Yalunka hunters dance song

Ethnomusicological recording made by Cootje van Oven. Yalunka hunters dance song accompanied by kondene and handclapping. The song's meaning is "Bush animals don t like hunters". The origin of the item is at the place of recording. Singers other than the named singers can be heard butting in occasionally, particularly one male singer (or speaker) Yele Sulima Samura who is also a balangi player but does not play in this recording. The kondene is the Yalunka instrument for hunters music. It is a bow with ten strings and a metal rattling device at the top, as pictured in the photograph. A cooking pot covered with a skin is attached to the bow. A bridge stands up on the skin and the strings pass through grooves in the bridge. Sticking through the skin are two sticks round which the player curls his fourth and fifth fingers of both hands to hold the instrument while playing. Length of bow 37.5" measured round the curve, height of cooking pot 5", diameter of skin 9", length of rattling extension 5.5", height of bridge 4.5", length of sticks passing through the skin 14.5". The strings are played by plucking. Note the softness of the ladies singing.

Further Information

  • Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
  • Object: Yalunka hunters dance song
  • Materials: No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Yalunka
  • Dimensions: No Data
  • Production Date: 1966.04.11
  • Associated Places: Falaba, Sulima Chiefdom, Koinadugu District [Place Recorded]
  • Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sounds Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Karamoh Turay [Solo singer and kondene]; Tadi Samura, Saio Samura and Tanch Jawara [Singers and Handclapping]; Yele Sulima Sumura [Male singer, butting in]
  • Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
  • Accession Number: CVO:176

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