Babatunde Olatunji - Akiwowo (Chant to the Trainman)

[Shalnachywyt]

I had the opportunity to see his group in person in Philadelphia in the 1980s! AWE-SOME! Unbelievably fantastic. One of my fondest memories!!!!

[IanHunedoara8]

Train man says "do you call this having a good time?"

[crazyspanafroanglo]

hey guys i remember the first time i downloaded this album from amazon man this song is a blast to hear all the way through. i thoroughly enjoyed it.!!!

[donegidiodabruzzo]

Serge Gainsbourg, a french singer and composer has totally copyed this song melody in the sixties. The french title was : J'ai vu New-York. He didn't, of course, credit Baba Olatunji as composer !!! What a shame.

[VannDL]

@donegidiodabruzzo : Dude, he was credited on the 3 songs adapted by S. Gainsbourg on his album Gainsbourg Percussions.

[MrDJdo]

The inspiration for the Serge Gainsbourg song New York USA

[PacHyde]

@MrDJdo This is not "inspiration" ! Gainsbourg has copied Olatunji's Akiwowo. I've compared the two songs, I've had the feeling that I had heard 2 times the same song. Akiwowo : 1959. New York USA : 1964.

[runawaychild66]

Mr Olatunji came to my school in new york in 1958 bad man bad man.

[algeriennedeoran]

La musique est bien

[evilbonesman666]

I am going to kill myself for the stress to subside! When my girlfriend left me she took my soul with her......now I will die alone!!!

I hope Satan don't hold any grudges....because I was a Christian once....but now that I will poison myself ....maybe I might go to hell! :-(

[evilbonesman666]

I am goin to kill myself for the stress to subside! When my girlfriend left, she took my soul with her..... the only thing left for me to do is die, die, die!!! :-{|

[Marcinenwu]

@evilbonesman666 ur life ur choice :) SIX MILION WAYS TO DIE SO CHOOSE ONE :0

[gobuckwild]

@evilbonesman666 if your still around, my pal...I went through the same thing, i was down big time for like 6years! but then i watched a dvd of a lecture called "secrets of the matrix"...and later realized that if we didnt break up..and things didnt happed the way they did...i would have never watched this dvd,...(which had a big effect on me)..and I learned alot from) the weekend i watched this,the friday was my birthday and my ex-gf's mom called (randomly) to tell my my ex was getting married.

[evilbonesman666]

It really is a horrible and ignorant thing to say....I'd just gotten off a shift.......i was stressed......anyways, I apologize.

[Marcinenwu]

@evilbonesman666 :0 so list this amazing medicine and be ok, stress gone :)

[evilbonesman666]

This shit is the reason why Haiti is in ruins. Forget international aid, beat ur drums and ask Lord Shango to rebuild ur godforsaken country..........devils!

[kalibhakta]

You are a horrible person for saying that. The is powerful, spiritual music, full of love. What does a traditional Nigerian song have to do with Haiti? Please stop being so ignorant.

[Tunzee02]

My brother introduced me to Drums of Passion in the early 60's. I am so glad it made it to You tube. Enjoy.

[blackpepperhoney]

I would love to know the lyrics in English. Thank you kindly. Sounds like a praise song... but I could be totally wrong :)

[TheRunner75]

Gainsbourg a plagié cette chanson pour faire "New York USA"...

[philipchek]

@ TheRunner75

Je découvre ça aussi. J'admlre Gainsbourg, mais je suis d'accord là il y a pliagiat. Mais qui plagie qui. De quand date cet enregistrement ?

[Laingaser]

Facile, Akiwowo est sorti sur l'album Drum of Passion de Babatunde Olatunji en 1959, Gainsbourg a sorti J'ai vu New York USA en 1964... Gainsbourg reste de toute manière le plus grand plagieur de tous les temps avec quasiment toutes ses chansons repiqués dans la musique classique au note à note et pratiquement sans jamais citer le véritable compositeur...

[philipchek]

Pour le classique "occidental" (chopin etc...) , on ne peut pas vraiment parler de plagiat, car il savait bien que les connaisseurs reconnaitrait les morceaux. Il est plus probable qu'il aiamit avant tout le classique, et s'amusait à l'imposer sans que les gens s'en rendent compte. Mais pour ce morceau, là oui il aurait du le dire clairement. Ceci dit : Denise Glaser à l'époque ne s'est pas laissée prendre : voir l'interview disponible sur YT.

