Sounds of a crowd, with some Mende singing

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Sounds of a crowd, with some Mende singing, accompanied by shegbureh and horn playing. The photograph pictures the shegbureh. The people in Zimmi are Gola on the whole, but the spoken language there is Mende. 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 horn, which is the Chief's traditional horn, is made of an elephant's tusk. It is side blown. The piece recorded is spontaneously composed.

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Further Information

  • Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
  • Object: Sounds of a crowd, with some Mende singing
  • Materials: No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Mende, Gola
  • Dimensions: No Data
  • Production Date: 1966.12.23
  • Associated Places: Zimmi, Makpele Chiefdom, Pujehun District [Place Recorded] [Origin of item]
  • Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]
  • Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
  • Accession Number: CVO:284

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