"Kum-A-Kye" or "The Kum A Kye Song" is a Rhodesian song and military march, written in 1939 by Sergeant Max Sparks, [1] that was adopted as the regimental march of the Rhodesian British South Africa Police (BSAP) between 1947 and 1980. [2]
"Kum-A-Kye" or "The Kum A Kye Song" is a Rhodesian song and military march, written in 1939 by Sergeant Max Sparks, [1] that was adopted as the regimental march of the Rhodesian British South Africa Police (BSAP) between 1947 and 1980. [2]
The chorus of "Kum-A-Kye" is based upon the 19th-century American campfire song " The Old Chisholm Trail", which was brought to Southern Rhodesia by two cowboys familiar with the Texan Chisholm Trail, who had joined the British South Africa Police. [3] In 1939, the BSAP asked Sergeant Sparks to create a military band for them. Sparks did so by bringing together a number of policemen as musicians and wrote the music to "Kum-A-Kye" for the police band to play as a march. [1]
In preparation for King George VI's royal tour of Southern Africa in 1947, "Kum-A-Kye" was formally adopted as the regimental march of the BSAP. [2] It was predominantly played as a marching tune only, with the lyrics often not being known by the policemen in the force. [4] In 1955 during Southern Rhodesia's time as part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the BSAP released an LP album of regimental music entitled Kum-A-Kye after their regimental march. [5] In 1980, the BSAP was disbanded and replaced by the Zimbabwe Republic Police following Rhodesia's reconstitution as Zimbabwe.
In 2011, Northern Rhodesian-born John Edmond released "Kum-A-Kye" as part of his All Time Rhodesian Evergreens album. [6] The lyrics that he set to the tune are based upon the "Polly Wolly Doodle" American folk song. [7] [8]
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The Regimental March of the B.S.A. Police