question about songs I grew up hearing in Jamaica

[MCT]

Hello everyone,
Margaret Cezair-Thompson here. Glad to see that the book club is going strong. Some of you read my book, <u>The True History of Paradise </u>& interviewed me a few years back. It was a wonderful experience for me. My new book is coming out soon. However, this is not about that. I have a question that someone may have the answer to. I grew up thinking of the following as traditional Jamaican folk songs, though I know other musicians have versions. Does anyone know anything about these songs (e.g.origin, whether or not it can be classified as a folk song etc?): 1.Shine Eye Gal is a trouble to a man, fa she want an' she want...
2.Brown skin gal stay home an mind baby
3 (my favourite)Fan me soldier man, fan me, fan me?
Would appreciate any shared knowledge about this,
yours
MCT

[evanovitch]

Re: question about songs I grew up hearing in Jamaica

i am going to send u some writings on early folk songs from Jamaica ...give me a minute to locate all the info....will give a search thru for these sone specifically.... [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70459-hugs.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/bannana_purple.gif[/img]bout di new book [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/proud_jamaica.gif[/img]

Life More Abundant [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/notworthy.gif[/img]

[mountaingal]

Re: question about songs I grew up hearing in Jamaica

Welcome back to the book club, MCT. Good to see you.

I checked my copy of Jamaican Song and Story, collected and edited by Walter Jekyll and first published in 1907. I found only "Fan me Soldier Man Fan Me",and all book said was that this was a dancing tune (as opposed to a digging tune or ring tune).