Limba song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Limba song accompanied by kututen, kongoma and kukotor. The performers and instruments can be seen in the photograph. The meaning of the song is "The Kamara people find the coal". The kututen is a metal box (in this case an oil can with a little mirror on top) that has a number of metal tongues (in this case 9) fixed on top of it - the longest in the centre, then tapering off regularly on both sides. The box has an extension through which small metal wires are threaded (and to which, in this case, metal discs are attached). The player plucks the tongues with his thumbs while shaking the box up and down to obtain a rattle from the attachments to the extension and from some pebbles inside the box. The tongues are often flattened-out umbrella stays. The kongoma is a (much bigger) wooden box with a sound hole over which a few (in this case 3) metal blades are fixed. The blades are plucked with the fingers of one hand while the box itself is hit with the other hand or, as in this case, with a tin can. The kongoma player in this case is a young boy. The kukotor is a vague U-shaped piece of metal played with a metal beater. Measurements of kukuten box 11" by 7" by 4", of kongoma box 18" by 13" by 5". The kukotor is 26" long, measured right round.

Further Information

  • Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
  • Object: Limba song
  • Materials: No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Limba
  • Dimensions: No Data
  • Production Date: 1970.12.25
  • Associated Places: Kamboma, Lower Banbara Chiefdom, Kenema District [Place recorded] [Origin of item]
  • Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Chris Marshall [Sound Recordist]; Jeno Ballay [Lead singer]; Karnegie Conteh [Kututen]; Tamba Kamara [Kongoma]; Sorie Kamara [Kukotor]
  • Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
  • Accession Number: CVO:356

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