

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25. Adewanle Adeyekun, 2015
"Poe is a hella of a rapper. Wow, no formed American accent, just pure originality. "

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Reply
26. MrEdwin10pa, 2016
"Poe's spittin in a nigerian accent is so dope... more like him needed"
-snip-
"spittin" = rapping

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Categories: Nigerian AfroBeat music Nigerian culture Yoruba H Factor Yoruba language

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Falz featuring Yemi Alade, Poe - Marry Me (Nigerian Afrobeat/Rap song video & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that features the 2014 Nigerian Afrobeat/Rap song "Marry Me" by Falz featuring Yemi Alade, and Poe.

Part I showcases a video of "Marry Me" and provides the lyrics to that song from an online page. This post also includes [possible] meanings for Yoruba or Nigerian Pidgin English words/phrases using Google Translate and various online Nigerian Pidgin English pages. Additions and corrections are very welcome.*

*Unfortunately, I only understand English. I recognize that looking up the definitions of individual Yoruba or Nigerian Pidgin English words or combinations of words via Google translate or online Nigerian Pidgin is often an inadequate effort that may yield no result or wrong results particularly as they pertain to informal or slang usage.

However, I'm including these possible definitions of Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin English words and phrases in this featured song because-as of the time of this post's publication- no online lyric pages Falz's "Marry Me" includes any definition/explanation for those words/phrases. It's my hope that these attempted explanations correctly add some meaning to this song.

It's also my hope that people who know Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin English will correct the definitions that need correcting and add information about these words/phrases in the comment section below or in the video's discussion thread. Thanks in advance.

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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/comments-about-yoruba-h-factor-other.html for Part II of this series. Part II features selected online comments about what is commonly referred to as the "H factor" among Yoruba people. These comments are culled from the YouTube discussion thread for Falz's "Marry Me" official video and other several Nigerian based online discussion threads. Part II also includes selected comments from the YouTube discussion thread of Falz's "Marry Me" video about other aspects of language use by "Marry Me" performers.

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The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistic, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of "Marry Me" and thanks to Falz, Yemi Alade, and Poe for their creative performances. Thanks also to all those who were involved in the production of this video, all those who are quoted in this post, and the publisher of that video on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Falz - Marry Me (Official Video) ft. Yemi Alade, Poe



Falz, VEVO Published on Dec 5, 2014
-snip-
Statistics as of September 11, 2017 (9:30 PM EDT)
Total number of views-3,769,789
Total number of comments - 914

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LYRICS: MARRY ME
(as performed by Falz featuring Yemi Alade and Poe)

Classic
Alright
Yemi Alade�.Poe�Effyzie baby
See ah, i talked to friends, cousins
You guys have said different things
But i could understand one thing from what you guys are telling me
Let me know if i am correct
Ah�see

Verse 1. (Poe)
I�ve met so many babes. Jealous of their friends.
Used to the heartache So they�ve give up on men
But, what is depressing is the older they�re getting.
Whenever they meet a man they�re already planing out the wedding
Ha!
See the pressure from their nosy family members
�Bisi when did you last date? I�m trying to remember �
She too would front, like �what difference does it make?�
But she�s always at receptions and she catches the bouquet.
Asking me if it�s fate. I don�t know what to tell her.
She told her pastor she�s lonely. He told her to go and pray.
Ah ah! Guy! That�s the problem that we face. U want to skip girlfriend and go straight to fianc�
So I pray for my sister, cousins, ex-lovers. This girl. That girl. Even divorced mothers.
May you smile, and toast with some Chardonnay.
I hope I see you when we�re spraying on a Saturday.�

Chorus (Yemi Alade)
See me see Trouble! brother you go Marry Me oh!
See me see trouble! when you go marry me oh?
See we�ve been dating for many years now you want to leave me follow Fola
See me trouble! You go marry me oh
Today Today eh
Today Today
Today Today eh
Today Today
Eh eh eh eh eh (x2)

Verse 2. (Falz)
She say mi o gbo yen! No I no want no story
I can�t befriend you if you don�t propose to me
If you didn�t know, wo, Aburo mi ti marry
Mi o young Moti fe d�arugbo physically
You know I�m not a small girl
You know my age
Even Bola wey no fine sef
She don engage
It will not work, aww! Shey emi l�o n korin fun?
Don�t call me honey if we will not go for honeymoon
If you don�t pick a date we might not get to date
Don�t get it twisted it�s not like I�m desperate
I just have a life plan and it�s getting late
I want to be a Mrs by the time I�m 28
Brother John said the Lord said his wife is me
But that vision is for only his eyes to see
I want a man that is handsome and God-fearing
If he can love me with his heart and I�m not sharing

Chorus (Yemi Alade)
See me see Trouble! brother you go Marry Me oh!
See me see trouble! when you go marry me oh?
See we�ve been dating for many years now you want to leave me follow Fola
See me trouble! You go marry me oh
Today Today eh
Today Today
Today Today eh
Today Today
Eh eh eh eh eh (x2)

