Sherbro Festival song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Sherbro festival song, accompanied by sangbai, European-type side and bass drums, horn, tortoise shell, empty tin hit with a metal beater and handclapping. The horn is pictured in the photograph. Two masked devils, a Goboi and Nafali, were present at this performance. The tortoise shell was played by one of the Goboi's followers. The sangbai is a conical wooden drum with one drumskin and sometimes (as in this case) with an extension. It is played with the hands. The horn in this item appears to be a cow horn. The tortoise shell is hit on the belly side, sometimes with the free end of a stick and sometimes with the other end, close to the player's grip. The diameter of the sangbai drumskin is 12"; the height of the drum body is 21" and the length of its extension 23.5". The horn is 15" long. The tortoise shell measures 6.5" by 4.5".

Further Information

• Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
• Object: Sherbro Festival song
• Materials: No Data / Other
• Culture Group: Sherbro
• Dimensions: No Data
• Production Date: 1966.01.24
• Associated Places: No.2 River, near Freetown [Place Recorded]; Bawbaw village [Origin of item]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Elizabeth Palmer [Lead singer]; Sei Djama [Sangbai]; Raka Kamara [Side drum]; Conterri [Bass drum]; Charles Martin [Horn]; Tua Beno [Tortoise shell]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:141

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