Written by Azizi Powell
I'm a big fan of African Americans giving traditional African and Arabic names to their children or creating a name that "sounds" African. But there are some African/Arabic sounding names that I think it's better to avoid just because of the negative associations that their sounds are likely to have in the United States and in other Western nations. One example is the name "Tamu", a Swahili female which means "sweetness". In the 1970s there was a Black doll that was marketed named "Tamu", but that doll didn't sell well. I've always maintained that part of the reason why so few Black mamas who were desparately seeking Black dolls for their daughters didn't embrace that doll was that she had a very short fro. The problem with that is that a big part of the play activities that little girls-including little Black girls-look forward to doing with dolls is styling their hair. And you can't style a short afro. The other major problem with the name "Tamu" (tah-moo)is how it sounds. No one wants their child to have a name that ends in the sound a cow makes.
The Arabic name "Fatima" and its variant forms "Fatimah", "Fatma" are other female names that have a positive meaning in other nations but might be best not given to American girls. "Fatima" literally means "weaned" (a baby girl who is no longer breast feed). That name has a very positive significance among Muslims because it was the name of a favorite daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. But among Americans, the first part of the name Fatima, Fatimah, Fatma sounds the same as the word "fat"*. In my opinion, giving your child a name that sounds like "fat" is setting her up a life of teasing and taunting.
*I know two African American women who adopted the name "Fatimah" as adults. It happens that both of these woman are converted Muslims. However, many Americans who have an Arabic name aren't Muslim.
Although the traditional way Arabic speakers pronounced/pronounce Fatima (Fatimah) is FAH-mah, following American pronunciation customs, that name is usually pronounced "fah-TEE-mah".
"Fatou", (fah-too) "Fatu" (fah-too), "Fatoumata" [unsure about the traditional pronunciation] and "Fanta" (fahn-tah?) are West African forms of the Arabic female name "Fatima"-West African culture has been influenced by Arabic culture since the 11th century AD. Of those names, "Fanta" is the only one that doesn't have that "fat" beginning element. Even though "Fanta" is a brand name of a carbonated soft drink, I don't think that has any built in problems for American females. Of course, it's just my opinion that those names are problematic in the United States (and in other "Western" nations). I won't get upset if you don't agree. However, as I write for each name entry on my Cocojams Names & Nicknames pages, if Fatima, Fatou, or other variants of those names is your name, I hope that you wear your name proudly.
-snip-
This page on my Cocojams website Names And Nicknames has more comments about those two names.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
Here's a YouTube video (sound clip) of the delightful children's song by the Senegalese band Touré Kunda entitled "Fatou Yo" (My Name Is Fatou")
AFRICA Music /Best of all time : TOURE KUNDA: Fatou Yo
WitnessTheDevine, Uploaded on Jul 16, 2011
This is an african song , a little all , Almost every generation in Senegal loved it .....Every generation sang it , ,, and it still rocks ......
-snip-
Here's a summary of that song from Best Children's Music [site no longer available on December 13, 2017]
"Toure Kunda (TOUR-ray KOON-dah) / Senegal / Fatou Yo (I Am Fatou) sung in Mandingo. Fatou is a little girl who lives in Senegal, a country in Africa. She likes to dance with the other boys and girls in her village, and dreams about singing with baby elephants and giraffes. The song is a sikko (SEE-koh), a dance where people get in a line and hold their hands towards the sky or hold the waist of the person in front of them. Senegal is a country in Western Africa that borders the Atlantic Ocean. There are many different tribes and ethnic groups, each with a unique culture. Languages spoken include Wolof, Fulani, Serer and Mandingo, but the common language is French because Senegal used to be a colony of France."
-snip-
Revised December 13, 2017
Here are the lyrics to this song from http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=3134.
"Fatou yo
Children's Song
Fatou yo si dia dialano
Fatou yo si dia dialano
Fatou yo si dia dialano
Fatou yo si dia dialano
Fatou faye faye fatou
Fatou kélémen dio
Fatou yo si dia dialano
Fatou faye faye fatou
Fatou kélémen dio
Fatou yo si dia dialano
Boutoumbélé boutoumbélé
Boutoumbélé boutoumbélé
Boutoumbélé boutoumbélé
Boutoumbélé boutoumbélé
Boutoumbélé o ma mi se ra
O Ma mycasse boutoumbélé
O ma mi se ra
O Ma mycasse boutoumbélé"
-snip-
This website gives the language used in this song as "Balanta". "Balanta" is a language from the African nation of Guinea-Bissau. Note that another website quoted above indicates that the language that is used for this song is Mandingo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour%C3%A9_Kunda gives this information about Touré Kunda:
"Touré Kunda is a Senegalese band noted for their musical versatility and political activism. Their 36-year career encompasses recordings in over six languages and collaborations with well-known musicians such as Carlos Santana and Talking Heads. They have had considerable success in Africa and Europe and are active in social causes such as Children's rights and advocates for the homeless
[...]
Biography[edit]
Born twenty-two days apart in 1950 in Ziguinchor in Casamance, Senegal, Ismaïla and Sixu Tidiane Touré were introduced to music by their elder brother Amadou, a singer and musician.
They moved to Paris to complete their musical education. They worked their way up in the Parisian scene. The group sings in Soninké, Wolof, Fula, Mandingo, Diola, and Portuguese creole, reflecting the multilingual mixture of the people of Casamance."...
-snip-
Given this information, I think that mamalisa.com is mistaken about the language that is used for this song. Instead of Balanta, I think the language is Mandingo.
These same non-English lyrics are found as subtitles in this YouTube sound file: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-eEzPu6M-U:
Here's the English translation from that mamalisa.com website:
"I am Fatou
Children's Song
(English)
I am Fatou, pretty Fatou,
I am Fatou, pretty Fatou,
I am Fatou, pretty Fatou,
I am Fatou, pretty Fatou.
Fatou oh, oh Fatou,
Like all the children of the world
I am Fatou, pretty Fatou.
Fatou oh, oh Fatou,
Like all the children of the world
I am Fatou, pretty Fatou.
I am happy and will surely grow up
I am happy and will surely grow up
I am happy and will surely grow up
I am happy and will surely grow up
I will grow up like everybody else
Like the little elephants and the little giraffes
Like everybody else
Like the little elephants and the little giraffes."
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SHOWCASE VIDEO#1
Senegalese vocalist Fatoumata Diawara's song "Bissa" from her 2011 CD entitled "Fatou" :
Uploaded by worldcircuitltd on Aug 10, 2011
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