Kokorie

K (Mi ne wa) Kokorie (Cocorie) is a balafon piece by the Bwaba-Griot from Burkina Faso / Mali. It refers to the seduction dance that a cock makes by making a sideways hop on one leg against a hen. The title asks: “Are you dancing the ‘Kokorie‘ with me?”
The song is normally sung by a woman inviting the man to do Kokorie. In the same song, the need for protection against disease is equally pointed out. In other words, “Do you want to do a seduction dance with me and if it turns out well, shall we do it safely?”

Text Youssouf:
ee a-ha, mi ne wa yi a lee, ee a-ha, mi ne wa yi a lee
ee a-ha, a mi ne wa Kokori
or(a) lee yi ma yo, le yi yo lo bwé, ami ne wa Kokori lee
or (b) lee yi ma yo, le yi yo lo yo, a mi ne wa Kokori lee

meaning:
ee a-ha = joy!, mi ne wa yi, a lee = Join everybody, we’re going to amuse ourselves
a mi ne wa Kokori = we are goning to dance the Kokorie, lee yi ma yo, le yi yo lo bwe = everybody who wants to dance; come!, lee yi ma yo, le yi yo lo yo = all that don’t want to dance; Dance!, yi a = to amuse oneself, lo bwé = come!, yo = dance!

Text Hakiri Koeta:
ee a-ha, mi ye nou ma ya a, ee a-ha, mi ye nou maya a
or (a) a po je bo ra ba rou za ma a, mi ye nou ma ya a
(you can’t spoil your name)
or (b) ee a-ha, mi ye nou ma ya a, ee a-ha, mi ye nou ma ya a
a po je bo ye wa zo fa nou, mi ye nou ma ya

124 bpm Arrangement

124 bpm Pattern A

148 bpm Arrangement

148 bpm Pattern A

160 bpm Arrangement

160 bpm Pattern A

Sources:

Youssouf Keïta and Hakiri Koïta Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, January 2016