Bridge (Yemi Alade)
You don�t wanna Marry Me, you just wanna friend me
Brother you dey dull me oh
Shebi you dey tell me
We go go Miami
When we go see mummy oh?
Why you dey do me so
All of my friends dem don marry go
Right now my brother I�m 28
All of the boys no dey come my gate

Verse 3. (Falz)
Baby I�m loving all the love that u�ve shown
Everytime you call me and we talk on the phone
See man cannot be a boss on his own
You need somebody to give you support on the throne
Oh if you ready pop the question then go!
I�m like what do you mean? She say stop jor you know!
Are you saying I no fine reach so?
Emi High Class, ehn, Omo lepa Siringo
See me and you was just a incident
We can�t be sleeping together because we dream different
I�m even thinking that you�re still decent
You�re irritating, inyama! I�m seeing vincent
My last boyfriend, it�s still recent,
I was happy and love was a ingredient.
So for me this dating thing is dead
He broke my heart, you�re repeating all the things he said.

Chorus (Yemi Alade)
See me see Trouble! brother you go Marry Me oh!
See me see trouble! when you go marry me oh?
See we�ve been dating for many years now you want to leave me follow Fola
See me trouble! You go marry me oh
Today Today eh
Today Today
Today Today eh
Today Today
Eh eh eh eh eh (x2)


Submitted by Femi Soro
http://www.freenaijalyrics.com/lyrics-falz-marry-ft-yemi-alade-poe/

****
NOTES ABOUT THIS SONG INCLUDING POSSIBLE MEANINGS FOR YORUBA OR NIGERIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH WORDS IN THIS SONG*
*Please correct and add to these definitions/explanations. Thanks!

YORUBA WORDS/PHRASES AND NIGERIAN PIDGIN ENGLISH WORDS PHRASES
Sources: Yoruba words: Google translate

Nigerian Pidgin English - from various Nigerian Pidgin English pages including http://www.naijalingo.com/ and https://buzznigeria.com/common-nigerian-words-used-in-place-of-some-english-equivalents/

These words/phrases are given in order of their first use in this song.

"o" at the end of sentences as in "brother you go Marry Me oh!":
In Nigeria "o" at the end of sentences or phrases is usually given as "o". Here's an excerpt from an online article that includes information about Yoruba's use of "o" and two other words:

From http://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/108250-oyinbos-dictionary-to-nigerian-english-by-femke-van-zeijl.html "Oyinbo�s dictionary to Nigerian English by Femke van Zeijl"
"abi, o, now [interjection] To be sprayed generously in conversation at the end of virtually every sentence. The first comes from Yoruba and means �isn�t it�, found its way into Pidgin and now into Nigerian English, used by �, �, �, Ibo, � and Hausa alike. The two latter are mere exclamations emphasising the preceding words. These interjections creep into your sentences without warning. When I added my first �o� after a sentence, my friend Doris looked at me proudly: �You are becoming a proper Nigerian.� I had not even noticed my first �o�."
-snip-
With regards to that article's title: "Oyinbo" is a Yoruba word that originally meant "White man or White woman" and now is also used to mean "foreigner".

Note that in the context of this song "brother" means a man (as in the African American referent "brother man"), not a biological sibling.

**
"Fola" in the lyrics "you want to leave me follow Fola" is a clip of a Yoruba female name (such as "Folasade").
"You want to leave me and (instead) go out with (be with) Fola.

**
mi o gbo yen! = I've heard that [Yoruba/Google translate]

**
The word "wo" in "If you didn�t know" = "look" [Yoruba/Google translate]

**
The word "Aburo" in "Aburo mi ti marry" = friend [Yoruba/Google translate]

**
"Mi o young Moti fe d�arugbo physically" [meaning ?]

The Yoruba word "arugbo"= "old" [Google translate]

**
"Even Bola wey no fine sef/ She don engage" = Even Bola [a clip of a Yoruba female name] who isn't physically attractive got engaged to be married.

""wey" where is [Nigerian Pidgin English]

"sef"= "self" [Nigerian Pidgin English]

**
"Shey emi l�o n korin fun?" [meaning ?]

"Shey" = Right? [Nigerian Pidgin English]

The words "l�o n korin" in = you're living [Yoruba/Google translate]

**
Brother you dey dull me oh [meaning ?] my guess: "Are you trying to treat me like I'm dumb?"

**
The word "Shebi" in "Shebi you dey tell me" = "You agree seeking approval"[ also click the buzznigeria.com link given above for an explanation of the origin of the word "Shebi".] [Nigerian Pidgin English]

The word "dey" in Shebi you dey tell me= "Definition: 1. to be, or to be alive
2. in the process of doing something" (from Naija lingo link given above]

**
The word "jor" in "She say stop jor you know!" [Nigerian Pidgin English] "Definition [for jor"] Please. usually used in a rude way Example: get out of here jor!" source: naija lingo.com; also read entry for "jor" ["joor"] in buzznigeria.com which gives information about "joors" origin from the Yoruba word "ejor".

