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Baoulé Children’s Songs and Community Music

Welcome to Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire is a West African country bordered by Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Liberia. Its southern coastline meets the Atlantic Ocean. The country’s political capital is Yamoussoukro, while Abidjan is its largest city and an important cultural and economic centre.

Côte d’Ivoire is home to many cultural and linguistic communities. French is the official language, but many Indigenous African languages are spoken throughout the country, including Baoulé, Dioula, Bété, Anyin, Dan and Senufo languages.

There is no single musical tradition that represents all of Côte d’Ivoire. Different communities have their own songs, instruments, dances and performance practices. Music may be connected to children’s play, storytelling, work, festivals, ceremonies, community celebrations and contemporary popular culture.

This page focuses specifically on music of the Baoulé people. It should not be understood as a representation of every musical tradition in Côte d’Ivoire.

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Little Girls’ Sung Games

Country: Côte d’Ivoire
Cultural community: Baoulé
Language: Baoulé
Location: Kanoukro village
Performers: Six Baoulé girls
Music type: Children’s singing and movement games
Recorded: 1965–1966

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Background

Little Girls’ Sung Games is the English archival title given to a sequence of musical games performed by six Baoulé girls in Kanoukro village. The recording captures children making music through singing, repetition, changing vocal sounds and group interaction.

The girls sometimes sing together and sometimes appear to lead, answer or overlap one another. A particularly noticeable feature is the use of lip-popping and other vocal sounds. Smithsonian’s discussion of the recording explains that the original play also involved physical interaction between the girls, including moving toward one another and falling into one another’s arms.

This is an authentic field recording of children’s music-making rather than a later school or commercial arrangement. However, the publicly available catalogue does not provide a complete Baoulé transcription or translation. Teachers should therefore use it primarily for listening, vocal exploration and discussion unless the words and pronunciation have been confirmed by a Baoulé speaker.

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Background sources

Song of Two Little Girls

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Country: Côte d’Ivoire
Cultural community: Baoulé
Language: Baoulé
Location: Kpouèbo village
Performers: Two Baoulé girls with a female chorus
Music type: Children’s song with community participation
Recorded: 1965–1966

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Background

Song of Two Little Girls is the English archival title for a recording made in Kpouèbo village. It features two Baoulé girls supported by a female chorus.

The recording is especially valuable because it places the children’s voices within a larger community of female singers. Listeners can hear the relationship between the two girls and the chorus as voices lead, respond and join together. It offers an example of musical knowledge being developed through participation with other members of the community.

The recording has clear documentation of its performers, cultural community, language and location. Nevertheless, its publicly accessible catalogue does not include a complete verified transcription or translation. It is therefore appropriate for classroom listening and discussion, but teachers should not invent lyrics, meanings or pronunciations.

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