Yalunka song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Yalunka (?) accompanied by one nyayaru (a one-string fiddle). On a previous occasion we had understood that Ansu was a Fabu Fula from Senegal, but now he appeared to be a Yalunka from Guinea! He has lived at Kamabai for a long time and has probably composed this song there. He is pictured with the nyayaru in the photograph. Meaning of song: "No one will eat the wolf because of his strong scent. The wold smacks his lips before he eats. Now there are some men who can drink water straight away, but there are other men who smack their lips before drinking. The are just like the wolf". The nyayaru has a half-gourd for its sound box, a stick for its neck and a bunch of stretched hair for its string. One end of the string is tied to the stick, the other end to another string which forks into two and is finally tied up at the other end of the gourd. Snakeskin is stretched across the gourd opening, whose diameter is 8". The free length of the stick is 14", but the stick extends through the gourd ad just juts out at the other end. The bow is made of iron. Its string is another bunch of stretched horsehair. Bee's wax is used as rosin for the bow string. The wax is stuck on to the gourd at the back of the instrument. The bow is sometimes used to hit either the stick or the gourd.

Further Information

• Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
• Object: Yalunka song
• Materials: No Data / Other
• Culture Group: Yalunka
• Dimensions: No Data
• Production Date: 1967.06.02
• Associated Places: Kamabai, Biriwa Chiefdom, Bombali District [Place Recorded]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Ansu Sesay [Performer and Composer]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:314

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