**
"Are you saying I no fine reach so?
Emi High Class, ehn, Omo lepa Siringo" [meanings ?] My guess is that the first part of these lyrics is something like "Are you saying I'm not good enough for you, I'm not high class enough?" "Emi"= less [Yoruba/Google translate] so "emi high class" may mean "Less than high class"

"Omo" is Yoruba for "child" [Yoruba/Google translate]. But I don't know what "Omo lepa siringo" means. My guess is that she's "callin him out of his name" i.e. saying something insulting to him if he thinks she's not good enough for him to marry.

****
Comment from YouTube discussion thread for the official video of Falz's "Marry Me" about the play on words in the line "You�re irritating, inyama! I�m seeing vincent":
From the YouTube discussion thread of the official video for Falz's "Marry Me" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UzlN0AbPgQ
Oluropo Akinbolade-Jones, 2015
"Ha ha ha ha ha. Iyanma(Enyeama) I see vincent. That girl must be a bed hopper for you to say iyanma and also see vincent. What did you see in her area. Vincent's signature? Very funny line. Hope you guys get the gist."

**
Reply
Oluropo Akinbolade-Jones, 2015
"I'll break it down Bola. Iyanma is an expression of disgust in yoruba. It almost has the same pronunciation with the Nigerian goalkeeper's surname Enyeama. You use it when you see something disgusting or disgusted by something. Like in the case of the girl in the rap, she must have like slept with every guy around and the rap seems to suggest Vincent is one of them. So perhaps he's trying to make love to the Marry Me girl and can see something that suggests Vincent has been in that pussy. Iyanma(Enyeama) I see Vincent. Vincent Enyeama Nigerian goalie! Lol"

****
Explanation for the lyrics "Don�t get it twisted it�s not like I�m desperate"
"Don't get it twisted" = African American Vernacular English: "don't jump to the wrong conclusions"; don't get it wrong" [click http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=don%27t%20get%20it%20twisted

****
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Categories: African American Vernacular English Nigerian music and dance Nigerian Pigdin English Yemi Alade Yoruba language

Read More

Information About Brazil's Ax� Music & Three Videos Of Brazil's Il� Aiy� Band

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about Brazil's Ax� music and Bahia, Brazil's renown Il� Aiy� Band.

Information about the meaning of the phrase "il� aiy� is also included in this post.

In addition, this post showcases three YouTube examples of Il� Aiy� along with selected comments from those videos.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, folkloric, linguistic, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Brazil's Il� Aiy� Band for their musical legacy and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT AXE MUSIC
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ax%C3%A9_(music)
"Ax�.... is a popular music genre originated in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil in the 1980s, fusing different Afro-Caribbean genres, such as marcha, reggae, and calypso. It also includes influences of Brazilian music such as frevo, forr� and carixada. The word Ax� comes from the Yoruba term �s?e?, meaning �soul, light, spirit or good vibrations�.[1][2] Ax� is also present in the Candombl� religion, as �the imagined spiritual power and energy bestowed upon practitioners by the pantheon of orix�s�.[1]

Roots and History of Ax�
Numerous different African cultures were brought to Brazil due to slavery, which lead to the creation of the vibrancy and complexity of Brazil and its culture. Therefore, several of Brazil�s popular music styles have derived from African cultures and African diasporic influences, including samba, lambada, funk and ax�. There is a tendency by Brazilian musicians to draw inspiration and utilize themes, imagery and symbolic symbols from the Candombl� religion and its African roots.[1] Artists such as Gilberto Gil, Vinicius de Moraes, Caetano Veloso, Sergio Mendes, Daniela Mercury, Carlinhos Brown, among others, have all used African culture, religion and symbols as inspirations and lyrics of their songs.[1]

Ax� was a fusion of African and Caribbean styles such as merengue, salsa and reggae, as well as being influenced by other Afro-Brazilian musical styles such as frevo and forr�. Ax� music was labeled in 1980s, but it was already noticeable in the 50s with the incorporation of the �guitarra baiana� (guitar from Bahia).[3] This genre was purely instrumental, and remained so until the 1970s, when Moraes Moreira (of the band Novos Baianos) went solo.

