Collections 1925-1955
1925
On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs
Dorothy Scarborough, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925.
Scarborough consulted many available sources such as Slave Songs of the Unites States, both of George W. Cable’s
articles and Creole Songs from New Orleans in the Negro Dialect (see Collections 1867-1921).
- Free Nation (My title / Only one line)
- Maman Donne Moin un Petit Mari
- Voyez Ce Mulet Là — from Slave Songs in the United States
- Un Deux Trois
- Aurore Pradère
- Dance Calinda — Fragment from Creole Songs in the Negro Dialect and Cable “The Dance in Place Congo”
- Milatraisse Courri dans Bal Score — From Cable “Creole Slave Songs”
- Le Chien
- Mo Te Ape Promene sur la Rue Commune
- [Jump Up Jump Crow (English lyrics only / The informant said it was translated form Creole)
- Fais Do Do, Minette
- Fais Do Do Cola
- Mister Rabbit (My title / English lyrics only / Described as a Creole song)
- The Monkey and the Baboon (English lyrics only / Described as a Creole song)
- La Pluie Tombe
- Tout Pitit Negresse
1935
Old Songs of French and Creole Origin Collected in Louisiana
Marie Theard, Unpublished manuscript prepared for the Louisiana Federation of Music Clubs, ca. 1935.
Marie Theard’s collection comprises 95 songs, 29 of which she classified as Creole songs. She also collected
“Les Oignons” but classified as one of the "Songs not generally included in French collections but heard in Louis
- Chere, Mo l’Aimain Toi - Compere Lapin - Fais Dodo Minette - Tout pipi Négresse - Monsieur Abelard - Tan Patate La Chuite - Gardez Piti Millatte-La - Vous Te In Moricco - Pauv Piti Mamzelle Zizi - Mo Chers Cousins, Mo Chers Cousines - La Cabane ou Moi Aimé Toué - Salangadou - Zelime To Quitte La Plaine - Aurore Pradere - En Avant Grenadiers |
- Madame Caba - Caroline - Valsez, Valsez Prends Gar Vous Tomber - La Pluie Tombe - Soulouque Chappé - Neg Pas Capab Marché - Quan Mo Te Grand chimain - Michieu Mazureau - Milatraisse - Dansez Codaine - Clementine - Ou Som Souroucou - Papa va a la Riviere - Voodoo Song |
1939
Louisiana French Folk Songs
Thérèse Whitfield, Baton Rouge: Louisiana University Press, 1939.
- Mo l’Aimé Toi Chère (3 versions) - Fais Do-Do, ‘Tit Nèg" [sic] - Fais Do-Do, Fais Do-Do - Fais Do-Do Mignonne - Youn, Tou, Tou - Vous Conné ‘Tite la Maison - Madame Arnaud Apé Donner Bal - Fais To Ti Paquet - Michiè Bazino [Danse Calinda] - Cribisse! Cribisse - O! Josephine - Tappe Jambes Fines - La Peau! La Peau ! La Peau et des Os! |
- Ruban! Ruban! Ruban! - Moluron! Hé - Misère qui Mène le Nègre dans Bois - Une “Game” Chaoui - Suzette, la Bonne Enfant - Jambalaya Gâté - O! Caïtanne - Quand Mo Té Piti (2 versions) - En Avant! Poum! Poum! - M’orais Bien au Bal - Beau Matin Mo Contré Manette - Choui |
1939
“Creole Songs”
Cora Sadler, PhD diss., University of Michigan, 1939.
Cora Sadler provided scores for a few songs and a translation of the lyrics for almost all of them.
- Toucoutou — Different lyrics than previous versions
- 'Méricain Coquin (Three versions)
- Yé n’a ain ‘tit bon Homm — Collected by Sadler
- Che, Mo Laimin Toi — Version collected by Sadler
- Martinique Love Song — from L. Hearn Two Years in the French West Indies & H. E. Krehbiel Afro-American Folksongs
- Ah! Suzette Chère — Version collected by Sadler
- General Florido — from G. W. Cable “Creole Slave Songs”
- Missier Masiro/Michié Préval (Dansez Calinda)
- Danse Crapeau (Dansez Calinda) — Sadler was “inclined to believe that it was sung” on the well know Calinda song
- Quand Patate la Cuite — From J. Tiersot Notes d’ethnographie musicale (Deuxième série)
- Gué-Gué Solingaie / Dreamland Opens Here — From M. Monroe-Bayou Ballads
- Crabe dan Calalou / Crab Dans Calabou (2 versions)
- Missié d’Artaguette (My title) — From C. Gayarré, Louisiana: Its Colonial History and Romance
- Gran Zombi (My title) — From M. E. M. Davis Moons of Balbanca
- Dé Zab—From Cable “Creole Slave Songs”
- Tout Pitit Negresse — From D. Scarborough, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs.
- La Pluie Tombe — From D. Scarborough, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs.
Voodoo Songs
- Bon Jour Liba — From H. P. Schertz An Angel by Brevet: a Story of Modern NO, 1904.