[Laingaser]

Je suis d'accord pour des titres comme Lemon Incest ou Jane B, etc... (c'est bien de l'adaptation puisque Chopin est cité), mais que dire de Initial BB, Ma Lou Marilou, poupée de cire, poupée de son, My Lady Heroïne etc... c'est du note à note repris dans la partition du morceau classique plagié, et qui lui sert de mélodie complète... ce n'est pas un clin d'œil, c'est du plagiat pur et simple.

[philipchek]

Plutôt que clin d'oeil, c'était le plaisir de mettre du classique au top des hit parades. Initial BB (puisque cité :), quel compositeur dans ces temps modernes aurait eu l'idée de reprendre ce passage et d'en faire une telle chanson ? Il savait bien qu'il ne pouvait tromper les connaisseurs. Le plagiaire dissimule, alors que SG expose les mélodies justement "note à note" pour bien montrer qu'il préfère le classique. Je crois que l'utilisation du classique faisait partie du message.

[Laingaser]

Un clin d'œil c'est un passage musical reconnaissable, inclus dans une musique originale (et encore, suite à l'affaire M Jackson, M. Dibango, il ne faut surtout pas oublier de citer le compositeur original). SG n'exposait rien du tout (où se trouve le nom du compositeur?) Il a surtout eu de la chance que le classique fasse partie du domaine publique. Par contre Babatunde Olatunji n'a jamais reçu le moindre kopek sur les ventes de J'ai vu New York, USA.

[philipchek]

Point de querelle entre nous, je ne parle pas de clins d'oeil, c'est toi. Je reconnais que SG aurait du citer ses sources nigériennes car peu de personnes dans l'audience française pouvaient connapitre. Pour les morceaux classique, ce n'est pas du clin d"oeil, c'est juste une provocation de plus, faire passer du classique sur des ondes qui n'en dissusaient jamais.Mais pour des musiques moins connues, il aurait du citer ses sources, d'accord :)

[kupotron9000]

This BLOWS my mind.

[KinoHermesJourney]

I like this, great beat and singing.

[oldmonk72]

this number is simply amazinggggggggggg.....its like discovering a new side of nigeria after my return 2 years ago....baba has saintlike simplicity in his music and an innocence in his beats .thanks for posting this.........

[Anntelope]

the first time I heard this song, I had fallen asleep during Jocko and woke up with Symphony Sid playing this song and I could not believe what I was hearing. It's a song full of life and it can always wake me up in the morning. Whoever posted this song, thank you so much.

[satchmob]

my dad had some Baba in his album collection. I grew up listening to Dave Brubeck, Herb Albert, and Baba! This brings back wonderful memories. I have Love Drum Talk and Drums of Passion on CD... must find this one now. My favorite album of Baba's that I have heard so far.

[PENNSY671E]

Memories for me, too ( I also grew up w/Brubeck & the others). My uncle was in college in 1960 & came home with this album - in stereo ! We had never heard anything like it & were all amazed with its rhythms, & harmonic chants. We would have worn out the LP were it not for the relative high quality of my uncle's "1960" sound system :)

[PHUKMLtd]

I just found this recognised immediately it had been ripped by that naughty Serge (who's song I've known for decades)doesn't take away from the serge one though...

[ApplePenny]

great song

[ApplePenny]

I love this song!!!

My fav in african drumming class

[Azizip17]

Thank you for posting this song!

This was my first introduction to traditional African music. I join mijag in asking that you post other songs on YouTube from this now classic album.

[malikscifi92]

i ALWAYS liked this song

[saarava]

esto es de gainsbourg que copion!!!!

[bklynbarbara]

I always thought this song was cool. I lived on the Jersey Shore and the houses were close together and when my grandmother was out I always used to blast this one to annoy the neighbor lady.  I also used this in a performance art piece.

[mijag]

do you think you could post some more from this album.

[Marcinenwu]

ok why not :p

[mijag]

Thank you Marcinenwu. I learned to African dance to this when i was 12 years old in my old New Jersey neighborhood.