In 1974, carnival in Salvador, Bahia began taking shape. A group of Afro-Brazilians civil rights activists formed Il� Aiy�, a music ensemble that derived their heavy rhythm from Candombl�s religious ceremonies. Quickly, Il� Aiy� gained a huge following, allowing them to influence other artists to incorporate the samba-reggae style and the heavy beats to their music.[3] Groups such as Timbalada, Olodum and Filhos de Gandhi also shared the heavy beats and rhythms with Il� Aiy�, as well as utilizing African symbols such as typical outfits and instruments that all these bands use to perform. Olodum's rehearsals soon became a starting point for up and coming artists, composers, and music. In these rehearsals, artists presented and experimented with their music, in search for legitimacy from the population.[4]"...
-snip-
"Ax�" is written as " �s?e?" in Yoruba, but is often given as "ashay" or "ashey" in English. These words are pronounced "ah-shay"

Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ase_(Yoruba) for information about Ase.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT BRAZIL'S ILE AIYE BAND
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il%C3%AA_Aiy%C3%AA
The Afro-Brazilian group Il� Aiy� was founded in 1974 by Ant�nio Carlos �Vov�� and Apol�nio de Jesus in the neighborhood of Liberdade, the largest black population area of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The expression stems from Yoruba language (il� - home; aiy� - life) from may also be interpreted as 'eternal heaven'.
Il� Aiy� works to raise the consciousness of the Bahian black community. Persecuted by the police and the media during its first years, and still controversial for only allowing blacks to parade with the group, Il� Aiy� is a renowned element of Bahia�s carnival. The group pioneered the type of carnival group known as the bloco afro, featuring themes from global black cultures and history, and celebrating the aesthetic beauty of black people. All other blocos afros borrow elements originally created by Il� Aiy�, including such groups founded shortly afterwards, such as Olodum and Mal� Debal�.[1]

During Bahian carnival, the group includes hundreds of musicians, dozens of dancers, and thousands of members. They traditionally begin their procession on the Saturday night of Carnaval at the home of the Dos Santos family, where for many years M�e Hilda de Jitolu, the mother of co-founder Vov� presided as spiritual mother to the group and formal leader of a candombl�. As Il� Aiy� passes, carnival crowds sing along by the thousands to songs about the importance of African and Afro-Brazilian culture and religion."...

****
WHAT ILE AIYE MEANS
From https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/soc.culture.brazil/shYXj3B59mw
Ayodele Ayetigbo , 9/5/96
"Ile Aye, by its Yoruba literary translation, means the house of the world. Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin, Sierra-Leone and other countries along the coast of West Africa believe that Aye (world) is one kind of a giant market hall where each human visits to hawk or practise what he believes. At the end of this market activities, Yoruba religion says all humans then return to our original home - heaven (orun) to give account. It is thus said in Yoruba:"

Aye loja, orun ni'le

This means in English: The world is a market while heaven is home. We are all visitors to the world and must at the end return home.

Ile in Yoruba = house
Aye = the world

Ayetigbo - my last name, for a quintessence, means the world has heard. Yoruba believe there is literary and spiritual meanings to names and words. That Ayetigbo, as a character, practises a profession such as communication is therefore not surprising to a Yoruba scholar. The Yoruba carry no social security numbers or cards as practised here in the US. Your name tells all about you.

Ile Aye is significant to us cos that's the only playhouse we can grasp as living beings. The other world, that is, heaven - the real home - is way beyond our physical comprehension This can only be felt or imagined in dreams and other ritualistic engagements. The intrigues, lies, dysinformation, misinformation, thievery, slavery, racism, ethnocentrism and all other bad stuffs humans engage in while on earth, as in a market place, makes "Ile aye" all the more so significant to the followers of Yoruba religion. Yoruba as a religion is being practised in Brazil, Cuba, the US and other parts of the world where people trace their ancestry to the Yoruba of West Africa.
Enough and I hope I have been helpful."

**
Steve Enzer, 9/12/96
..."Not to try to contradict someone who obviously has much more information on the topic than this gringo does, I would just pass on that I do have a CD with a Clara Nunes recording of a song called Ilu Aye, which may or
may not be the same Yoruba phrase, translated (as the title of the song) as "Terra da Vida" - or "Land of Life."

I don't know how that fits in with the rest of the discussion, but I wanted to pass it on.

The recording, by the way, is the MPB disk from the series "Brasil: A Century Of Song" on Blue Jackel (sic) records, which is a great compilation if you happen to see it around. Picked it up last night and I've already played it 3 times... que saudades do Brasil!!!

Steve Enzer
Cambridge
-snip-
More comments about the meaning of "Ile aye" can be found in this pancocojams post: https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/07/similarities-differences-between-yoruba.html Similarities & Differences Between The Yoruba Word "Aiye" ("Aye") And The American Word "Ayee". That post also features comments from the discussion thread of Nigerian Afrobeat artist Davido's 2014 YouTube video "Aye".

****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Il� Aiy� | Que Bloco � Esse?



Petrobras Published on Feb 8, 2012

http://www.petrobras.com.br/queblocoe

Religi�o, f�, tradi��o e muito ritmo: o Il� Aiy� � a cara da Bahia.

