Dudbul July 20, 1972 - 20B Pokwo

Recording #20B

Place of Recording: Pokwo

Date of Recording: July 20, 1972

Performance: Various individuals

Informant: Paul Abulla and Henry Akway

Date of Transcript: September 27, 1972

1 000 Dancing song.

Information: Solo Girl singer. Song for dancing. (there are girls in Anuak land who are lazy and don’t participate. They call it lazy – aburr) The lazy left at home should never be married. The girls that are active are wives. Repeats.

Text: Our generation that is now destroyed. That has become weak, at that time that the drum will be beaten we will dance with our girls. The drum we have never gone to another village by night to dance. When we dance the old women regret that suppose I’m young. I would have danced very nicely where ever we go, we are the stars. The best dancers. (there are girls in Anuak land who are lazy and don’t participate. They call it lazy – aburr) The lazy left at home should never be married. The girls that are active are wives. Repeats.

2 010 Dancing Song.

Text: Praising a certain girl, assuring I’ll move to the forest or to a foreign land. Telling the girl saying that a rich man is made. He is a thief. I’m really exhausted of these rich people. I’m now happy. Our village is very big. Gok is very big. You don’t ask for the sound of dancing. It is very much. Praising her own village. How are you. I have greeted you with happiness. Praising her own village of Gok.

3 026

Information: Boy with can drum.

Text: I have to go to forest and stay there. Maybe I will get a tusk of an elephant. Because an orphan who doesn’t have a father in Gok here will never marry. Praising the girl. When I look al over Gok I couldn’t get a girl like you. Praising the girl. Coming back to her. I’m asking you, saying that the lion roar in the early morning (Like of Haile Selassie) Now I have prepared the way, and it is being used by the rich. Repeats. Boy with drum and girl in background.]

4 036

Information: Boy with can drum with girl I background. Refer back to the several versions of this song. This is an excellent and complete version of this song. The others are usually shortened to include the chorus only.

Text: I have sent a letter to you. She has been asked, why do you disturb your mind with him. He said that, a poor man goes out to different villages to trade till he gets something to pay, a rich man wants his way to be prepared. The he will come and pick up the girl without working and hardship for her. If you have refused me, why don’t you tell me, I have found another one. She looks like a princess, I didn’t know he was the one that made beer.

5 046

Information: Boy with can drum with girl in background. Refer to 19A 13 393

6 054

Information: A rich man gives a dowry as if he is tired of them. (a container of spoons He has greeted the container of spoons of a rich man.)

Text: When I slept by night, I didn’t sleep because of what I had been thinking of. I dreamed plans have been destroyed by the old man. But I’m still thinking alone. Praising the girl. I am poor. I came from a different place, from a foreign land. A person like me must have to be poor. You tell AKWATA. I heard that her greeting has reached me. Praise another girl, tell that girl that properties are like water in which everybody is in need. So am I and I sure I will get it in the future. A rich man gives a dowry as if he is tired of them. (a container of spoons He has greeted the container of spoons of a rich man.)

7 064

Information: Boy with can drum. This man and wife, he went to where gold is being mined. Then paid for a dowry then later his wife was trying to get out from him by divorce. Now he is praising her again.

Text: I have really forgotten that I have thrown my properties into the river. I am poor, as everybody goes around with my name. In the past now informing the girl that you get back any properties, it is very little. Then look for a man who can pay you $1000s of demoui. Then you divorce me. No harm at all to me. And I will never think of you. I have another one here. She looks as if she has been created not black, not red and straight. Created by God like the wood of a gun. This girl is really beautiful. I have really chosen a beautiful one as if from a beauty contest. Where has she gone? Praising her asking where she has gone. She is not fit to linger around. Then she walks in the rainy season when the elephant grass is tall. We will cut down the way so she will come back to us. If you go to a place called THORGOK, great DHIENG, praising her, she’s really fit to be married by a captain. When she puts on her dresses, she looks like something. Like a girl being advertised in a cinema. Dancing song.

8 076 Dancing song.

Information: Boy with can.

Text: I found a very bad village. (when the river comes and floods, the place it comes from, ahead of the river, a very bad village. During the summer the people sleep up in the trees like monkeys because of the flood. Greeting certain girl called ABANG NYOTAR. When I went on a visit, I saw her standing near the port. Who will look for a house that you could cook in. You take the stick that the women cook with and then try to cover it the pot. The stew of food is very small. People move around in the village in canoes. Find the boats between the houses. I’m only sympathizing for you, the girl. It’s just a divided village. You go to CIRO and greet OKWAY. You have got an educated girl. That could really help you. Insulting someone, says he has a large stomach and an eye disease. Dancing part. I really cried for her.

9 086

Information: Boy with can. The dances the Anyanya were dancing. Very interesting song. Notice the ending. Another type of dance has come. From JUBA a sound in the Sudan, but in Arabic. How are you, how are you? Repeats.

Text: God has come to him as in a dream and talked of my richness. I think I am going to become rich. When the dancing comes other tribes will dance, and we will dance. I remain beating the drum for them to dance Now praising someone. Another type of dance has come. From JUBA a sound in the Sudan, but in Arabic. How are you, how are you? Repeats.

