tin o o, deh lok ho ...

[Aurelio]

Hi Casey,

Good to see you back!

Thanks for the older version, this is very interesting! I had always wondered how the song became so popular (alright, it is very humorous, but something didn't seem to add up). A more traditional background to build on makes sense ...

At some point I have to put the rapped version in here, it's a riot


Now that I have everybody together, on to the next question: How do you guys feel about Hokkien songs, that is, songs with Hokkien lyrics?

My wife, for example, cannot stand it when I but only hum or whistle a Hokkien tune. Claims they're all about drinking and worse. Can't really argue with that ... (after all, a lot of them ARE about drinking )

Any other opinions out there? ta-ke lim cit puei, hokka-la (humming away)


Regards,
Aurelio

[%sig%]

[casey]

Interesting! I know very few Hokkien songs, but not many are about drinking (or worse). Examples: "ai3 pia*3 cia4 e7 ia*5", "bong7 chun1 hong1".

[casey]

Hmmm! Come to think of it, "ai3 pia*3 cia4 e7 ia*5" also mentioned about getting drunk. Aurelio, you may be right after all.

[Eng Wai]

You guys reminded me on a made-in-Penang Lanjiao song I came across on 2002. It was recorded probably just 1 or 2 years before that and it was a great hit among those Hokkien speaking Penang schoolboys. It was a song recorded by an English secondary school student (rumours point to St. Xaviers, Sim and Andrew will know) and swear words abound in the song.

I will try to dig it out again from my friends and find some way to upload it to internet to share with you. Since it is a song sung by Penang teenagers, you will be able to know the swear words we use and to listen to the accent the Penangite use. Sim maybe able to compare the difference between the elder generation accent and younger generation accent.

Anticipate it, and bear me a few days...

Eng Wai

[casey]

I just came across an interesting rhyme mentioned by Minnan dialect experts 周长楫&周清海. It is in a mixture of Hokkien and Malay. To those who do not know Malay, I sincerely apologize. This is about to apply for a permit for street Chinese opera from the police:

Anjing besar tua7 kau2 hia*1(大狗兄)(tua7 kau2=police inspector)
Saya ciakap hO7 lu2 thia*1(给你听)
Minta surat cit8 tiu*1 ji7(一张字)(ji7=permit)
Besok dusa beh4 co3 hi3(要做戏)

[hong]

a singer group from Bukit Mertajam has sing a song like this in teochew

[Niuc]

Hi all

Thanks Casey, for your posting about the original version of 天乌乌 "thi*1-o`1-o`1", which I already forgot until I read your posting. I heard it as a ryhme but not in a song.

The version posted by Aurelio was a popular folk song when I was a child. You also can read & hear it here http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/lang/taiwanese/s6.htm . Actually we have its second verse, I'll try to post it, may be tomorrow.

Aurelio, I agree that many Taiwanese Hokkien songs are related to drinking & being drunk, which I don't prefer also, though I like many of the tunes. Actually this type ("bar songs") is only one of many types of songs in Hokkien, yet also the most prevalent one. Many of this type have "Japanese tune". As mentioned by Casey, there are better types such as traditional 望春风 "bang7-chun1-hong1" and one with advice/encouragement e.g. 欢喜着好 "hua*1-hi2 tio8-ho2". Btw I think your hokka-la should be "ho`7-ta1-la0" (let it dry), a famous Taiwanese phrase for kan1-pue1/gan1bei1

[%sig%]

[casey]

Hong and Niuc

Many thanks for your info.

[Niuc]

Actually it's not the second verse but the continuation. You can find it here http://www.freewebs.com/tssllyt/etsge2.htm including many other folk rhymes/songs.

[%sig%]

[albert]

Tyin oh oh beh low hor.

The above song was sung by my grandma in the 50s when i was a little boy

I love the above song . When i was in the cradle the above nesary rhythm was sung over again and again like National anthem.

My grand ma was from amoy.

Until today I still croon the above song occasionally. I do not know who is the original writer or the singer of this song.

If music be the food of love play on. Shakespear.

I like Yee Tian, Yeh zi tian and tan lei minnan songs . Long Zhu A Sim Cheng
Ai Pian Kah A Yean.

Hope you can introduce some more hokkien songs to Singapore.