A Petrobras apresenta o primeiro mini-document�rio do projeto �Que Bloco � Esse?�, que conta um pouco da hist�ria do �mais belo dos belos�.
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English

Religion, faith, tradition and a lot of rhythm: Il� Aiy� is the face of Bahia.
Petrobras presents the first mini-documentary of the project 'Que Bloco � Esse?', Which tells a bit about the history of 'the most beautiful of the beautiful'.
-snip-
Here are four comments from this video's discussion thread:
1. ticiadiasbrasil, 2012
"Antes eu queria ser invis�vel..., mas tudo mudou,... Foi tremendamente emocionante."

Muito lindo o que ela disse.
Hoje sou uma mulher negra, mas j� fui uma menina. Uma menina negra que olhava para suas bonecas loiras e ent�o desejava ser invis�vel. Eu sei como � se sentir assim. E fico muito feliz que existam iniciativas como estas do Il� Aiy� que valorizam n�o s� a beleza como tamb�m a hist�ria do povo negro.
Porque povo que n�o tem respeito pelo seu passado , n�o preza pelo seu futuro."
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English
"Before I wanted to be invisible ... but everything changed, ... It was tremendously exciting."

Very beautiful what she said.
Today I am a black woman, but I was a girl. A black girl who looked at her blond dolls and then wanted to be invisible. I know what it feels like to be like this. And I am very happy that there are initiatives like these of Il� Aiy� that value not only the beauty but also the history of the black people.
Because people who have no respect for their past, do not cherish their future."

****
2. Kiki da Bahia, 2012
"Meus Deus qua saudade da Minha Grande M�e Banda Aiy� cinto muita falta dela Hoje eu eu moro en Nova York mais cinto fala da minha familia Ile Aiye
Axe Atomico!!! familia Ile Aiye"
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English
'My God misses my Great Mother Banda Aiy� I miss her a lot Today I live in New York more belt speaks of my family Ile Aiye
Powerful Ax�!!! Family Ile Aiye"

**
3. Gabriela Jonas Macedo Moreira, 2012
"VIDA LONGA PARA O IL�!!!"
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English:
"LONG LIFE FOR THE IL� !!!"

**
4. jantyla, 2013
"Gostei do depoimento do Crioulo. Legal o n�vel de consci�ncia de autoestima que alcan�ou! Reparem no centramento de algu�m que se reconhece, se aceita e se gosta por todo um contexto cultural que muita gente ainda n�o assimilou, nem compreendeu!"
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English:
"I liked the testimony of the Crioulo. Cool the level of self-esteem consciousness you've achieved! Look at the focus of someone who recognizes, accepts and enjoys a cultural context that many people have not yet assimilated or understood!"

****
Example #2: Il� Aiy� - Aliena��o | Desfile | Que Bloco � Esse?


Petrobras Published on Feb 28, 2012

http://www.petrobras.com.br/queblocoe...
O Il� Aiy� desfila pelas ruas de Salvador cantando a consci�ncia negra desde 1975. Confira o clipe da m�sica "Aliena��o", produzido pela Petrobras durante o desfile do 'mais belo dos belos' no Carnaval de 2012.

Vem descobrir junto com a gente que bloco � esse!

Quer conhecer mais sobre a hist�ria do Il� Aiy�? Assista o mini-document�rio: http://youtu.be/w6yayr0WHA4

Confira tamb�m o clipe do Il� com o rapper Criolo: http://youtu.be/at0dpAA6dm
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English:
"Il� Aiy� parades through the streets of Salvador singing black consciousness since 1975. Check out the music video "Aliena��o", produced by Petrobras during the parade of the most beautiful of the beautiful in Carnival 2012.

Come find out with us what block this is!

Want to know more about Il� Aiy�'s history? Watch the mini-documentary: http://youtu.be/w6yayr0WHA4
Check out also Il�'s clip with rapolo Criolo: http://youtu.be/at0dpAA6dm"

****
Example #3: Il� Aiy� 'Depois Que O Il� Passar' 'A For�a do Il�' Brasil 500 Anos



olbp Pinheiro Published on Apr 9, 2013
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
1. Silvia Cristina Serrao, 2014
"Amor ao il�."
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English:
"Love to the il�."

**
2. Wagner Wagner, 2016o
"Estou toda arrepiada, salve minha Bahia, salve u il�, salve os orixas."
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English:
"I'm all shivering, save my Bahia, save my soul, save the orixas."
-snip-
Here's some information about Brazilian orixas:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candombl%C3%A9#Deities
"Candombl� ...is an Afro-American religious tradition, practiced mainly in Brazil[2] by the "povo do santo" (people of the saint). Candombl� officially originated in Salvador, Bahia at the beginning of the 19th century, when the first temple was founded. Although Candombl� is practiced primarily in Brazil, it is also practiced in other Latin American countries, including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela, having as many as two million followers.[2][3]
Candombl� developed in a creolization of traditional Yoruba, Fon, and Bantu beliefs brought from West Africa by enslaved captives in the Portuguese Empire.[2] Between 1549 and 1888, the religion developed in Brazil, influenced by the knowledge of enslaved African priests who continued to teach their mythology, their culture, and language. In addition, Candombl� absorbed elements of Roman Catholicism and includes indigenous American traditions.[2]

As an oral tradition, it does not have holy scriptures.[2] Practitioners of Candombl� believe in a Supreme Creator called Oludumar�, who is served by lesser deities, which are called Orishas.[2][a] Every practitioner is believed to have their own tutelary orisha, which controls his or her destiny and acts as a protector.[2] Music and dance are important parts of Candombl� ceremonies, since the dances enable worshippers to become possessed by the orishas.[2] In the rituals, participants make offerings from the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms....

