Nirnam (Marching) July 20, 1972 - 20A Pokwo

Recording #20A

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 Marching song.

Information: Individual girl. For a certain generation. For marching, when you have decided to kill something bigger. DUDNAM.

Text: All of you all of you, you young boys put on your shoes you are the second. You young girls put on your shoes you are the first. The young boys have killed a leopard I want to perform a very nice song of marching that could be heard all over the villages. This s the generation of the chief or a man in charge of them. We are the top men. Praising the generation and saying we don’t have an old man in our village but our village is always being aggressed. We have killed a lion and a male elephant. And our village has gone back to it former normality. In the time of marching, the trumpets and the drums sound. We march only with the generation of OGIRA (the man in charge of the generation) praising themselves that they refused a certain kind of fish, but will be eating the skin of an elephant. The young boys have come after killing the elephant. The people have received them with cheers. Repeats.

2 023 Marching song.

Information: Individual girl. Song of Gok. Praising the men in charge of the generation. Called DHOGO. They went to the forest and killed an elephant then the daughter of the elephant was captured and brought home but while being brought home to Gambela it died.

Text: We are going to follow him. Within this spring we are going to kill a male elephant. We would have built a house for this small elephant. Our young elephant without any sickness or trouble. But it died in a certain place called COBO.

3 030 Marching song.

Information: Individual girl. Praising the chief. I’m from Gok Depach, chief is called OMOT WARAKIC

Text: I have left poorness and never achieved anything. Praising somebody. Sympathizing. This man has died without a child. Telling somebody stay here and feed the small kids. Praising the wife of the chief. Praising a man and then a girl: make your home good. Praising the people. Telling people, you go back to where you came from. Informing others, saying whenever you get a person, you contribute your hands to him. Praising the girl, saying that she is the doctor of anger. Praising somebody saying the most important thing is something to cover myself with. My stomach, it matters not. Praising a certain person, whatever is asked by a singer. What kind of talk is this? That has been brought to me strongly without base. Praising people saying a certain girl has been left with poverty without gaining anything. Repeats.

4 075 Marching Song.

Information: Individual girl.

Text: We are the first we are the first. A certain kind of gun that takes 5 bullets was fired in the early morning and no cock crowed. The rain that fell we were praying for then generation of Lion. That the gun would be fired and the area would be dark. We have refused giraffe and buffalo we are the generation of LION. Repeats.

5 082 Marching song.

Text: Praising the generation saying that we have defeated everybody in dancing. We are related with the Ethiopians. When the trumpet sounds, we will be dancing with another generation. Praising the owner of that generation. At the end of this month, we will be taken by airplane and the trumpets will be blown, we are Ethiopians, we will be going to Gambela. Our holiday we killed an Elephant. We are the first.

6 097 Marching song.

Text: We have put holes on the strainer for beer. We have shot because of the boasters. How would you call it, we are good shooters? You take your rifle, the generation of DHOGO. Fight, we ae boasting to fight. We would have fought. We would have said something bad. You the ladies, the leaders of robes, praising someone, let us go back and drink but you beat our drum very well. He who goes back and drinks is spoiling his name. (because he refused to drink until they had killed that elephant).

Adhinga agocwa mac kipper gwocwa kongo

The strainer shot bullet because are boasting beer

No dwue bang ngu dhogo ocwoli nidi

When come from liar be called how

Thor mo enayi Kwaylwak

Shooting that he has Man responsible for a certain generation

Ojulu nikango congo ojolwa go dhogo cwol ni dejachmach

Title of the man the day we shall respond it persons title called is Dejachmach

Kwanya abucare ki nyare mo kwot

Take (pick up) 303 with daughter that Kwot (Name of a person.)

Bangngat jiemo ki uni podha lwa dhodo war liec

Nobody argue with you proceeded the generation title of man.

Lwe Liec jo ngwya karleng jo dokedo

The generation title of people boast place of fight people would have fought

Job winy wala nyino obwoth abongo jo ngwoya gin rac

Titled the man lead type of dance people boast something bad thing.

Dejach wana duo bang ngu wa bwoth thabr

Dejchmach we returned from lion we lead marching.

Lwa caam nyogira nyi kwaaya arage kargi bet

Title of the girl called Caam girls leaders robes all them

Nyi ko ni wa do ri math bulli winy caam goc

The person said that we return back to drink Title of a person beat

Burwa niber ne winye ngat kale kongo ranya nyinga dok

Drum good so heard person brought beer spell name Dok (village name)

7 108 Dancing Song. People are sitting.

Information: Praising the girl and the family. Girl a daughter of a king. Their village. Father and grandfather have fought a tribe of airplanes and cars.

Text: Praising the girl, I’m really poor. When I praise you without seeing you, I seem to be poor. I will die in a foreign land. I will never understand because of missing the appointment. Your personality could never see all over the world (or found) Praising the girl. You are being greeted with trumpets. Praising the girl, I’m happy, but tell me the day of leaving. When shall they run away?

8 115 Lullaby

Information: Solo girl. Praising a man.

Text: Titles of grandfathers, uncles, continues to praise. Beat the drum and praise him. Or else I’m going to die. Still praising. Praise and pleasing the child. Lullaby. WAW WAW WAW

9 142 Dancing.

