Mende song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Mende song about troubles between a husband and wife. The item is accompanied by one shegbureh. The meaning of the song is: "When I had my husband I worked for him all the time. Now he has another woman and does not look at me any more". 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. The height of the shegbureh gourd, measured around the curve, is 9". The stalk is 5" long.

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Further Information

• Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
• Object: Mende song
• Materials: No Data / Other
• Culture Group: Mende
• Dimensions: No Data
• Production Date: 1970.12.25
• Associated Places: Panguma, Lower Banbara Chiefdom, Kenema District [Place recorded] [Origin of item]
• Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Chris Marshall [Sound Recordist]; Kpoi Guee [Lead singer and shegbureh]
• Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
• Accession Number: CVO:352

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