In this selection, Noel P. Denny sings two Ko’jua songs. This song genre is at least two hundred years old1 and is often heard in private and community celebrations.
Ko’jua, 1978. Noel Pol Denny. T-1076. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Ko’jua is the most popular genre of traditional Mi’kmaw song and dance. There are more than fifteen different songs that fall into this category and employ vocables such as Ko’jua enna’. This particular Ko’jua variant is popular today at powwows as a Grand Entry song.
This field recording was collected by Ronnie MacEachern in 1978.
Ko’jua (Grand Entry), 1978. Noel Pol Denny. T-1076. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
This recording includes two Ko’jua songs, the first of which is known as Jukwa’lu’k Kwe’ji’ju’ow – Bring Your Little Sister. Lee Cremo plays it here to demonstrate what a Mi’kmaw song would sound like on the fiddle; however, Ko’jua is a vocal and dance genre.
Watch a video of Lee Cremo demonstrating the “real stepdance.”
Jukwa’lu’k Kwe’ji’ju’ow, 1977. Lee Cremo. T-883. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
This recording includes two Ko’jua songs, the first of which is known as Jukwa’lu’k Kwe’ji’ju’ow – Bring Your Little Sister. Lee Cremo plays it here to demonstrate what a Mi’kmaw song would sound like on the fiddle; however, Ko’jua is a vocal and dance genre.
Watch a video of Lee Cremo demonstrating the “real stepdance.”
Jukwa’lu’k Kwe’ji’ju’ow, 1977. Lee Cremo. T-883. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Il est né le divin enfant is a traditional French Christmas Cantique (maybe define) that is known in English as He is Born, The Divine Child. Here it is sung by the Mi’kmawey School choir in Potlotek (Chapel Island) as part of their Christmas celebration.
This video was recorded in December, 1981, at the Mi’kmawey School in Potlotek.
Watch the Mi’kmawey School choir perform another song from this Christmas celebration here.
Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant, 1981. Mi’kmawey School choir. FT-2(8a). Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.