Yupi, Yupi, Ya!

When I heard this Christmas song, I thought, "I know this tune!". However, I had never heard in that version before - with the lyrics turned into a Christmas theme. The recording seemed to be old - sounded like made in the 40s or 50s.

On the Internet I only found a children's version of that Christmas song.

At first, I could not remember what were the words I knew.  It was so long ago. I had not sang the song for ages. I recalled myself I taught it to kids in English classes. Then, after a while, only the refrain came back came back, " Yupi, yupi, ya!" 

My husband showed me the original version of the song he knew.

"Ok" I said, "It is close, but it is not what I used to sing with kids".  the words I taught to children were slightly different. 

Later, that same day, I found it, though.

What a coincidence it was to hear the Christmas version of that song. Neither of us had heard that holiday edition before.

I wonder, how many other people would recognize the original tune?  I am asking it myself because it has happened persons born and brought up here, did not know popular songs or movies written/made in this country, when we mentioned them. Examples?  Some of them: "The Battle of New Orleans" song or "Beetlejuice", the original movie.

Anyhow, it was nice to hear the "Yupi, yupi, ya" tune again.

X for Xylophone

 

Time for a little story.

There was a bunch of little girls. The girls lived in the same neighborhood and attended a local primary school. They were youth club members of a xylophone group that had its base at a district youth club. That type of youth club was called a "common room" then. It was a place where kids, supervised by an instructor/club employee, played games and did art projects, and it belonged to the city district housing administrators.

Ladybirds Performance - 12 January 1975

Anyway, "Ladybirds" was the name of the xylophone group, and my mom was our music director. She prepared the music arrangements for us and taught us to play the music pieces on the instruments provided by the club management.

We did play various tunes that we learned by heart: classical music, pop songs, and folk melodies, as well. From time to time, the Ladybirds performed at other culture-related places and city district clubs. Our xylophone career did not last long, but it was fun.

I can still remember some of the tunes we played. Here is one of them - can you tell what it is?

E,E,G E,E,G

E,G,C,H*,A,A,G 

D,E,F,D  D,E,F  D,F,H,A,G,H,C

C,C,c  A,F,G  E,C,F,G,A,G,

C,C,c  A,F,G  E,C,F,E,D,C

Ladybirds

Our performance dress code was white blouses, white tights, and navy-blue skirts. The red ribbon made a bow tie. At some point, at my mom's request, the club management provided a ladybird-like fabric: red velvet with black polka dots. Our moms made skirts out of it. Those skirts completed our Ladybird gear.

PS

*H is B in the English nomenclature.