David Rycroft South Africa Collection
Musical bow lecture examples 1979: Siqom' abantu abahle.
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Type
sound
Duration
00:37:07
Cultures
Zulu
Shelf mark
C811/103
Subjects
Zulu folksongs and dance , musical bow songs-Africa (Zulu) , ugubhu
Recording date
1979
Recording locations
KwaPhindangene, Mahlabathini, South Africa
Performers
Magogo, Constance, Princess,1900-1984 (singer, female / ugubhu musical bow)
Recordist
Rycroft, David, 1924-1997
Description
This is a dubbing of a recoridng made in 1964. This is an excerpt of Zulu ugubhu bow song performed by Princess Constance Magogo, Mangosuthu Buthelezi and grandchildren. In this track Princess Constance Magogo plays the Zulu ugubhu musical bow. This song has three vocal voice parts, the lead part is sung by Princess Constance Magogo, and the other two parts are sung by her son Mangosuthu Buthelezi and a number of her grandchildren. The children's and Mangosuthu's vocal parts are repetitive and cyclical. The voices enter at different points of the song, creating a polyphonic, overlapping cycle. The song is about girls choosing lovers, and is possibly adapted from the songs sung by girls at qoma courting ceremonies. The lyrics are as follows: 'We chose beautiful lovers; we chose the handsome ones! I shall go wandering mother; but where will my quest take me? The girl I would love is the one that cuts matters short! Take her boy! She is escaping' ( Rycroft, D., 1970, Zulu Swazi and Xhosa Instrumental and Vocal Music, Tevuren: Musee royal de l'Afrique centrale &Belgische Radio and Televisie).
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