Mende song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Mende song, accompanied by the shegbureh. Performed by an all female group. The singers and shegbureh can be seen in the photograph. The meaning of the song is: "My husband has laid down the law over me". The shegbureh, apparently always played by women, is a stalked gourd surrounded by a network of beads or button (occasionally 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 or buttons against the gourd.

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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: 1966.12.20
• Associated Places: Sahn, Malen Chiefdom, Pujehun District [Place Recorded] [Origin of item]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Jasi [Leading singer and shegbureh player]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:234

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