Candombl� is a polytheistic religion and worships a number of gods:[6]
the orishas of the Yoruba (Ketu nation), spelled Orix�s in Portuguese;
the voduns of the Fon and Ewe (Jeje nation); and
the nkisis (minkisi) of the Kongo (Bantu nation).

These deities are believed to have been created by a supreme God, Olodumare[7] (called Zambi by the Kongo people; and Nana Buluku by the Fon people).[7] The orishas and similar figures form a link between the spiritual world and the world of humans.[7]"...

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.

Categories: Ax� music genre ayee social media term Brazilian culture Candomble Samba Yoruba language Yoruba religion

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Similarities & Differences Between The Yoruba Word "Aiye" ("Aye") And The American Word "Ayee"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides definitions of the traditional Yoruba word "Aiye".

This post also showcases the official video of Nigerian Afrobeat singer Davido's 2014 record entitled "Aye" which is an adapted form of the traditional Yoruba word "Aiye".

The chorus of that song which includes the word "Aye" is given in this post along with selected comments from that video's discussion thread.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/10/davido-aye-nigerian-afro-beat-video.html for a 2014 pancocojams post on Davido's song Aye that includes this same video, the complete lyrics for that song, explanations of some of Nigerian pidgin English or Yoruba words and phrases that are found in that song, and other comments from this video's discussion thread.

****
The content of this post is presented for cultural, folkloric, linguistics, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

I'm particularly interested in documenting the similarities and differences between that word and the contemporary American originated English word "ayee" (also spelled "ayy" and other similar spellings.)

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Davido for his musical legacy. Thanks also to al those associated with this featured video and all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the YouTube publisher of this video.
-snip-
The YouTube discussion thread of Davido's video "Aye" is rich in information and interesting comments. I plan to publish additional posts on comments from that discussion threads. These posts can be found by clicking the Davido Aye video tag that is found below.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/07/information-about-brazils-axe-music.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Information About Brazil's Ax� Music & Three Videos Of Brazil's Il� Aiy� Band".

****
INFORMATION ABOUT DAVIDO AND THE SONG "AYE"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davido
"David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992),[1][2] better known by his stage name Davido, is an American-born Nigerian recording artist, performer and record producer...

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Davido relocated to Lagos at a young age. His debut album Omo Baba Olowo, released in 2012....

On February 2, 2014, Davido released "Aye" as the fourth single from the upcoming album. The song was produced by T Spice.[46] The music video for "Aye" was released on February 7, 2014, and was directed by Clarence Peters. According to the music video's synopsis, "Davido plays a poor farmer who falls in love with the prince�s love interest.�...

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DIFFERENCES IN MEANINGS AND PRONUNCIATION FOR SIMILARLY SPELLED YORUBA WORD "AYE" ("AIYE") AND THE AMERICAN ENGLISH ORIGINATED WORDS "AYEE" ("AYY" AND SIMILARLY SPELLED WORDS)
Given my theory* that the American originated word "ayee" ("ayy") that is currently relatively widely used on social media may have its source in an adapted form of the nickname "A" for Atlanta, Georgia, it's remarkable that Nigerian Afrobeat star Davido who had a hit song entitled "Aye" was born in Atlanta and lived there for a short time. However, I think that is a coincidence.

Both the American English term "ayee" and the word "ayy" in "ayy lmao" (an extension of the social media use of "ayee") have different meanings than the Yoruba word "Aiye" (also given as "Aye"). Furthermore, both of those American originated words are pronounced differently than the traditional Yoruba word "Aiye" and its contemporary adaptation "Aye". (Read below.)

That said, I wonder if any of the comments which included the word "Aye" in the discussion thread for Davido's song "Aye" were influenced by the way that the American English word "Aye" is used in online social media and elsewhere.
For example, both of those words are often elongated (for instance "Ayeeeee!"), but, unlike American discussion centered threads, that word is sometimes found at the end of sentences in Davido's video's discussion thread.

*Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/07/theories-about-african-american-uses-if.html for a pancocojams post about the English words "Ayee" ("Ayy" and similarly spelled words).

****
PRONUNCIATIONS:
The Yoruba word "Aiye" and its contemporary form "Aye" appear to be pronounced ah-yeh (with the "yeh" pronounced like the English word "yeah".