- Blan Dani — 1st version from H. P. Schertz An Angel
- Danié — 2nd version from L. Hearn, Gombo Zherbes
- Héron Mandé — from G. W. Cable “Creole Slave Songs”
- L’appé Vini (Grand Zombi)/fragment similar to Gran Zombi above — From H. P. Schertz An Angel
Street Cries
- Ramoné la chiminé/Chimney-Sweep — From E. L. Tinker, “Louisiana Gombo,” 1932
- Pam Patat — from R. E. Kennedy, Mellows, New York Beni, 1925.
- Bel Cala (Longer Lyrics)
- Les Oignons — from M. Cuney Hare Negro Musicians and Their Music p. 142
1942
Five Creole Songs Harmonized and Arranged by Camille Nickerson
Camille Nickerson, Boston: Boston Music Company, 1942.
Titles translated by Camille Nickerson
- Chère.Mo Lemmé Toi / Dear, I love you so
- Lizette, To Quitté la Plaine / Lizette my Dearest
- Danse, Conni, Conné / Dance, Baby Dance
- Fais Do Do / Go To Sleep
- Michieu Banjo / Mister Banjo
1945
Gumbo Ya-Ya: A Collection of Louisiana Folktales
Lyle Saxon, Edward Dreyer, and Robert Tallant, eds, Boston: Riverside, 1945
- ‘Méricains Coquins
- Toucoutou
- Dansé Calinda
- Sauté Crapeau (A variant of Dansé Calinda / The title was given in English "Jump Bullfrog, Your Tail Will Burn")
- Dans Nous Cabane
- Négue Pas Capab Marché (Saxon didn’t give a title, I used his first line)
- Mo Pas Connin (Saxon didn’t give a title, I used the first words)
- Missieu d’Artaguette (My Title)
- Mo Ché Cousin, Mo Ché Cousin (As in “Eh Là-Bas”)
- Fizi Anglais
- Fais Dodo Minette
- Crab dans Calalou
- Mo Gagnin in Piti Cousine
- Madame Caba
- Mamzelle Zizi
- Delaïde, Mo La Reine (Saxon gave the title in English: Delaide, My Queen)
- Tous les jours de l’an (Saxon gave the title in English: Every New Year’s Day)
- Aie! Souzette
1946
Creole Songs of the Deep South Selected and Arranged by Henri Wehrmann
Henri Wehrmann, New Orleans: Philip Werlein, Ltd, 1946.
Titles translated by Henri Wehrmann. All songs are arranged for voice and piano.
- Aurore Pradère / Aurore Pradere - Valsez Valsez / Come Dance - Quan Mo Té Jeune / When I Was Young - Salangalou / The Poor Old Soul - Caroline / Caroleen - La Maison Denise / The House of Daynees - Chèr Mo L’Aimé Toi / Dear, I Love You - É Tan’ Patat’ La / Sweet Potatoes - Monzel Zizi / Monzel Zizi - Zélime / Zayleem |
- O Mu’Sieu Banjo / Oh Mister Banjo - Bel’ Layotte / Sweet Lahyotte - Tan’ Siro É Dou’ / Sugar Is So Sweet - Dan’ Gran’ Chimin / On the Road - Rémon-Rémon / Raymon - Raymon - Ah, Mélanie / Ah, Maylahnee - Milatrès Cou’ri / Darky Matrons [sic] - En Avan’ Grénadié / Forward March - Compèr” Lapin / Gossip Rabbit |
1949
“A Bibliography of Louisiana Negro Creole Folk Music”
Irma Louise Henry MA thesis, Juilliard School, 1949
Not surprisingly, Louise I. Henry consulted many of the sources mentioned above: G. W. Cable & “The Dance in Place Congo” & “Creole Slave Songs;” C Gottshalk Peterson Creole Songs from New Orleans in Negro Dialect; J. Tiersot Chansons nègres recueillies, traduites et harmonisée par Julien Tiersot (also in Notes d’ethnographie musicale); M. Monroe Bayou Ballads; C. Nickerson Five Creole Songs.
- Pov’ Piti, Momsel Zizi - Lizette To Quitté La Plaine - Z’Amours Marianne - Toucoutou - Une, Deusse, Trois (Adeline) — “often called Caroline” - Aurore Bradère - Compère Lapin - Chère Mo Lemmain Toi - Ah Suzette - Clementine - Suzanne, Suzanne Jolie Femme - Gue, Gue Solingue - Fais Do-Do - Misieu Banjo |
- Milatraisse Courri dans Bal - M’aller oir ça di moin - Héron Mandé - Annoqué Annobia - Salangadou - Misieu Cayetane - Pitis Sans Popa - Ouârra St. Malo - Fizi z’ Angle - Belle Layotte - Misieu Preval - Quand Patate al Chuite - The Quill Tune |
Irma Louise Henry used many of the previous sources, so the most interesting songs are found in the section: “Creole songs which are not contained in any of the books mentioned in this study” and that were recorded and send to author by a friend of hers. All songs were transcribed by Louise I. Henry.
- Charcoal (Street Cry in English)
- Chère Ma Palle Mexico
- Scié Rosalie, Scié
- Mo Aller en Haut
- Dansez Codaine / Different than in M. Monroe Bayou Ballads
- Maman Veut Pas Donner Moin Des Pois
- O Mo Nègre To ‘Bandonné Moin
- Ah, Oui, Ah, Oui
- Chère ‘Ti Fifine
- Camille
- C’est pas la peine
- Les Oignons