Vai Bundu Society song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Nai bundu society song, accompanied by three shegbureh and four small bells attached to the back of waist band of the devil. The chorus is all female. The song, entitled Mamaya means "Take care of yourself". Mamaya is the name of the woman taking the part of the devil (it is very unusual for this information to be given). The shegbureh measures 15.5" by 13.5" by 13.5". The four bells of different pitch all measure about 2.5" diameter by 2.5" height. The devil joins in about halfway through. The steady pulse was kept up by a chorus of shegbureh players. The photograph pictures the Bundu devil and one shegbureh. The shegbureh, apparently always played by women, is a stalked gourd surrounded by a network of beads or buttons 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.

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Further Information

• Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
• Object: Vai Bundu Society song
• Materials: No Data / Other
• Culture Group: Vai
• Dimensions: No Data
• Production Date: 1966.12.22
• Associated Places: Fairo, Soro-Gbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District [Place Recorded] [Origin of item]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Herb Clark [Sound Recordist]; Jobbeh Sovary [Lead singer and shegbureh player]; Kulla Kanneh, Mamwa Massaquoi [Shegbureh players]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:264

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