In contrast, the contemporary American English originated word "ayye" (also given as "ayy", "aaaaa", and other similarly spelled words) is pronounced like an elongated English letter "a". But the word "ayy" in the contemporary phrase/meme "ayy lmao" appears to usually be pronounced like the English letter "i" (and the English word "eye") and the letters for the internet acronym "lmao" ("laughing my ass off") may be pronounced separately or "lmao" may be pronounced like the Portuguese word that translates to the word "lemon" in English.

The Yoruba word "Aiye" (and its contemporary form "Aye") and the American English words "ayee" ("ayy" and similar spellings) demonstrates the fact that words from different languages that are spelled the same or similarly may have completely different pronunciations and completely different meanings. That said, there's no way to know how each commenter in online discussion threads actually pronounced these words. For that reason, people familiar with the American English originated word "ayee" might pronounce the Yoruba word "Aye" the same way that they pronounce the American English word "ayee".

****
THE MEANINGS OF THE YORUBA WORD "AIYE" ("AYE")
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ-_HIoEBE8
Jewel Love, 2016
"What does Aye mean??"

**
Reply
Tayo Awoniyi, 2016
"It means Mother earth in Yoruba. Though he has misspelled it. It should be spelt Aiye.?"

***
From https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/soc.culture.brazil/shYXj3B59mw

Pancocojams Editor:
These comments are from a page for a 1996- 2015 Google group discussion on the meaning of "ile aye". I'm quoting in its entirety for folkloric purposes (except for some quotes of preceding comments and some commenters names that include email addresses).

I've numbered these comments for referencing purposes only.

1. tobod, 9/4/96
"The Yoruba invocation "ile aye" is often used in Brazilian songs I have heard. Can anyone out there offer me an insight on exactly what it means? Why is it so significant?"

**
2. Ayodele Ayetigbo , 9/5/96
"Ile Aye, by its Yoruba literary translation, means the house of the world. Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin, Sierra-Leone and other countries along the coast of West Africa believe that Aye (world) is one kind of a giant market hall where each human visits to hawk or practise what he believes. At the end of this market activities, Yoruba religion says all humans then return to our original home - heaven (orun) to give account. It is thus said in Yoruba:"

Aye loja, orun ni'le

This means in English: The world is a market while heaven is home. We are all visitors to the world and must at the end return home.

Ile in Yoruba = house
Aye = the world

Ayetigbo - my last name, for a quintessence, means the world has heard. Yoruba believe there is literary and spiritual meanings to names and words. That Ayetigbo, as a character, practises a profession such as communication is therefore not surprising to a Yoruba scholar. The Yoruba carry no social security numbers or cards as practised here in the US. Your name tells all about you.

Ile Aye is significant to us cos that's the only playhouse we can grasp as living beings. The other world, that is, heaven - the real home - is way beyond our physical comprehension This can only be felt or imagined in dreams and other ritualistic engagements. The intrigues, lies, dysinformation, misinformation, thievery, slavery, racism, ethnocentrism and all other bad stuffs humans engage in while on earth, as in a market place, makes "Ile aye" all the more so significant to the followers of Yoruba religion. Yoruba as a religion is being practised in Brazil, Cuba, the US and other parts of the world where people trace their ancestry to the Yoruba of West Africa.
Enough and I hope I have been helpful."

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3. Adey� , 9/6/96
�Hello,
"Ile Aye" simply means--This World!!"

Peace bro,
Adey�

**
4. Steve Enzer, 9/12/96
Ayodele Ayetigbo wrote:
"Ile Aye, by its Yoruba literary translation, means the house of the world. Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin,
Sierra-Leone and other countries along the coast of West (lots of good info. deleted)

"Not to try to contradict someone who obviously has much more information on the topic than this gringo does, I would just pass on that I do have a CD with a Clara Nunes recording of a song called Ilu Aye, which may or
may not be the same Yoruba phrase, translated (as the title of the song) as "Terra da Vida" - or "Land of Life."

I don't know how that fits in with the rest of the discussion, but I wanted to pass it on.

The recording, by the way, is the MPB disk from the series "Brasil: A Century Of Song" on Blue Jackel (sic) records, which is a great compilation if you happen to see it around. Picked it up last night and I've already played it 3 times... que saudades do Brasil!!!

Steve Enzer
Cambridge

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5. Akua Ofeibea Abotare
9/24/96

[regarding Steve Enzer's comment]

"makes perfect sense that the brazilian singer would use a phrase like "ile aye" in her record. Many of the captives brought here the African continent were Yoruba. (some say the Yorubas are the most represented African culture in the New World, and that most African descended peoples here in the West are of Yoruba origin or have Yoruba roots. I'm not an expert, I just pass it on). Mostly in Cuban, but there were some Yorubas in Brazil as well. Many of the African influenced religions of the "New world" are of Yoruba origin or have
very complimentary components to the Yoruba cosmogony. These included Santaria of Cuba, and Condomble of Brazil. Brazil seeoms [sic] to have a very large Congo population as well. hope it helps.

