FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT http://www.cocojams.com/

1.What is Cocojams?

Cocojams is a website where you can read and share comments about children’s playground rhymes & cheers, fraternity & sorority chants, civil rights songs, and other examples of oral traditions from African American cultures and other English language cultures. At Cocojams you can also read and share information about the origins & meanings of selected personal names.

Cocojams is divided into multiple pages. The main focus of Cocojams is contemporary English language playground rhymes, chants, and cheers. By "playground rhymes" I mean handclap rhymes, jump rope (skipping rhymes), foot stomping cheers, and other recreational rhymes. Cocojams does not usually contain examples of Mother Goose rhymes or other nursery rhymes.

Many of these examples of Cocojams rhymes, cheers, and chants are from African Americans and other persons in the United States. However, a number of examples in this Collection are from people living in Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. Many of the examples in the Cocojams' collection do not appear to have been previously published either off-line or online.

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A secondary focus of Cocojams' resource pages are chants from English speaking adults-fraternity & sorority chants; military cadences (jodies), and (Louisiana) Mardi Gras Indian chants/songs.

Cocojams' resource pages also include examples of African American civil rights songs from the 1960s. These examples are often referred to as "freedom songs".

In addition, Cocojams also includes a page of selected links of African American & Spiritual & Gospel videos. Cocojams also has a page of selected examples of 19th century or earlier African American secular (non-religious) songs.

Cocojams also includes "Text Analysis" pages. Each of these pages focus on a specific children's rhyme or game song, or a family of children's rhymes or game song. Text Analysis pages may also focus on songs or chants from other categories that are featured on Cocojams.

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Another focus of Cocojams' resource pages is information about the origins & meanings of selected personal names and nicknames. I usually gather the information about the names listed on that Cocojams page from other online resources (websites on name meanings), Most of the names & nicknames featured on Cocojams' Names & Nicknames page are are often considered to be "non-standard" in the United States.The majority of these names are featured because of Cocojams' readers' requests.

I like researching and learning about the origins & meanings of names. While I consider this a fun pastime, I'm also serious in my belief that people should "wear their name well". And I strongly believe that name meanings can be a way of helping people (particularly children & youth) develop and reinforce their self-esteem.

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In addition to those pages, Cocojams' Focus On pages showcases YouTube video gems of children's play activities. Cocojams also showcases other YouTube videos on its Fraternity & Sorority pages, and other category pages. A hyperlink listing of selected Gospel & Spiritual videos on YouTube is provided on another Cocojams' page.

2. How do I access pages on this website?

Cocojams visitors access a specific page on this website by clicking on the heading lthat is found under "Site navigation" on the right hand side of any page. Listings for the pages of various types of children's rhymes & cheers are found by clicking the general heading "Children's Rhymes & Cheers".

3. How do I use the search feature on this website?

Cocojams visitors access this website's internal search engine by clicking on
the entry "search site" which is found under "Site Navigation" ion the right hand side of any page.

When using the "advanced search" feature, enter the keyword of phrase and click "page"/
The Cocojams page that contains that word or phrase will be listed.

4. What is the "Log in" feature?

The "Log In" feature enables visitors to log in as members of Cocojams and post to this website. This feature is not activated at this time, and is unlikely to be activated in the near furure. Read more information below about how to send in comments, questions, queries, and/or examples to Cocojams.

5. How does Cocojams.com differ from other websites that provide examples of children's rhymes?

Unlike most websites which merely present examples of children's rhymes, Cocojams is interested in a folkloric approach to this material. By a "folkloric approach" I mean documenting and comparing multiple versions of rhymes, cheers, songs, and chants. I also mean documenting demographical information such as who performs these examples, as well as where, when, and how the examples are performed. By "folkloric approach" I also mean analyzing and discussing the structure, text, and psycho-social meanings of the examples and documenting how the example may have changed over time or within the same time among different populations.

6. Where do the examples of playground rhymes, game songs, and cheers in the Cocojams collection come from?

a) A number of the examples of playground rhymes, game songs, foot stomping cheers, and cheerleader cheers come from mostly African American children ages 5-12 who participated in Alafia Children's Ensemble sessions and special programs. See my response to question #7 for more information on Alafia Children's Ensemble.

b) Some examples of playground rhymes, game songs, footstomping cheers, and cheerleader cheers, come from my direct collection efforts, mostly among African American children, youth, and adults in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

c) Many of the examples, comments, and name queries on Cocojams' resource pages come from Cocojams readers. Readers submit examples, comments, and questions by emailing cocojams17@yahoo.com.