Information: Refer to 19A 3 051

Text: He looks like a prince. But I didn’t know he was poor. What did you expect from me? Why did you retreat back? Now I have a beautiful girl. I recognize your handwriting from the paper. So why did you accept me first. What did you have in mind at that time? Why do you try to retreat? I’m very sad, I’m very sad. I’m, very unhappy. Why did you accept me first? What did you know about me first? Repeats. Praising someone. I am going, I am going, until God will bring her to me.

10 174.

Information: Solo girl. Refer to 19B 4 155.

Text: When I die, who shall cry for me. Repeating.

11 187.

Information: Refer to 19B 5 164. Mirror. Solo girl singer.

12 196.

Information: Refer to 19B 6 171. Solo girl singer.

Text: Talking against the rich.

13 224.

Information: A song of Henry’s village

Text: Praising the king. Swearing in the name of the king, praising the king with the titles of his grandfather and uncles. Praising people. Assuring the village that if you try to talk against the king God will destroy you without the action of the king. Praising the king, once you are defending this village nothing can penetrate it. His silence, he aggresses no one. Sits under his tree till he would turn to the next part of the tree. Moving with the shade. You are the one being aggressed. You do not aggress people. Praising him with his structure. Praising somebody assuring the village, once the drums have started, means other people have come to invade the king. Villages are abnormal, they disturb you and they cannot afford this. Praising the king. Ethiopians and Anuaks are under his hand. Praising the king, saying the bank of the river has large crock. People cannot get water. Its final decision has cut off communication. Taken water from the river. (meaning: crock might be somebody dangerous to him, blocks his way not being able to reach the king. That person may have become too dangerous for him.) We heard a cry by the bank of the river. What do you think of the cry please get me something at least? Putting praising the cabinet members around the king. Praising a girl, boyfriend, I’m sure I will get something from you.

I didn’t think I would get troubles in Anuak land. I have found there is too much talking around, I hear many things. Letters are being exchanged, praising somebody and telling him, it is surprising I didn’t hear of it. Praising a certain girl. I didn’t cry over my poverty. Praising a certain girl, saying whatever we tell you, you must listen to us carefully. Praising some others saying, the greeting of that person has come. It is welcome Praising the king and assuring people that he is in his father’s home. Meaning in his father’s village, so nobody can compete with him. It is his. Been left by his father in the village. He is angry with this village.

14 277.

Information: Still from Henry’s village. A nice song. Solo girl singer. This song has lasted for a long time. 18-20 years. A very interesting song. Owner died in 1968. Song of Bul.

Text: Praising the king, saying he is the gate. Whenever he moves a large group in a fight, he will catch some of them. Now praising the king, saying the owner of this land, I have decided to ask him and get me a cow. He is left by his father. Praising the king saying that he is the most handsome among the dynasty called, NYODOLLA. He is still good. Praising the girls, come back to her house. She has returned back.

15 294.

Information: Solo girl singer. A cut version. Refer to 20A 1 000.

Text: Began in the middle: You boys put on your shoes.

16 306

Information: I would have refused singing, because once I have performed it someone will sing it. (means he doesn’t have a friend) (In Anuak land, a composer with an inferior voice will sing to one with a good voice who will sing it for the people)

Text: Praising the chief. We were ashamed and got afraid in your absence. This man was put there by Ethiopians. When he was put in there, we were glad, now no problem in our village. Remain only drinking beer and cultivating for new harvest. Gok is going back to its former time. All the Anuaks are watching you. You are the chief of all the Anuaks. Praising the chief saying that he gives to the villages demouis…those people can marry without any problems. Asking the chief, get me something. Now I have nothing no properties. I would have married. Praising the people, he has nothing but you are going to become rich. Asking God every time, but the chief is still with the Ethiopians. If I refuse anything, nobody can force me. I’m thinking only of my chief. Praising a certain man saying, paying the dowry. It has never been stopped. So, pay something for a wife. This village has owners but the young men are just playing the drum. Praising a certain girl that has given a spear called ATHERO. That ever you give it must be said simply praising people. Backbiting about a certain liar Praising a girl, ow could you not wonder you must know that things are given by the heavenly father. Praising people. Lover you have decided in our mind to marry. You will miss it because of the dowry. A person who leaves his village. Anuak land needs one to live with his relatives. Praising a certain girl, said that she can’t be despised by an eye. She looks new ever time. If you just look around, other villages it is definite that you will get something for a dowry. Praising a certain girl, assuring that there are too many types of love but her love is the love of the stomach. Praising a certain girl, I’m still thinking of you. Girls are now tired of work, they need some other people to help them. Praising a person, won’t I get something when you are with me. Praising a girl, she is our wife. Praising that girl, you are our wife you have no home in Gok. I would have refused singing, because once I have performed it someone will sing it. (means he doesn’t have a friend) (In Anuak land, a composer with an inferior voice will sing to one with a good voice who will sing it for the people) Praising a girl saying that he is person who looks at the stomach of the people. What do I want in a foreign land? Our business here is to marry girls and to dance. Praising people saying that this song must not be soiled, it must be sung carefully. Praising 3 people, I’m looking at the song. Whether I will be singing it without getting anything. Praising a certain girl saying, now could you remain in out without getting a share from me. This song will stop with you but he who praises a song is getting himself up. Making himself bigger. The things give me by a chief. I have to marry with them and be prepared.

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; full singing with excellent enthusiasm and style. The boy shows fine ability.