Ma Ma Ma Ma Baker

Sing along again with Boney M

By Cecil Pinto

Musically speaking, for my generation in Goa, the period from the mid 1970’s right through the mid 1980’s was the Boney M era. Every Goan household of that time had to have a Boney M cassette prominently visible near the two- in-one player, or in the Formica covered hall showcase.

How Boney M came into being is as very curious story.

In December of 1974 a German pop singer named Frank Farian recorded a single, ‘Baby Do You Wanna Bump’, using a studio enhanced deep male voice and performing the high female chorus vocals in his falsetto voice. The song record came out credited to ‘Boney M’ after a character in an Australian detective serial Farian was watching at the time. When this song slowly became a hit in North Europe Farian decided to hire a team to ‘front’ the group for TV performances. Many changes in the team over the next few months led to the final Boney M line-up of three women Maizie Williams, Marcia Barrett, Liz Mitchell and an exotic dancer from Aruba - Bobby Farrell. All this happened in Germany.

Their debut album, Take The Heat Off Me, had nothing to do with a certain minister nor does the hit song ‘Daddy Cool’ have anything to do with the Margao bomb blasts. But let’s revisit the lyrics anyway.

She’s crazy like a fool.

What ‘bout Narkasur?

I’m crazy like a fool.

What ‘bout Narkasur?

Nakka? Narkasur?

Nakka? Narkasur?

Boney M’s ‘Daddy Cool’ became #1 in Germany in September of 1976 after a live TV performance with their trademark daring costumes. In fact right through their heyday Boney M caused controversy with their rather risqué album covers and sexy live performances. The Boney M ‘sound’ came into being - consisting of gimmick percussion, alternating answer-back vocals, a spoken part and a deep male voice contrasted with falsetto female voices.

Their next album in 1977, Love for Sale, had nothing to do with escort, exotic and erotic services regularly advertised in Goan newspapers. But the original 1930 Cole Porter lyrics, written from the point of view of a prostitute, are worth reading.

Love for sale

Appetizing young love for sale

Love that’s fresh and still unspoiled

Love that’s only slightly soiled

Love for sale.

If you want the thrill of love

I have been through the mill of love

Old love

New love

Every love but true love

This same album featured the hit song ‘Ma Baker’ which featured a popular Tunisian folk tune. The lyrics spoke about the legendary female American gangster Ma Barker whose husband and four sons were all criminals. Sounds like some of our criminal politician families in Goa. They have no conscience or heart as they plunder enough for many generations to come.

Freeze, I'm Ma Baker. Put your hands in the air. Gimme all your money!

This is the story of Ma Baker - the meanest cat from ol' Chicago town.

She was the meanest cat in old Chicago town

She was the meanest cat she really mowed them down

She had no heart at all no no no heart at all

Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Baker, she taught her four sons

Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Baker, to handle their guns

Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Baker, she never could cry

Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Baker, but she knew how to die

Unfortunately in Goa criminal politician sons and daughters and mothers and fathers are all still living.

Don't anybody move

The money or your lives!

Soon after in 1978 Boney M released a cover version of ‘Rivers of Babylon’. The song is based on the Biblical hymn Psalm 137, a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Goan expats all over the world cry crocodile tears on Internet forums and Letters to the Editor for the loss of their beloved Goa.

By the rivers of Toronto, there we sat down

Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered our Goa.

By the rivers of Swindon, there we sat down

Ye-eah we wept, when we remembered our Goa.

When our greed carried us away, permanently,

We thought we could do no wrong

Now how shall we sing our Mandos in a strange land

Boney M’s next album the same year was Nightflight to Venus containing the hit ‘Brown Girl in The Ring’, a traditional West Indian song. It speaks of a white girl who has been playing in the mud and is dirty.

Brown girl in the ring

Tra la la la la

There's a brown girl in the ring

Tra la la la la la la

Brown girl in the ring

Tra la la la la

She looks like a sugar in a plum

When she finally washes herself the restaurant and shack owners now welcome her in. She’s no longer brown – she’s white! The prophetic, for coastal Goans, album also had the song ‘Rasputin’.

Ra-Ra-Ramponkar

Lover of the Russian skin

Sold your land for a few roubles

Ra-Ra-Ramponkar

Prostrate yourself on the silver sands

Sell your souls in one generation

…

Oh, those Russians

This was followed in the spring of 1979 by ‘Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday’, based on an American folksong Polly Wolly Doodle. It is the theme song for Goan Government servants.

Digge ding ding ding digge digge ding ding

Hey - di - hey - di - hoh (2)

There's a place I know, where we should go - heydiheydihoh

Casual leave on Friday, sick leave on Monday - heydiheydihoh

It’s a long weekend, right round the bend - heydiheydihoh

It’s not very comic, but screw the public - heydiheydihoh

Hooray! Hooray! Aiz holiday murre!

What a world of fun for Go-vern-ment, holi-holiday

In 1980, Boney M. released a greatest hits album, which had “I See a Boat on the River”.

I see some boats on the river

They’re blocking my view.

Cant’ they anchor in the ocean

Where they’re supposed to?

Casinos on the river

Wish they would sail away

So I can see from Panjim

To the Betim Jetty

(ENDS)

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As appeared in the Gomantak Times, Goa - October 22, 2009