10 106

Information: Boy with can.

Text: You tell him, that if l marries, I won’t marry because of you. I’ve never found somebody like you. Praising the girl saying that she is really beautiful like God. She has no type in this world. A girl you are determined to marry would never exhaust you would love her every day. Praising the girl and backbiting. He who is paying money for that girl is just wasting his time. He’s trying to win my woman with many people. Some are coming from Nuer land. She is really beautiful. She’s the first. She’s an American lady. Repeats.

11 121

Information: Boy with can. PINYUDO.

Text: Is greeted. Praising a certain girl. When I reach my destination, I will greet Ojulu. I have never told you that I heard from outside, when I reach you, we will talk of it. Praising. When everything is destroyed, our crops. I will drink in my poverty. Stay here, let me walk over here. He will get my child this afternoon. Repeats.

12 132 Marching song.

Information: Solo voice without accompaniment.

Text: Praising. It was God who gave you the right of not falling into trouble. AJAK reached the morning and people heard the sound of bullets of guns. You get some wood, and material for beer. This thing is going to kill more of those people. The elephant dispersed Perbong, praising the generation. Who has gone home. But the guns are shooting. The rifle 303 has sounded. The generation of this, the people of Ajwara have killed a male elephant, repeats.

13 151 Dancing Song.

Information: Solo with can accompaniment. 19A 14 409. Dancing song. Girl in the background. A very nice duet. Repeats.

14 173 Dancing.

Information: Girl with drum accompaniment. For praising somebody. 20B 2 010.

Text: A rich man is just like a thief.

15 258

Information: Boy with can and girl echo. A clever duet.

Text: I have gone to foreign lands and inside the forests but I’ve decided that the best is to go to the Anyanya and join them. All the Anuaks refers his problem to me. Where could I get this store of properties. I better go to the forest. You could trade a gun is just like wood. Telling the girl, but may God bless you. Repeats. It has been exposed to everyone. The girl replies, yes, exposed to the public, Boy says: stay, God will help you; girl says: you say you will be helped by God. Girl: says: stay, but after ten years if you don’t get anything to pay for the dowry, I better give myself to the government. Boy says, even me, I will give myself to a rich person. That will get me some demouis and pay for the dowry. Repeats

16 309

Information: Refer to 20B 3 026. Boy with can drum and girl as duet.

Text: I better go to the forest and get a tusk of an elephant

17 329

Information: Refer to 20B 6 054. Boy with can and girl as echo. Very effective.

18 346

Information: Boy and girl with can drum. Duet. Refer 19A 13 393.

19 367

Information: Boy and girl with can drum. Duet. Refer to 20B 7 064. Great rhythmic drive.

20 389

Information: Refer to 20B 8 076 Boy with can drum.

21 406

Information: Refer to 20B 9 086. Boy with can drum. Interesting song.

ANUAK Project: FIELD NOTES – July 20, 1972

Retyped: June 11, 2019

1:00 Leave home and go short way to Pokwo town.

1:10 Tape 19B 200 Girl from Gok singing again today, clearly and with good memory. On this tape she sings 1 short and 1 long song. Love song for general dancing.

Pictures: 32 2.8F 10’ 125x shot of recording girl.

33 8-5.6F 60’ 125x General shot of recording rea.

30-40 children and older around area some obviously here because of the clinic. The people always like to hear the playback of the song from the beginning. Airplane sound is taped: the arrival of Harold Kurtz and Carl Templin from Addis.

1:55 Tape 20A

1. Girl from Gok continues to sing: song about young boys who make an oath to kill a certain lion, elephant, or leopard. They will refrain from eating or drinking something until (something specific) until this certain animal is killed this particular song is an Oath Song about the elephant, when it was killed the song was made.

2. 2. An obero for a dead chief, Omot Omot was the chief’s name who died in prison about 1968. He had been arrested for suspected support of the Anyanya. It speaks of his kindness, and his acts while living. Was composed after he died. He died without sons or daughters; he was a chief from Gok.

3. 2:20 3. A song about boys talking about lions.

   1. 4. A Love song: this one has been heard before, probably several times.

2:35 5. A song for general dancing from Ajwara, Paul’s village Names of particular lovers are mentioned.

6. Also, from Ajwara.

2:50 7. From Gok. A song for general dancing.

3:00 Side 20B

1. Love song: this and all of the above sung by the leprosy patient from Gok.

2. Young fellow who has sung in Tierlul several times sings a love song: Nyigwo Nyang.

3. Love song.

4. Elephant song: made a hoe to catch and kill the elephant. The song speaks of what happens in the fight of that elephant. From Ajwara.

Movie film: 15 feet shot of boy with tin can-drum. Close up of hands. Two scenes

3:35 5. Duet of 2 songs: fellow and girl from Gok who has been singing through day. Short songs praising themselves. She praises herself by singing about the bulls of her grandfather. If someone would dance with her, he would do the same thing.

3:50 7. Duet; love song: boy praises the bulls of the girl and v.v.

4:00 8. 3 love songs: moving from one to the next without stop.

$2 paid to the girl

$1. Paid to the fellow.

A very profitable recording session; feel full singing with excellent enthusiasm and style. The boy shows fine ability.