Fula instrumental piece

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Fula instrumental item by one serdu, three nyayaru and two pairs of lala. The performers are travelling Fula musicians, in Freetown. The serdu is a side-blown flute with three finger holes, 27" long. The nyayaru is a violin with a half-gourd for its sound box, a stick for its neck and a bunch of stretched hair for its string. Each of these three had a metal extension at the end of its stick, and in each case the calabash sound box had a big sound hole. In the one measured the metal extension was 6" long and the free length of the stick was 13". Two of the sound boxes were measured (around the curve) from the rim down to the lowest point; the results were 7" and 8.5". One bow also was measured; its string was 22" long, the bow itself 25". The lala is a hook-shaped instrument with wooden discs strung on to one of the two sticks forming the hook, to make up a rattle. In this case, the stick bearing the discs was slightly curved. One lala was measured: its sticks were 13" and 10.5", the rattles being on the longer one. In one of the two pairs, the rattles numbered 18 on the one lala and 19 on the other. The performers and their instruments can be seen in the photograph.

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Further Information

  • Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
  • Object: Fula instrumental piece
  • Materials: No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Fula
  • Dimensions: No Data
  • Production Date: 1966.05.01
  • Associated Places: Freetown [Place Recorded]
  • Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]
  • Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
  • Accession Number: CVO:203

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