July 17, 1972 - 17A Pokwo Church

Recording #17A

Place of Recording: Pokwo

Date of Recording: July 15, 1972

Performance: Pokwo church congregation

Informant: Paul Abulla and Henry Akway

Date of Transcript: September 26, 1972

End of Service - Final hymn and doxology. Worth listening to.

ANUAK Project: FIELD NOTES – July 17, 1972

Retyped: June 10, 2019

11:30 Leave Pokwo by boat heading downstream. The day is hot and we are looking forward to a full day of taping in at least two locations.

12:15 Stop at Ebago briefly for Paul’s sake. He finds that someone has died in Illea therefore the possibility of not being able to tape comes into view.

12:30 Arrive at illea. The grass has grown high and completely covers our heads and slaps our faces as we walk along the path. We enter the village hearing the soft singing of men and leader punctuated with the blowing of a trumpet and whistle. We find that this is for the man who has died. There is a quiet in the village, the men greet us quietly as we walk among and when we sit in our normal place. They lay out a very large skin for me while the others sit on the smaller well-worn skins that are around. We find, after conversing with the 20 or so men sitting around, that they would prefer that we return in one week. Next Monday. Judging the circumstances, we agree and again continue downstream.

1:30 We arrive at Anyele: this town on the right side, downstream is dominated by three large trees casting a shade over the dancing area and (later learned) suspected as spirit trees, worshiped by and possibly dominating the thinking of the community. The people are not well prepared as they were not aware of our coming. Yet they seem poorly disciplined and surly. The children sing with long delays between each song. They react to a degree and yet not with the pride evident in other places. The children sing loud and inaccurately. The village then decides to sing, led by someone not the usual leader and they do not sing well. Much inattention and talking while singing is going on. Perhaps with the normal leader they would do much better but this is questionable. The first question asked was for some form of pay if they would sing. And they showed no respect to Paul. But later considerable alarm when they realized who he was.

Pictures: 23 8 and 5.6F 50’ general recording scene 60^th sec.

24 5.6F 20-25’ closer shot of recording girls singing.

25 11F 30-40’ drum house 60x

26 2.8F 11’ drums inside house 60x

2:30 Leave Anyele and head back up river. A very hot day with threat of rain. We see several African fish eagles.

2:50 Stop at Ebago. Adults are out fishing but children welcome us warmly. We wait for some time but with the threat of rain and the people absent, we take leave.

Pictures: 27 4F 50’ general shot of kids. 60x

28 4F 35’ shot of drum house 125x

Drum called Nyanang named for a very well-liked lady. (big drum)

3:15 Leave Ebago and get back to Pokwo just ahead of heavy rainstorm.