Rachel Sumner

FUNGA ALAFIA

Funga Alafia Dance and Song
A traditional West African welcome song

Funga alafia, ashe, ashe. Funga alafia, ashe, ashe. 
Funga alafia, ashe, ashe. Funga alafia, ashe, ashe. 
Ashe, ashe, ashe, ashe. Ashe, ashe, ashe, ashe.

Listen to a sample of Rachel Sumner's recording of Funga Alafia on her award-winning recording Tap Those Toes. This CD was the #2 top-selling recording on CDbaby when it was first released.

Part I Dance Steps:
Funga alafia - Walk forward to the beat of the music as you shake your hands down toward the ground.

Ashe, ashe - Walk backward to the beat as you shake your hands up to the sky. Repeat the lyrics and movements.

Part II Dance Steps:
Ashe, ashe - Begin with your hands overlapped in the center of your chest and your elbows straight out to the sides. Step to the right on the beat as you open both arms wide, as if ready to embrace someone.

Ashe, ashe - Step to the left on the beat. Close your hands back over your chest. Repeat the lyrics and the movements. The dance can be done in a circle, a line, or a big group. Encourage children to make up movements too. I hope to post a video of the dance here in the future.

Try Funga Alafia as a call-and-response song. The caller can sing "Funga alafia" and do a movement. The responders sing back "ashe, ashe" and copy the dance movements of the caller. The caller could also sing the whole first line of each verse and have the responders sing the repeat. Everyone can sing "ashe, ashe" lines at the end of each verse together.