Fine, Fine News
"'Bonne Année' translates from French as 'Happy New Year', the innovative Cameroonian women adapted it to represent any happy news, any good thing." -Nyango
The rhythm to this song is very Cameroonian...
Fine, Fine News
Fine, Fine News
Call and Response Song
Call and Response Song
(Cameroonian Pidgin English)
(English)
(Chorus)
Leader: Bonne année!
Group: Bonne année! Bonne année! Bonne année!
Leader: Bonne année!
Group: Bonne année! Bonne année! Bonne année!
Leader: Today baby doh cam for Mami-o!
Group: Bonne année!
Leader: Today baby doh cam for Mami-o.
Group: Bonne année!
(Chorus)
Leader: Baby doh cam with fine, fine news.
Group: Bonne année!
Leader: Baby doh cam with fine, fine news.
Group: Bonne année!
(Chorus)
Baby doh cam with fine, fine news.
Bonne année!
Pickin* doh cam with fine fine news.
Bonne année!
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
Leader: Good news!
Group: Good news! Good news! Good news!
Leader: Good news!
Group: Good news! Good news! Good news!
Leader: Today the baby has come to the mother.
Group: Good news!
Leader: Today the baby has come to the mother.
Group: Good news!
(Chorus)
Leader: Baby has come with fine, fine news.
Group: Good news!
Leader: Baby has come with fine, fine news.
Group: Good news!
(Chorus)
Leader: Baby has come with fine, fine news.
Group: Good news!
Leader: Baby has come with fine, fine news.
Group: Good news!
(Chorus)
Notes
*"Pickin" means "child".
Comments
"O, Cameroonian women! How can you not love them? See how they welcome Miss Cameroon USA and sing in appreciation of the cancer awareness education session she is about to have with them. 'Fine fine news', they call it. In other words, great information, useful information. 'Today the baby has come to the mother; the child (pickin) has come with great information'.
And because 'Bonne Année' translates as 'Happy New Year', the innovative Cameroonian women adapted it to represent any happy news, any good thing. I remember when we were in high school, we said, 'Bonne Année' whenever one of our friends put on a new dress we had never seen before. Yep, such women made me!
The rhythm to this song is so Cameroonian that it will be practically impossible to find who the original author is." -Nyango
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Thanks to LadyKate Atabong Ndi for sharing this song, the recording and the video with us!
Many thanks to Nyango M. Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women's Association for helping us with the lyrics and for commenting on this song!