Soso dance song

Ethnomusicological sound recording made by Cootje van Oven. Soso dance song, accompanied at first by one yimbei and one dundumba and then two balangi join in. The performers are pictured in the photograph. The meaning of the song "Shaki" (Shaki is Dr Siaka Steven s, the country's President) "has God's blessing". In between the singing there is vigorous dancing by the little soloist; the two balangi, which had joined in gently in the course of the singing. come up more strongly during the dancing, supporting the boys own instruments. When the singing resumes the tune is different, but unfortunately the song has to be cut short soon after the start of a new tune because of the tape running out. The yimbei is a conical wooden drum with one skin played with the hands. The dundumba in this item, rather more improvised than the usual wooden two skinned dundumba, has a metal rib and only one skin. It is played with two sticks, one with a ring round it which is used on the skin and the other a plain stick which is used on the rib. The balangi is a xylophone with calabash resonators. The two in this item have 19 and 18 slats respectively. (In the one with 18 slats, it looks as if one slat is missing, and the slat next to that is rather loose). The instrument is played with mallets that have leather heads. The yimbei in this item is 18" high and has a skin diameter of 13". Corresponding measurements of dundumba 14" and 12". Its drumstick with the ring round it was also measured and is 9" long. The first balangi, measured along the bottom frame which rests on the ground is 41" long; its width tapers from 13" at the end where the longest slats are to 7" at the opposite end. The mallets are 12" long. Second balangi: length 43", width tapering from 12" to 8".

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Further Information

  • Type: Sound Recording, Musical instruments
  • Object: Soso dance song
  • Materials: No Data / Other
  • Culture Group: Soso
  • Dimensions: No Data
  • Production Date: 1977.09.28
  • Associated Places: Kukuna, Bramaia Chiefdom, Kambia District [Place Recorded] [Origin of item]
  • Associated People: Cootje van Oven [Sound Recordist]; Pa Sorie Kargbro [Sound Recordist]; Momodu Sillah [Singer/dancer]; Alpha Kamara [Yimbei]; Foday Suma [Dundumba];Yele Baba Suma and Kuseni Kamara [Balangi players]
  • Museum: Cootje Van Oven Collection
  • Accession Number: CVO:426

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