Vai song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Vai song accompanied by three shegbureh. The meaning of the song is: "You should sit down in one place and wait for your friend and have a fine talk". The shegbureh measure 18", 14" and 15.25" - two with shells and one with shells and buttons. This group is considered the best in the area. The chorus keep up a two-part motif whilst the solo singer sings the song and leads the shegbureh players. The shegbureh, apparently is 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.

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Further Information

• Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
• Object: Vai song
• Materials: No Data / Other
• Culture Group: Vai
• Dimensions: No Data
• Production Date: 1966.12.22
• Associated Places: Fairo, Soro-Gbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District [Place Recorded] [Origin of item]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Kala Galaba [Shegbureh]; Sumbo Zoka [Shegbureh]; Mama Massia [Shegbureh]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:262

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