David Rycroft South Africa Collection

Musical bow lecture examples 1979: Siqom' abantu abahle.

  • Add a note
    Log in to add a note at the bottom of this page.
  • All notes
  • My notes
  • Hide notes
Please click to leave a note

The British Library Board acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors to this recording and the rights of those not identified.
Legal and ethical usage »

Tags (top 25):
(No tags found for this item)

What is this? Log in to add a term that describes this item and help make it easier to find.

  • 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).

  • Metadata record:

    View full metadata for this item