MIX July 17, 1972 - 18A Anyele

Recording #18A

Place of Recording: Anyele

Date of Recording: July 17, 1972

Performance: Various Individuals

Informant: Omot Ochan and advisors

Date of Transcript: September 5, 1972

1 000 Dancing Song. Dudbuli.

Information: When performed they praise you or he praises his friend and the girl friends and the group.

Text: Mentions the names of the people of that group. Cheers the people. Girls are in the center of the circle surrounded by the boys. General dancing.

2 029 Obero.

Information: For a chief that is alive. Each man has a title; named after some animal. Leopard, bull, lion, crock.

Text: Praising the chief, asking for something, mentioning his group: those who have died and those still alive and how they are serving the chief. The goodness of the chief.

3 091 Dancing Song

Information: Asking something for the chief with the hope of getting something.

Text: As he walks, he hopes to get something, but also, he hopes that the chief will give him something since the chief is his father.

4 111 Dudbuli. Dancing Song.

Information: Men are circling the girls.

Text: The singer, in this song praises friends, girlfriends, big men, those that perform good things. They are the good dancers, etc. Man can recall his friends in memory. His friends have been married and she that has been taken, she can be recalled.

5 167 Alenga.

Information: Part of the dance. When people are dancing; when they want to change the type of the dances, they will put this in. Will rush or circle the ladies. Very short.

6 187 Agwaga.

Information: They were drinking. Against a certain village. To show their bravery.

7 194 Dancing song. Dudbuli.

Information: He is singing the song for the people of the village. He is poor and needs help from the people

Text: I can be cheated at any time. I need their help. He’s being beaten now and then because he has nothing to pay for the dowry of his wife. Appealing to the people and also to the chief. Those with their names in that song will have to give him something.

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.