If the example is approved for posting on this site, I decide on which page it will be placed and I post it there.

d) In addition to those sources already mentioned, some examples/comments in Cocojams' resource pages come from selected blogs or discussion forums. Except in rare occassions I have received prior permission from individuals for re-posting the examples that they shared on those websites. In other cases, I have either received blanket permission from the site's members, moderators, or owners to repost those examples or I have received permission from the site's owners to repost examples from those sites which are from guests.

e) Other examples from the Cocojams collection are from my childhood recollections or from my direct collection efforts (mostly among African American children, youth, and adults in Pittsburgh. Pennslyvania).

7. You mention "oral tradition a lot in your editorial comments. What do you mean by "oral tradition"?

By "oral tradition" I mean that the traditional way these examples were passed on was by "word of mouth".

8. Why is it important to collect, showcase, and preserve examples from oral traditions?

I consider playground rhymes (and fraternity/sorority chants, and military cadences etc) to be legitimate cultural artifacts. I also believe that many of the contributor comments which accompany these posted examples also have creative, cultural, and aesthetic value.

Furthermore, I believe that it's important to collect these examples and to document their possible sources, their use of slang, and their topical references. I hope that through this website, I will meet other persons who are interested in collecting and studying these cultural artifacts.

9. What is Cocojams' policy regarding posting examples to this website?

All material posted on Cocojams is approved by me (The Editor) before it is posted on Cocojams' pages. As editor of this website, I (Azizi Powell) reserves the right to decline posting any submission to this website without explanation.

10. Is Cocojams affiliated with any university or organization?

Cocojams was launched in December 2001 as a program of Alafia Cultural Services. Alafia Cultural Services is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 501c3 non-profit organization that was founded in 1997 by Ms. Azizi Powell. The purpose of Alafia Cultural Services was to raise awareness about African American cultures and other Black cultures throughout the world. That organization is not active at this time.

Many of the children's rhymes and foot stomping cheers featured on Cocojams came from children who attended Alafia Children's Ensemble sessions or special programming events. Alafia (ah-LAH-fee-ah) Children's Ensemble was a component of Alafia Cultural Services. Alafia Children's Ensemble once a week sessions and special programming events were held in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area until 2007. The purpose of Alafia Children's Ensemble was to explore the creative & performing arts potential of traditional, adapted, original and other contemporary African American game songs and rhymes.

Cocojams.com was started as a part of Alafia Cultural Services and as an adjunt to Alafia Children's Ensemble. Cocojams is developed and maintained as a volunteer effort by me (Azizi Powell). I'm very fortunate and grateful to receive volunteer technical assistance from Lucas O. Musewe and from Greg Simkins. Without their help, there would be no Cocojams. Thanks also to my daughter Tazi M. Powell for her ongoing support and feedback on this website.

In addition, I would like to publicly thank Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Multicultural Arts Initiative, jointly funded by The Pittsburgh Foundation & The Howard Heinz Endownment for its generous grant in 2000 that helped provide funding for the initial development of this website and its multi-year suppor of Alafia Children's Ensemble.

l would also like to publicly acknowledge and thank the Pennsylvania Council On The Arts and The Pennsylvania Humanities Council for granting me a fellowship in the area of arts criticism. That generous fellowship helped support my work on Cocojams.com

I would like to thank the owners and members of http://www.mudcat.org/threads.cfm and selected other websites and blogs for giving me permission to reposts material from your websites.

Thanks to all others who have provided information and support to me in this effort to raise awareness about these often overlooked artifacts of folk culture.

Special thanks to all Cocojams visitors who have sent in material for possible posting on Cocojams.com!

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Submissions to Cocojams' pages, including versions of children's and/or adult rhymes, cheers, chants, cadences as well as rearders' comments indicates permission for Azizi Powell to quote those examples-whether posted or not on this website- on any other website or on any other print, video and/or audio publication or product.

See Cocojams' Posting Policy for more information about this subject.

As Founder/Editor of Cocojams, I'm interested in hearing from this site's readers. Questions and/or comments about this website can be sent to cocojams17@yahoo.com

Except in very rare occassions, all examples & comments from other websites are reposted with the prior written permission of the owners/moderators or members of those sites. Hyperlinks are given to the website from which quotes or examples originated.

As editor of Cocojams, I have attempted to credit all appropriate sources for material posted on this site. If I have failed to credit any appropriate sources, my omission will be corrected upon receipt of that forwarded information.

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