Taba naba
Encyclopedia
Taba Naba is a children's song originating in the Torres Strait Islands
just north of the continent of Australia
. This song is usually accompanied by a "sit-down dance" where the "dancers" perform traditional movements corresponding to the lyrics.
The song is a traditional song in the language of the Torres Strait Islanders (Meriam Mir).
Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere re naba we
Taba naba norem
(style)
(repeated 3 times)
Translation:
Come on let's go to the Reef
Get into the dinghy when the morning tide is low
Let us row to the edge of the reef
Come on let's go to the reef.
made this song familiar in other countries by performing the song along with the dance in their shows.
On their DVD 'Wiggly Wiggly World', it is sung by Christine Anu
, an Australian pop singer of Torres Strait Island descent.
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
just north of the continent of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. This song is usually accompanied by a "sit-down dance" where the "dancers" perform traditional movements corresponding to the lyrics.
The song is a traditional song in the language of the Torres Strait Islanders (Meriam Mir).
Lyrics
Taba naba naba noremTugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere re naba we
Taba naba norem
(style)
(repeated 3 times)
Translation:
Come on let's go to the Reef
Get into the dinghy when the morning tide is low
Let us row to the edge of the reef
Come on let's go to the reef.
Popular culture
The WigglesThe Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
made this song familiar in other countries by performing the song along with the dance in their shows.
On their DVD 'Wiggly Wiggly World', it is sung by Christine Anu
Christine Anu
-Early life:Anu was born in Cairns, Queensland to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai and Mabuiag Islands.-Career:Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993...
, an Australian pop singer of Torres Strait Island descent.