Akua"

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6. ruben.l...[email address deleted], 10/10/13
�I am of Spanish origin living in the US but have lived in Brazil for many years and attended carnivals in Rio, Salvador, Canoa Quebrada, Recife, Aracati, Paracuru, Fortaleza, etc... I am a big fan of Axe Bahia and understand perfectly your question.

All explanations here are correct, however they are too technical and don't answer your question: "why in music". Today in Brazilian pop culture "Ile Aye" means "big party (festa) where everyone (the world if you like) participates and everybody is welcome". Like a carnival of life.

So, when, for example, you hear "ile aye", "foi for amor ao ile" or "estava atras do ile" in songs from Daniela Mercury, the meaning is something like "big party", "it was becaused I loved to party" and "i was looking for a big party", in same sense as we use "fiesta" in Spanish or like a big "spring break party" in US culture.

Hope I answered your question."

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7. thesmal...[email address deleted
3/19/15
"I am surprised to see that no one has mentioned that Ile Aiye is a samba afro/samba reggae group based out of Bahia. they go way back, and many if not most of their songs use the term in the lyrics. Check it; http://www.ileaiyeoficial.com/

**
8. ipenko...[email address deleted] 8/1/15
"Ile aye means; The World"

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Aye - Davido (Official Music Video)



DMW HQ, Published on Feb 7, 2014

****
PARTIAL LYRICS FOR DAVIDO'S SONG "AYE" (CHORUS)
[Chorus:]
Aa yeee
(Alelelele)
Aaa yeee
Cause you want my love o
Aa yee
(Oya shekele mama)
Aaa yee
Cause you want my love o
She no want designer
She no want Ferarri
She say na my love o
You belong to meee
And I belong to her o
babyyy
You go killie somebody
They say love is blind
but I dey see am for your eyes o
Aa for your eyes o
They say love is blind
but I dey see am for your eyes o o o o
for your eyes o

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM DAVIDO'S AYE (OFFICIAL VIDEO) THAT INCLUDE THE WORD "AYE" OR SIMILARLY SPELLED WORDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ-_HIoEBE8

[Revised July 14, 2017]

These comments are given in chronological order, with the exception of responses, with the oldest comments given first. I've assigned numbers for referencing purposes only.

These are all of the comments with the word "Aye" that I was able to read in that video's discussion thread*. Some of these comments clearly refer to the title of Davido's song. However, the meaning of the elongated form of the word "Aye" and especially those words that are followed by are exclamation points are less clear. Are those comments praising that song (or the earth orisa)?

*After multiple page uploads, my computer stopped loading comment pages. Consequently, I wasn't able to read all of the comments on this discussion thread.

The word "Aiye" wasn't included in any comment that I was able to read.

2014
Michelle Tshimanga
"Oya shake up your assets! Make your man no go forget! Ehhhh AYYYEEE!"
-snip-
"Shake your assets" [meaning "shake your butt"] is a line in this song.

**
2016
2. Siham Somali
"nobody listens to this song like I do aye ?????"

**
3. Abel First-Quao
"'Nobody can love you, Lakadu!
Nobody can touch you, Lakadu!'

And so, Lakadu was forever alone. Aye!?
-snip-
This comment is part of a running (ongoing) joke that was first posted in 2015 and includes a number of commenters. The joke is that in the song Davido sings "No one can love you like I do". However, he speaks English with a very thick Yoruba accent, and English speakers might think that the words "like I do" were a (made up, non-existent) African name "Lakadu".

**
4. kstarBAM
"Dancing to this in my room alone in USA! It's spectacular! Ayyyyyyeeeeeee!!!?"

**
5. Joy Osas
"wow still in love with this track aye eeeeee?"

**
6. Christian Byiringiro
"good aye"

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7. Adeiza Ozigi
"Aye!!! So African. So Nigerian! 2016!"

**
8. adozuka izzati
"aye miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"

****
2017
9. Belinda Antoine
"lovelygirl2u I am from Haiti too. I do love that song. there's something in it that makes me dance like crazy. ayeeeee ayeeeee"

**
10. Vincypearl
"Ayeeeeee, Ayeeeeee ??"

**
11.Thomasina
"aiyeeee! ???"

**
12. Connie Tee
"haha thanks sweetheart... my boo dedicated this song to
me... love you ARNOLD... ayyyyyeeeeeee"

**
13. Tendai Murwisi
"There is no one life on earth that surpasses a pure African life.Proud to be black African.Aye?"

**
14. kiara walker
"Aye!!"

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Categories: Afro-beat Afro-Brazilian culture ayee social media term Davido Aye video Nigerian music and dance Nigerian pidgin English Yoruba culture Yoruba language Yoruba orishas (orisas)

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