Mende song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Mende song accompanied by three shegbureh, one sangbai, one bass drum and one side drum. The chorus repeats "Yawima", the name of a river, over and over again. The soloist sings: "My river, Yawima, a cool river, when on your banks I will always feel happy". She then addresses her son's brother Kuikeman and says "They are flogging my son. See what is happening". Her son is by the river. The sangbai is 19" high; the diameter of the drum head is 9" and the shake-shake part if 36" high. The drum is made of wood and the shake-shake part is metal strips with metal rings attached through holes. The bass drum is an African instrument made of wood. The diameter is 14", height 15". The underside played with hand while top played with stick. The side drum is a Western snare drum, with a diameter of 14" and height of 8". The shegbureh are made with buttons and are 17", 14" and 15" long respectively. The shegbureh, apparently always played by women, is a stalked gourd surrounded by a network of beads, buttons or shells on strings. The end of the strings is held in one hand, the stalk of the gourd in the other. Rhythmic movements of the gourd produce the desired rattle of the beads etc. against the gourd. The sangbai is a conical drum with one skin and a rattling or buzzing extension. It is played with the hands. The composer, who is also the leader of the group and the husband of the leading singer, is a farmer who writes songs for merriment. He says that for the right occasion he can compose 20 songs a day.

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Further Information

  • Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
  • Object: Mende song
  • Materials: No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Mende
  • Dimensions: No Data
  • Production Date: 1966.12.27
  • Associated Places: Mattru-Jong, Bonthe District [Place Recorded]; Gobah, village near Mattru Jong [Origin of item]
  • Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Sarah Sheriff [Shegbureh]; Sumaila Kamara [Sangbai]; Okie Kamara [Shegbureh]; Komeh Jobbi [Shegbureh]; Momba Jusu [Bass drum]; William Sumaila [Side drum]
  • Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
  • Accession Number: CVO:289

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