Vai song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Gallinas Vai song accompanied by three shegbureh. The musicians and instruments are featured in the photograph. The musicians are Gallinas by tribe, but the song is sung in Vai. Its meaning is: "Love is more than love". The shegbureh, apparently always played by women , is a stalked gourd surrounded by a network of beads or buttons (occasionally 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 or buttons against the gourd. The heights of these three gourd, measured around the curve are 8.5", 10.5" and 9". The stalks are all 4.5" long. Note the remarkable style of the two-part singing, and the general softness of the singing tone.

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Further Information

• Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
• Object: Vai song
• Materials: No Data / Other
• Culture Group: Vai
• Dimensions: No Data
• Production Date: 1966.12.21
• Associated Places: Blama, Gallinas Perri Chiefdom, Pujehun District [Place recorded] [Origin of item]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Mamawa Sesay [Lead singer and shegbureh]; Massa Massaquoi and Sata Kela [Shegbureh]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:245

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