Limba song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Limba song accompanied by two dundui (singular dundu) and two kenken. As can be seen in the photograph, the dundu is a big wooden cylindrical drum with two skins, one of which is beaten with a hooked stick called kudondon (plural nadondon). The kenken is a piece of metal bent to a conical shape with a handle at the top. It is held by this handle and knocked with a ring on the thumb. The ring if called masulka (plural masulkai). More usually among Limba musicians, a kenken of this shape will be hit with a metal beater instead of a ring, but the present arrangement makes it possible for the instrument to be played with the left hand only, thus leaving the right hand of the same player free to beat the drum. There appears to be some similarity with the practice of some other tribes, whose musicians use smaller two-bladed pieces of metal suspended from the left hand and knocked with rings on the fingers while beating a drum with the right hand. Length of first dundu 45", diameter of its skin 13". Length of other one 47.5", its skin is not round due to the natural selection of tree, and the diameter varies from 13.5" to 12". Length of first kenken including handle 12.5", the second 13.5".

Further Information

  • Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
  • Object: Limba song
  • Materials: No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Limba
  • Dimensions: No Data
  • Production Date: 1966.04.12
  • Associated Places: Yagala, near Kabala, Koinadugu District [Place Recorded][Origin of item]
  • Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Gogo Sesay [Lead singer]; Seme Kamara and Karemu Sesay [Dundu and Kenken]
  • Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
  • Accession Number: CVO:193

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