The Jankunoo Dance

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  • Cultural

    Poem Commentary

    Jonkunnu Dance(John Canoe) a Jamaican traditional dance of African origin. It is performed mainly at Christmas time and a strong feature of the dance is the characters, all males whose movements match their roles. Some of these characters are Pitchy Patchy, Devil, Horsehead, Cowhead, Actor Boy, Belly Woman, Warrior, Wild Indian, to name a few. The rhythm of the Jonkunnu Music is quite distinct from other ritual folk music with its fife and "rattling drum"- carried on the shoulders and played with sticks. For Improvisation I will use the word "Mek" for make, "tun" instead of turn. These words are spoken in the Jamaican creole or "patois" pronounced "pat-wa" For the sole purpose of performing this poem in song and dance, this special style of poetry is adopted.

    The Jankunoo Dance

     Voom Voogu Voom goes the Junkunnu Dance,
    Voom Voogu Voom mek we jump and prance,
    Voom voogu voom, shake, shake to the rhythm,
    Voom voogu voom mek we jump and spin!

    Junkunnu dance and junkunnu sing,
    When you hear dem sing just drop everything,
    Voom voogu voom shake your waist line now,
    Voom voogu voom bend your back and bow,
    Jump to the beat, shake like junkunnu now!

    Junkunnu seek and jankunnu find,
    The junkunnu dance control your mind,
    The Junkunnu dance is stimulation,
    The bestest dance in any nation.

    Voom voogu voom spin around and shake,
    Dance the rhythm and eat your rumcake,
    The rhythm make you shake helplessly,
    Richman, poorman and aristocracy!
    Dance to the beat with fun and glee,
    Just give me the style and choreography!

    Get up and dance with friends and family,
    And remember to stimulate culturally,
    Jankunnu culture, jankunnu dance,
    Jankunnu jump and junkunnu prance,
    Dancing junkunnu will make you proud,
    Junkunnu music stir up the crowd!
    This cultural practice will never get cold,
    A musical dance over a hundred years old!

    So when junkunnu jump and junkunnu dance,
    Just make your plans way way in advance,
    To participate in the junkunnu show,
    It's nothing but fun is the seed that you sow!
    When junkunnu jump and junkunnu prance,
    Junkunnu shake and junkunnu dance,
    Voom voogu voom just rock to the rhythm,
    When junkunnu dance mek yu jump and spin.
    Voom voogu voom, shake shake to the beat,
    Voom voogu voom shake yu dancing feet.

    Junkunnu jump and junkunnu dance,
    Junkunnu shake and junkunnu prance,
    Voom voogu voom just shake to the rhythm,
    When Junkunnu dance mek yu jump and spin!!!

    By The Poemeater. 2010.
     

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    Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you or else it is nothing, an empty formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations.

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