Mende song of farewell

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. A Mende song of farewell accompanied by shegbureh playing. The shegbureh, apparently always played by women, is a stalked gourd surrounded by a network of beads or buttons (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.

Further Information

Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
Object: Mende song of farewell
Materials: No Data / Other
Culture Group: Mende
Dimensions: No Data
Production Date: 1966.12.21
Associated Places: Potoru, Barri Chiefdom, Pujehun District [Place recorded]
Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Hawa Klomah [Main Singer and Shegbureh]; Yata Magonah [Shegbureh, Chorus]; Mesi Fofanah [Shegbureh, Chorus]; Fatmata Fofanah [Shegbureh, Chorus]
Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
Accession Number: CVO:257