Yalunka song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Yalunka song, accompanied by four balangi and one kariyana. The four balangi are pictured in the photograph. Numbers of slats on these four balangi: 17, 16, 17 and 16. Their respective lengths: 36", 32", 26" and 33". Ranges of slat lengths from lowest to highest notes: 16" to 12", 16" to 12", 17" to 12.5", and 16.5" to 10.5". Heights from the ground (the balangi will slope because of the graded sizes of the resonators underneath): from 6.5" to just over 4", 6" to 4.5", nearly 7" to just over 4", and 8" to just over 5". The kariyana is a small metal bar suspended from the hand by means of string. It is swung to and fro and hit with a metal beater as it comes round. This one is 7.5" long. The song is one that is sung by musicians to wake up sleeping warriors in the morning. The "namu" which is frequently heard as a kind of comment from one singer on another is a confirmation of what the other singer has just sung. The second singer represents the only female element in the song.

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Further Information

• Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
• Object: Yalunka song
• Materials: No Data / Other
• Culture Group: Yalunka
• Dimensions: No Data
• Production Date: 1966.04.11
• Associated Places: Falaba, Sulima Chiefdom, Koinadugu District [Place Recorded][Origin of item]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Yele Foday Samura [Lead singer and second balangi]; Fatmatta Kamara [Second singer]; Yele Sulimani Samura, Yele Sulima Samura and Yele Mamudu Samuru [Other balangi players and singers]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:175

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